Nicola Sommers PG’20 was inspired by her brother to play.
“She brings a lot of energy and inspiration and help to the team,” said Toth. “To me being a [Junior], she’s literally like my big sister. She’s amazing, she’s someone you look up to.”
Due to her combination of experience, reliability, and natural skill, Sommers has been named The Phillipian’s Athlete of the Week.
How did you get into the sport?
I started when I was four. My dad put me into a little league game that was every Sunday, and so ever since then, I’ve played.
After playing four years at Choate, what made you decide to come here?
My coach at Choate was very close with [Head Coach Lisa Joel] here, and so he reached out to her and she immediately reached out to me. It wasn’t really my initial plan, so I was a little hesitant at first. But then [Coach] Joel was so loving, energetic and enthusiastic and you can’t not be excited about something she’s explaining. After spending a day here with her, some of the girls on the team, and some of the PGs on the team last year, it seemed like there was no downside to it, so I just decided to go for it.
How would you describe the transition?
It’s a lot smoother than I thought it was going to be. I think that kind of gets back to the team dynamic and how welcoming and kind all girls on the team were. I [thought] it would be very easy to not have my heart as invested in this team because I captained the other team at Choate. But I felt very quickly, [that] I was aligned with the Andover team. For instance in our game this weekend, when we played Choate, I was surprised at how dedicated I felt to the Andover team, even though I was playing a bunch of girls who I’d captained and played with for three years.
What is the team dynamic like?
I think that everyone’s a really hard worker, they know what they need to do, and they are focused. Everyone is really genuine and nice and it’s an enjoyable dynamic, so that makes it really easy to focus on soccer… It’s kind of like, “Okay, how are we going to get this done? How are we going to win?” and [Coach Joel] always says, “Take one game at a time,” and that’s that.
Do you have any goals for this season?
I would love to remain undefeated. I think it’s a hundred percent a possibility with the team and the group that we have. That means winning the championship. I went through four years of high school and never got the chance, and I got close a couple of times, but it would feel really good to finally get it. If we aren’t able to do that, I would just want to win as much as possible.
What has been your favorite memory with your team so far?
After every goal, everyone sprints out and hugs you. So after I scored on a penalty on my birthday, everyone rushed onto the field and hugged me… It was also the first time being away from home on my birthday since I was a day student at Choate. I wasn’t nervous, but it was just a different feeling and the girls were just so loving and made me feel so celebrated.
