Saturday 4/25: Andover 7, Greenwich 17
4/25: Andover 11, Williston 4
Following four straight wins on the road, Girls Water Polo (5–1) hosted its first home games of the season this Saturday and faced its toughest test yet. In a doubleheader on Saturday, the team suffered its first loss of the season in a 7–17 defeat to Greenwich, but quickly recovered later that day with an 11–4 win over Williston Northampton (Williston).
Against Greenwich, a team filled with experienced players, Girls Water Polo scored 7 goals but allowed 17. Helen McNeely ’29 described the team’s mentality during the match and highlighted a teammate’s strong performance.
“We were not playing our best at the beginning, but our energy and communication improved as the game went on. Even though we were facing a strong and well-rounded team, everyone kept encouraging each other and trying to stay focused. I’d say Camden Schopler [’27] stood out on both offense and defense, scoring the first point of the game, and continued to contribute consistently whenever she had opportunities. Her energy and ability to stay involved on both ends really helped keep us encouraged throughout the game,” said McNeely.
Following a short break, Girls Water Polo returned to the pool to face Williston. Despite coming off a physically and mentally challenging match against Greenwich, Andover responded with renewed focus, controlling the match for an 11–4 win. Schopler reflected on the team’s response, noting the shift in mindset following the loss.
“Losing the first game was a bit disheartening, especially because that was our first loss. I think it was also a nice wake-up call, and I think we learned a lot from that game. It was nice to convincingly beat the other team in the second game, and I think that definitely let us end the day on a good note with a mindset for improvement,” said Schopler.
In Girls Water Polo’s first home games of the season, players, specifically Juniors on the team, got to experience the atmosphere of playing in front of a home crowd for the first time. Mary Li ’29 highlighted one teammate’s impressive performance while also describing the effect of the crowd’s energy.
“I’m gonna shout out Sarah Samoluk [’26.] She plays center, and she’s really hardworking, and she has a lot of spirit, too. Because it’s the first home game, this is the first time the crowd has been there. Although not a lot of people attended, the people who were there had a lot of spirit. A couple of my friends came and cheered for us. I enjoyed it very much,” said Li.
Girls Water Polo will face Loomis Chaffee and Choate this Saturday, and will host Phillips Exeter Academy (Exeter) next Wednesday.
