9/30 – Andover: 6, Pingree: 0
On Wednesday, Field Hockey (3–0) defeated Pingree in an away shutout. Andover came out strong from the starting whistle, scoring three goals in the first quarter and maintaining momentum throughout the game. Despite Pingree’s physical play, Andover’s strong passing and defensive pressure helped the team control the game and secure the shutout victory.
Andover’s preparation leading into the game established the rhythm early, as players relied on movement and quick ball circulation to create opportunities to score. The team’s ability to cleanly and consistently connect passes across the field allowed it to build momentum from the opening minutes. Meghan McKiernan ’28 recalled an earlier sequence that set the tone for the rest of the game.
“In the first minute of the first quarter, we had a great passing sequence that ended [in] a shot, super early in the game, which set the pace and got everyone super energetic, [bringing] the momentum into the rest of the game,” said McKiernan.
McKiernan also credited the team’s preparation in practice for helping translate its level of passing into the game. She highlighted the work the team had put into moving the ball across the field and creating opportunities on the attacking end.
“In practice, we’ve been emphasizing a lot on full-field transfers, whether it’s in the defense or in the midfield. A couple times, we had done great defensive transfers, and then being able to get the ball from one side to the other and then into the attacking end,” said McKiernan.
Another key moment came as Andover worked to create opportunities in the attacking end. Vanessa Hall ’28 described the play that helped shift the game’s momentum and gave the team another spark going forward.
“We were having trouble getting the ball up the field, but then we had a fast break where we went inside to the outside, back to the inside. It got shot at the end and went in. It set the momentum up for us, and we generated more opportunities by doing that throughout the rest of the game,” said Hall.
The team’s energy extended beyond its play on the field, creating a positive atmosphere from the start of the trip. According to Emilie Christian ’30, the team had confidence and enthusiasm from the bus ride to the final whistle, helping bring the team together.
“Our atmosphere was great. We were hyped on the bus from the very start, and we continued that in our game. We had a lot of positivity on the bench and some great celebrations after our goals,” said Christian.
Field Hockey will play Tabor Academy (Tabor) this Saturday at home.
