Girls Soccer (9-4-3) faced North Mount Hermon (NMH) on home turf during Family Weekend, as it looked to claim a three-game win streak after a pair of away victories against St. Paul’s and Governor’s Academy last week. After the final whistle, the two teams were equal on the scoreboard, netting two goals each. Girls Soccer followed that up with a loss to Thayer, but came right back with victories against Deerfield Academy (Deerfield) and Nobles and Greenough (Nobles).
NMH boasted a prestigious soccer program, which meant the game was one of the most competitive of the season. Manager Papa Paintsil ’26 discussed the team’s performance and his reaction to the draw.
“It was a hard-fought game. There were definitely parts of the game that were in our control, and we came up short. It ended up being a tie [when] we needed to win, but the way that they carried themselves regardless of the results shows the fortitude and the mental strength of this team. We’re gonna have a really strong end to the season,” said Paintsil.
Against Thayer, the team, despite falling behind three goals in the first half, entered the second half determined to fight back. Although the game ended in a loss, the team managed to put up one goal. Emma Sharon ’29 discussed the team’s key working points and strengths, as well as the overall energy of the game.
“One thing we need to work on in all of our games, not just this game, is to focus on scoring our corners. One of our strengths was coming out stronger in the second half because we communicated better and moved the ball faster. We played with a lot more confidence, which really boosted our energy. The energy was high the whole game, and even when we were down, everyone on the field and on the sidelines stayed really positive and encouraged us,” said Sharon.
At Deerfield, the team arrived looking to capitalize on an opportunity to win against a strong opponent and rebound from its loss to Thayer. According to Lola Aguirre ’26, its defense kept a clean sheet, and Co-Captain Wylie Roossien ’26 scored a goal to secure Girls Soccer’s eighth win of the season.
Following their victory against Deerfield, the Girls Soccer team faced Nobles at home on Wednesday. The team delivered a commanding win, scoring three goals and allowing just one. Paintsil detailed a specific play that sealed the victory for Andover.
“Every goal today was a big team effort where the girls showed up for each other and for themselves. Sarah Powers’ [’26] last goal was really a big spectacle for me. She beat [her opponent] off the ball and had a really great shot against the goalie that put the game away as a 3-1 victory. I’m usually not the loudest one cheering on the sidelines, but I was really, really hype after seeing that goal,” said Paintsil.
Paintsil also described the team’s overall performance and the contributions of the players. Each player’s strengths complement one another, and it was the chemistry between the players that allowed the team to succeed.
“Our back line is one of the strongest in the entire league, the midfield does a great job of distributing the ball spread out and making sure that the ball switches from the left side to the right side, and our wingers and strikers are some of the fastest girls I’ve ever seen play soccer at the high school level,” said Paintsil.
Girls Soccer will play Lawrence Academy on Friday.
