10/3 – Andover: 0, Taft: 1
10/6 – Andover: 5, Bridgton: 4
Boys Soccer (3–1–4) split its two games this week, falling 0–1 to Taft before bouncing back with a 5–4 win over Bridgton Academy (Bridgton).
Against Taft, Andover entered the game looking to challenge a team that had been undefeated for two years. Chris Lee ’27 described the game as a back-and-forth battle in which Andover limited Taft’s opportunities to score, remaining competitive throughout.
“We started off really strong. Taft hasn’t lost a game in two years, and so we went into this game wanting to smash their record. It was a lot of back and forth, and we were at a stalemate for most of the game,” said Lee.
Khoi Do ’29 emphasized Andover’s strong start as the team controlled possession and created opportunities early on. He also praised the team’s defensive preparation as a major factor in keeping Taft scoreless for the majority of the game. The team specifically focused on limiting Taft’s strongest attacking players and preventing the opposing team from cutting toward its preferred foot.
“The first 15 minutes, we honestly dominated the game. We were moving the ball very well, we were linking-up play, but the tide of the game changed after that first 15. Our game plan was to basically sit in. We watched a lot of film, and we did specific drills to not allow them to cut in and also to shift our defense in a way that could allow us to be competitive with Taft,” said Do.
Lee also pointed to the team’s resilience as its biggest strength. Despite conceding in the second half, Andover continued to fight and remained within reach of an equalizing goal.
“Everybody simply came in with a great attitude that we wanted to beat this team, and we had the capability to beat this team,” said Lee.
Although the team ultimately fell 0–1, the game gave Andover confidence that it could compete against the league’s top teams. Do said the team’s improved communication, technique, and confidence compared with last season were among the biggest positives.
“We honestly realize that we’re a way better team than last year,” said Do. “We are way better in terms of communication, overall technique and skill, and confidence than last year.”
The team carried that confidence into its matchup against Bridgton, a PG school, looking to end a recent cold streak. After falling behind 0–1 in the first half, Jeffrey Yin ’28 described how Andover responded with five goals during the opening 20 minutes of the second half.
“We made a defensive error and went down 0–1 into halftime, where the coaches gave us a couple of motivational speeches. Captains gave us some motivation to help us regroup. And the first 20 minutes of the second half, we bounced back really well [and] scored five goals on them,” said Yin.
Bridgton responded with three goals of its own in the final 20 minutes, but Andover held on to secure the 5–4 victory. Yin credited the team’s emphasis on possession throughout the week of practice.
“We’re a pretty possession-based team, so we tried to just emphasize that with drills and stuff during practice. Obviously, we knew that they would be older than us and more physically mature than us. So we tried to put full effort into those tackles, but we tried to be mindful and keep ourselves healthy as well,” said Yin.
The two games also highlighted the team’s growth in chemistry. Yin pointed out how players have become more familiar with each other’s playing styles and have begun to understand how to best use each teammate’s strengths.
“The team chemistry has definitely gotten a lot better because we’ve all gotten used to how everyone else plays. We know who wants the ball at their feet, who wants the ball in space. And we’re starting to adapt and use everyone’s strengths,” said Yin. “Off the field, we’re getting closer as a team too.”
The team looks forward to playing at Choate on Saturday.
