A tremendous eleven-save effort by Captain William Faulkner ’09 propelled Andover to a 7-4 win against Loomis in the New England tournament fifth place game. Wins on Saturday against Williston and Loomis helped Andover finish its season on a high note after a heartbreaking loss to Exeter in the tournament’s play-in game. Eliminated from final four contention, Andover played Williston in its first game of the consolation tournament on Saturday. Andover came out of the gate firing against Williston, recording seven goals in the first quarter alone. The defense played well in the first quarter to complement the strong offensive production and hand Andover an early five goal lead. Parker Washburn ’09, Curtis Hon ’10, Asa Harrington ’09, Brendan Deveney ’09, all scored one goal each. Conor McAuliffe ’10 found the net early and often, recording a hat trick in the first quarter. Faulkner played solidly in the net for Andover in the second quarter, only allowing two goals. The defense helped out Faulkner and continued its pressure on Williston. Matthew Mahoney ’11 scored two goals to help out Andover on the offensive side, while Washburn and Deveney each netted in a pair. Andover increased its lead and at the half, Andover led 13-4. Just like it had been throughout the game, Andover’s offense and defense kept up its torrid pace in the second half. In the third quarter, Andrew Fraser ’10 scored a goal to extend Andover’s lead. Andover dominated Williston in all four quarters of play, giving the team a commanding lead. Washburn and Deveney finished the game’s scoring, allowing Andover to cruise to a 19-7 lead. This convincing win helped Andover gain confidence for its second game against Loomis to decide the league’s fifth-place team. Andover had faced Loomis two times previously in the regular season, winning both times. Andover once again started off well, leading Loomis throughout the first half. Deveney scored two goals to add to his total on the day, while James Martino ’09 added a goal of his own to give Andover a 3-2 half-time lead. Faulkner played extremely well in the net in the third quarter, recording multiple saves to keep Andover’s lead intact. Hon scored a goal in the third quarter to add to Andover’s lead over Loomis, while McAuliffe brought Andover up by another goal with a score. Faulkner played brilliantly in the final period, making four great saves in a close game. For the whole game, Faulkner made eleven saves against the Loomis attack, his play a main reason why Andover limited Loomis to only four goals. Washburn and Deveney provided the offensive spark in the fourth quarter to give Andover a 7-4 win over Loomis and fifth place overall. Compared to last year’s eighth place finish, which placed the team at the bottom of the league, Andover improved heavily this season. Andover more than doubled its win total from a year ago, and Coach David Fox hopes to continue to improve next season. Despite having several seniors leaving including the Captain, the Boys Varsity Water Polo team has most of its roster returning.
