Captain Nekele McCall ’14 received a pass just past midfield, sprinting down the field with the defense still in transition. Spinning her way past two defenders, McCall fired a shot to the top right corner of the net for her second goal of the game. She would go on to add two more goals to match Pingree’s score and boost Andover Girls Lacrosse to a 16-4 win last Friday.
The victory severed Andover’s three-game losing streak and grabbed its first win of the season. Early goals from McCall, Caroline Garrity ’15 and Olivia Cabral ’14 gave Andover the lead early on.
Excellent defending let up only one goal in the second half, and Andover retained a tight hold on its lead throughout the game.
“Starting off the spring with three tight losses was difficult, especially when we have been working so hard during practice. In the Pingree game, we had our set plays and our fast break working really well. We could control most of the draws, and we had great shot opportunities,” said Garrity.
High pressure further down the field led to numerous turnovers, which Andover’s attackers consistently converted into goals.
The scouring rout showed no signs of stopping. Garrity added five goals to McCall’s four and Post-Graduate Morgan Hollowell ’14 had a breakout performance with a hat trick.
Garrity added, “The win against Pingree was a team effort, and it felt great to put a W on our record. My teammates created all the opportunities for my goals.”
On Wednesday, however, Andover fell 18-12 to St. Paul’s in a fast, high-scoring match-up on both ends. Andover came close wwat the end of the first half, closing the gap at 6-7, but St. Paul’s, a team stacked with 14 Senior players, eventually pulled away with successive fast break goals.
Andover will play this Saturday at Groton, looking to get the season back on track.
