Peyton Kennedy ’25 warming up before the game against Milton.
2/14 – Andover: 5, Milton: 0
2/15 – Andover: 0, Williston: 1
2/19 – Andover: 3, Nobles: 3
Last Friday, Girls Varsity Ice Hockey won against Milton Academy (Milton), followed by a loss against The Williston Northampton School (Williston) on Saturday and a tie later in the week to Noble and Greenough (Nobles). Despite the loss and tie, the team played strong against its opponents, continuing to grow. Now, the team looks to finish the season well in its remaining three games as they approach the postseason.
Throughout the winter season, the team has maintained a strong record of 13-2-2 (W-L-T) leading up to these games. Maya Kou ’28 highlighted the team’s dedication and perseverance, emphasizing their goal of playing with intensity and control throughout all three periods.
“As of right now, we have been consistent. So far this season, we’ve been having consistent gains, and we’ve been working hard in practice. Our offensive and defensive games are both very strong, and we can, against many teams, score a lot of goals, which is always really nice. We haven’t had many games where we slacked off, but having a complete three periods has been a really good, strong goal for us. In every game, we’re still striving to achieve that goal. Working as a team and using everybody is really important,” said Kou.
The team’s positive attitude, both on and off the ice, has been special. Marie Lee ’28 noted the team’s constant support for each other on the ice and on the sidelines.
Lee said, “They’re really hyping up, and we always cheer for each other on the bench. When I’m playing, my teammates are cheering for me, and that helps me. And when I’m not playing, I cheer for my teammates, which helps them too.”
Despite losing to Williston on Saturday, the game was very close, and tension was high. Kou highlighted Lee, who has stepped up as a new goalie this season and made an impressive save during the first period.
Kou said, “At the game on Saturday, Marie [Lee ’28] played really great. It was her best game of the whole season. To have a person step up as a goalie, it’s always really impressive. But also, in the first period, she had a really insane save, she was diving from the other side, and she blocked the empty net slapshot with her blocker while diving. She stood tall the whole game, and it was just the overtime winner that was just a lucky bounce, and she couldn’t have done that much to save it.”
Lauren Kennedy ’28 also commented on the significance of their games, as well as the drive for success the team has. Specifically, she noted that the team’s Saturday game was its ‘Hockey Fights Cancer Game’ and Wednesday was Senior Night.
Kennedy said, “The matches on Saturday and today mean a lot. Our Saturday game was ‘Hockey Fights Cancer Game,’ and our game today was our Senior Night. They [the previous two games] were also against two of the top teams in NEPSAC [New England Preparatory School Athletic Council]. We have worked hard to prepare for these games, and we are still hungry for more. “
Kou shouted out all the freshman teammates for contributing to the team’s culture and spirit. She also recognized the older players’ abilities to mentor the younger players and support them as they gain more experience.
“The Freshman class this year has contributed greatly to the team culture. We have a lot of spirit on the team, and we’re always cheerleading and stuff like that. It’s really important to have some people have different roles, but they are equally important for the team. The older grades, in return, support and mentor the younger ones. I find that we have a lot of success, and so that plays out on the ice as well,” said Kou
Looking ahead, Lee notes that the team faces off against Loomis Chaffee (Loomis), acknowledging its status as a top-five team.
“We have Loomis next week, which is a really big game. They’re also in the top five. We want to end on a strong note and head into the playoffs. We want to be strong, so we’re trying to win,” said Lee.
Girls Hockey will face off against Worcester Academy at home on Saturday and away at Loomis on Wednesday.
