On Saturday, the Boys Varsity Water Polo team faced two worthy opponents in Loomis and Suffield Academy. After its clutch win against Exeter, the Water Polo team faced Loomis first, and emerged victorious, winning 8-6. Although the team was missing two out of the six starters, Andover played inspiringly, finishing the first quarter with a 3-2 lead. William Falk-Wallace ’10, Conor McAuliffe ’10, and Matt Mahoney ’11 had one goal each in the first quarter, complemented with three saves and strong play by shallow-end goalkeeper Dan Larson ’11. After jumping out to the lead, defending the deep end proved to be a challenge. Despite two saves by Captain William Faulkner ’09 and solid defensive plays by Brendan Deveney ’09, Loomis climbed back to take the lead, 5-3. Down two goals entering the third quarter, the Water Polo team dug deep and scored the only four goals in the quarter to take a decisive lead, 7-5. Deveney ’09 also showed his strength on offense after making solid plays on defense in the previous quarter, scoring a goal to increase the lead over Loomis. Andrew Fraser ’10 extended the lead even further by scoring his first varsity goal. With a 7-5 lead over Loomis, Captain Faulkner ’09 was forced to play in the deep end to preserve the lead his team had given him. He stepped up to the challenge, making four saves in goal to stop Loomis’ attack. Harrington ’09 continued his dominant play, completing his hat trick by scoring another goal. Despite only substituting once during the game against Loomis, the Water Polo team pulled out the impressive victory, defeating their opponent 8-6. Following its rewarding win over Loomis, the Water Polo team suited up to play an even stronger opponent, Suffield Academy. After Andover got off to a slow start, Suffield took advantage of the opportunity, scoring five goals in the first quarter to gain an early lead. During the second quarter, Suffield continued its scoring barrage, continuously attacking the net against Andover. Despite Suffield’s continuous offensive domination, Mahoney ’11 played well, scoring a goal and adding to his mark of two goals on the day. Falk-Wallace ’10 then added another goal, scoring in the second quarter to increase Andover’s total. Andover will prepare for Hotchkiss and Williston this upcoming weekend.
