Andover Field Hockey’s last undefeated season was in 2018 when the team
finished with a 17-0 record and won the Class A Championship
Shea Freda ’24 swiftly dribbled through multiple defenders, scoring the only goal against Tabor Academy in Andover Field Hockey’s 1-0 win. Despite a total of eleven penalty corners awarded to Tabor throughout the game, Andover’s robust defense, including goalie Ellie Parker ’25, managed to shut out all of Tabor’s opportunities. Andover proceeded to win 3-0 at Governor’s Academy on Wednesday, bringing its record to 6-0.
According to Aimée Seppenwolde PG’22, Andover’s early goal was crucial in its win over Tabor, but the team struggled on offense during the remainder of the game. She credited the defensive capabilities of the team as it shut out Tabor.
“We scored early on, which was nice, but then it was very stressful because it was a very defense-heavy game. Our defense played very, very well because we had trouble getting a lot of opportunities after that first goal, so the defense won the game for us for sure,” said Seppenwolde.
According to Georgia Adams ’22, Tabor had competed in close scoring matches against Andover. The previous results served as motivation entering this game.
“We lost to Tabor my Lower year in overtime during the regular season, and we lost 0-1 again in the quarterfinal… We definitely really wanted to win this game, just out of revenge… to make up for the two really tough losses last time. This was the first team we played that we really knew was going to be a challenge. We felt great. We didn’t play our best, but we still won,” said Adams.
Keira Reidy ’23 noted the high level of play Tabor showcased in addition to Andover’s ability to adapt to its opponent.
“[Tabor was] probably the best team we’ve played so far. They were really competitive and had great talent. They were really aggressive so we just kind of had to stay composed, spread out the field,” added Reidy.
The pressure of beating Tabor resulted in some pre-game nerves, according to Liz Assimes ’22. The returning players were able to share their memories of the previous Tabor games with the newer players, which served as a bonding experience.
“There was a mixture of nerves and excitement. All of the returning players were very determined to right the wrongs of the past and beat Tabor; their energy was definitely shared by the new players as well,” Assimes said.
Assimes and Reidy both recognized the dedication their teammates demonstrated and attributed it as a major component of the team’s hard-fought victory.
“All the girls on the team… they all have the same goal of ‘We want to win, but we want to do it together.’ It’s just so amazing to see all the great talent on the team,” Reidy said.
“Every single player on PAFH works incredibly hard, whether it’s running on the field or cheering on the sidelines; we all really enjoy the sport and the community. It’s really motivating to go to practices and games knowing that I can rely on each of my teammates to push me to be the best version of myself on and off the field,” Assimes said.
According to Reidy, the victory over Tabor gave the team confidence going into the Governor’s game.
“The Governor’s game was more technical and executed better than the Tabor game, granted the Tabor team had better composition. However, in the Governor’s game, we dominated in our offensive end. We had great passes and knew exactly how to handle the ball. We were very composed in the Governor’s game compared to a little frantic in the Tabor game,” explained Reidy.
Andover will look to remain undefeated in its game against Choate on Saturday.
