Last Saturday and Wednesday, Ultimate Frisbee suffered narrow losses to Northfield Mount Hermon (8–9) and Summerville (10–11), extending its losing streak. Originally scheduled to play both NMH and Williston on Saturday, the team saw the Williston match canceled and the NMH game cut short due to harsh weather.
Severe conditions disrupted the game against NMH, ending at the end of the third quarter. Co-Captain Everett Woo ’25 expressed both pride in the team and frustration that the stormy conditions cut a game short when momentum was building in the team’s favor.
“On Saturday, we played Northfield Mount Hermon. It was a tight game, and we lost 8-9, which was frustrating since it was canceled by lightning. We had some good rhythm, but our team has been improving, and we showed it in that game,” said Woo.
Reflecting on the strides of growth the team has made, Paxton Auguste ’28 talked about the systems and execution critical to Andover’s success.
“We played zone defense, where multiple people surround the person holding the disc, and it cuts away all opportunities up the field. We did a great job swinging the disc across the field, with four different handlers, giving us more opportunities and space to get the disc up the field. Today, we were handling undercuts. Undercuts are when you stand in front of the person so that they can’t cut in toward the thrower, and we did a great job with that, which caused the other team to drop the disc and force turnovers,” said Auguste.
The team is adjusting and learning to build a community. Dean Yang ’27 described the importance of supporting each other and its role in the team’s overall play.
“A key part of our improvement is that we aren’t getting down on each other when we make mistakes. Our coach likes to say ‘relentless positivity.’ If someone makes a mistake, they know they made it. You don’t have to yell or make them feel bad. Instead, you pick each other up after errors. We struggled with that a few games ago, and our attitude has significantly improved since then,” said Yang.
Nate Goldberg ’27 and Woo ’25 have been a strong duo on the field. Auguste highlighted their connection and praised their performances against NMH.
“Nate Goldberg and Everett Woo had strong chemistry on Saturday. They made many good plays and knew where each other was on the field. They were both talking, and if they just keep that up, we will have a good chance of winning in the future,” said Auguste.
Elaborating on the previous statement, Paxton illustrates their play in the match against Somerville. He noted an impressive play by Goldberg and Woo, highlighting their chemistry and skill in the game.
“Nate and Everett exchanged cutting into the end zone and handling the disc. First, Everett threw a deep pass to Nate, and he caught it. A tall defender guarded him, but he read the disc better than them. Then, Nate had the disc against the sideline and saw Everett cutting deep on the opposite side of the field. He threw it so that the throw curved into him, which was incredible,” said Auguste.
Andover will play at home against Concord Academy on Friday. Fueled by previous clashes, Woo expressed anticipation and excitement.
“We have a game against Concord Academy on Friday, and it means a lot to many of us with how we played last year, and how we’re looking to reciprocate those results in this year’s game. So, we’re looking forward to playing that game and winning,” said Woo.
