Grabbing the ball at midfield, Caroline Garrity ’15 jogged ahead and squared up to a Brooks defender. Quickly juking past her, Garrity rocketed a shot to the right corner of the net from ten yards out. That marked Garrity’s 11th goal of the game, which ended as a 22-13 win over Brooks.
After having the previous Saturday off, Andover Girls Lacrosse was fresh and energized for Wednesday’s home game. The energy showed early, with the team firing in ten first-half goals, setting the tone for the rest of the game.
Nekele McCall ’14 netted three, Meredith Collins ’14 added one and Garrity nabbed six before the first half was over. Strong defense that contained the Brooks offense brought Andover to a 10-6 lead at the half.
On the other side of the break, Brooks began to close the gap, getting two quick goals to trim Andover’s lead to two at 10-8. Garrity and McCall, however, had other plans. The pair netted a goal apiece to give Andover a four-goal advantage.
After Brooks scored two more to bring the game back within two, Andover’s attack took off and put the game away for good. With 14 minutes left in the game and the score sitting at 12-10, Andover rattled off eight unanswered goals to bury Brooks.
Lexi Davidson ’17 scored on a wrap-around, and McCall added two more goals of her own to bring her game total to six.
Garrity, meanwhile, continued her offensive dominance by adding three more goals to bring the lead to 18-10 with six minutes left.
Despite her consistent performance as a key member of Andover’s offense, it is hard to say anyone saw this 11-goal explosion coming.
On Garrity’s breakout game, teammate Kelly McCarthy ’16 said, “I think the reason [Garrity] is so successful is that she doesn’t hesitate when she has the ball. She acts right away and drives to the net.”
Seniors Morgan Hollowell ’14 and Meredith Collins ’14 added three goals, one for Hollowell and two for Collins, to close out the game.
This marks the second time Andover has scored 20 or more points in a game this season. These 20-point eruptions speak to the team’s offensive firepower and potential going forward into next season.
This Friday, Andover will wrap up its season at home against Phillips Exeter Academy, looking to finish the year on a high note.
