After Nick Faulkner ’16 ripped the ball into the goal with 15 seconds left on the clock in overtime, Loomis surged ahead to tie the game 13-13 with six seconds to spare. Despite Loomis’s last second heroics to tie the game, Andover finished with a 15-13 victory. Co-Captain Andrew Yang ’14 and Peter Fanikos ’14 netted the two unanswered goals in double overtime to secure the victory and a spot in the New England Championship play-offs for Andover. “Loomis was a pretty even match for us, but after some key plays and communication, we were able to come out strong to win the game,” said Darren Ty ’16. Holding one of the league’s best records at 5-2, Loomis proved challenging throughout the game. Although Andover led most of the game, Loomis capitalized on an exclusion and brought the score to 12-12 with 43 seconds left on the clock leading up to overtime. Andover’s offense took center stage to counteract Loomis in the close face-off, spearheaded by Faulkner and Co-Captain Travis Bouscaren ’14 with five goals and three goals respectively. “Against Loomis, we did well working the ball around the perimeter and shooting from outside,” said Faulkner. “Initially on offense, our two meter play worked out very well and we managed to score several goals there,” said Aaron Teo ’15. “The team excelled in controlling the game and making good decisions.” Andover’s offense continued its dominance against Suffield on Wednesday with a 21-5 victory. Yang’s three goals off of fast breaks coupled with three behind the back goals by Fanikos led Andover to victory. “Andover did a good job controlling the ball and looking for the two-meter pass,” said Scott Simpson ’14. “We really set up well and as a result could move the ball around well and make a lot of opportunities,” said Joe Faller ’14. “We could have been a little more aware of where the ball was on the longer passes and fast breaks.” On the other side of the pool, Co-Captain Travis Bouscaren ’14 played off blocks from goalkeeper Rome Arnold ’14, dominating the water and rocketing goals off multiple fast breaks. Andover’s performance against Suffield on Wednesday resulted from lessons learned against Loomis. Although the team maintained a strong lead, Loomis took advantage of holes in Andover’s defense and managed to turn the tables from 11-9 to 11-11 in the third quarter on Saturday. Loomis changed up its defense to try and counter Andover’s offensive dominance. “We did not adapt particularly well to this defense and made a handful of errors. We struggled mostly with communication and awareness in the last quarter of the game,” said Teo. However, with a five-game win streak under its belt, Andover looks to continue its momentum against St. John’s Prep this Saturday and the New England Championships at the end of the season.
