Andover stole a 3-0 win from Exeter this past Saturday with goals from Hannah Guzzi ’14 and Leah Humes ’12. The win propelled the team into the top seed in the New England Prep School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Class A tournament.
Guzzi scored Andover’s first goal in the opening 10 minutes when she stole the ball from an Exeter defense and whipped a left-footed shot into the side netting. Five minutes later, Guzzi struck again with a rip with her right foot.
Nekele McCall ’14 said, “Guzzi’s goals early on in the match set the tone for the team and let Exeter know who’s boss.”
With a 2-0 lead, Andover looked to seal its victory with another goal. The team’s chance came when Kira Wyckoff ’12 unleashed a huge throw-in to Humes, who volleyed the ball into the back of the net.
Andover’s defense, inspired by astounding saves from goalkeeper Emily Hoyt ’13, successfully shut down the Exeter forwards.
Guzzi said, “Emily really came through with a couple of clutch saves. Had Exeter been able to capitalize, it would have been a very different game.”
Andover’s victory over Exeter wrapped up Andover’s regular season with a record of 13-1-3.
Seeded first in the NEPSAC Class A Tournament, Andover defeated eighth seed Milton in an exhilarating 4-2 quarterfinals win on Andover’s home field.
Andover scored first, when Wyckoff let loose a twenty-yard crack over the goalie’s head in the 20th minute of the game. With both Andover and Milton playing tight defense, no more goals were scored in the first half.
However, early in the second half, Milton equalized with an impressive bar-down shot from the top of the 18-yard box. Andover soon retaliated when Guzzi stole the ball from a Milton defender and slotted the ball past the keeper, affording Andover a 2-1 advantage.
Milton scored another tying goal on a breakaway minutes later, leveling the score at 2-2.
Late in the second half, Alex Thomas ’15 netted a goal to regain Andover’s lead. Thomas received a pass from Guzzi inside the 18-yard box and shot a laser to the far post.
Thomas said “I was just so relieved I scored that goal. It happened really fast, and Hannah set me up with a perfect pass which made it easier for me to put my shot on net.”
Minutes later, Guzzi scored her second goal, a right-footed crack past the keeper. The final whistle blew with a 4-2 victory for Andover.
McCall said, “We played a really good second half, but we struggled in the first half. We relied on our defense to keep us in the game at times in the first half, and in the second half we came out with more energy and put away a few much needed goals.”
Andover will next play Loomis at home in the semifinals this Saturday.
