With less than three minutes left in the game, Alissa Fromkin ’09 scored on a free shot, bouncing the ball into the bottom right corner from the 8m to put Andover ahead 10-9 and help the team secure a win. Andover took an early three-goal lead against Exeter in the first five minutes of the first half. Andover won the face-off draws and possession, scoring on fast breaks to pull ahead 3 – 0. However, Exeter responded and put Andover behind, scoring the next four goals of the game. With six minutes left in the first half, Andover trailed at 6-4, but the team ended the first half just as it started the game, stealing the momentum of the game and taking a two-goal advantage. The second half started with Andover ahead at 8–6 and winning the draw; Andover then scored the first goal of the second half. Andover could not hold onto the ball as the team transitioned from defense to offense. Exeter’s aggressive play caused many turnovers and led to Exeter tying the game at 9-9 with five minutes remaining. “I credit the girls for showing poise and persistence to answer with the final tally of the evening,” said Coach Kate Dolan. Fromkin was able to score her second goal of the game due to her aggressive play, and when she forced an Exeter player to foul her, she scored the game-winning goal. Andover had a well-settled offense, lead by Emily Little ’09 with three goals and one assist, as well as Fromkin, Dana Feeny ’08, and Sam Lawson ’10 with two goals respectively, and Co-Captain Britney Van Valkenburg ’08 with one goal. Kaitlin Gaiss ’09 who had twelve saves in the net and Co-Captain Jen Downing ’08 led an aggressive defense, shutting down Exeter’s key players. “The game was an awesome way to end the season. We had to work hard, and although we got ahead in the beginning, we learned quickly that we would have to fight to win it because Exeter wanted it just as bad as we did,” said Feeny. All season Andover has struggled to play consistently every minute of every game. On Friday night, Andover was able to prevail with its heart and determination and finish the season on a winning note.
