With the help of a number of players such as Alejandra Alicea ’24 (#0), Andover Girls Soccer has kept two clean sheets in its most recent two games.
With only eight minutes remaining, Marie-Eve Marleau ’22 chipped the goalkeeper off of a breakaway and scored, earning her the player of the game award and sealing a victory for Girls Soccer against Northfield Mount Hermon this past Saturday. With an abundance of offensive firepower, Andover defeated NMH 5-0, moving its record to 6-5-1.
According to Eliza Dow ’22, Marleau’s goal was the highlight of the game on Family Weekend. She noted the team chemistry and support from teammates after the final goal.
“It was at the very end of the game, the team put all the Seniors in when the clock was at eight minutes. Marie dribbled the ball from midfield and took a shot about twenty yards out. After she scored, all the Seniors ran to the field and hugged her. Since Marie’s parents were not at the game, it felt really like a family to go out and support her after her goal,” said Dow.
According to Lulu Rourke ’23, Andover capitalized on every opportunity to score. She believes, however, that the team can continue to improve on its ability to shift momentum.
“Offensively, the wingers had a lot of speed and were successful down the wings and the midfield controlled the game well and switched the field various times, which allowed for more opportunities to score with numbers up against their defense. Even though we played well, I feel like we can still work on speeding up the momentum,” said Rourke.
A key aspect of Andover’s win over NMH was the team’s ability to hold its opponents scoreless, led by Emily Kelly ’22, according to Emma Robinson ’23.
Robinson said, “I would say defensively, the back line led by Senior Emily Kelly ’22 kept their shape and composure throughout the game as well as the midfield winning the ball which was crucial for gaining possession.”
Looking to the future, Robinson mentioned the team’s strength in younger players, like Junior Emily Mara ’25.
“Emily Mara, the [Junior], played really well. She had multiple runs down the sidelines and multiple crosses. She outran all the defenders with her speed and she sent crosses directly to the eighteen-yard box. Considering her age, it was really impressive to see and it really put my hopes up for the upcoming season,” Robinson said.
Andover Girls Soccer will look to sustain its winning streak at Deerfield this coming Saturday.
