Andover played another grueling three-game week, posting a solid record of 2-1, falling to Noble and Greenough 2-1 last Saturday but rebounding with wins against Milton and Westminster 5-1 and 4-3. Andover went into the game against Noble and Greenough with high anticipation, for the two teams were evenly matched and the game was sure to be a tough battle. Unfortunately, Andover’s flat play early on in the first period persisted through the entire game. With 11:47 left to play in the first, the puck squeaked across the goal line, putting the Bulldogs up 1-0. The second period started off equally tough for the home team. Nobles doubled its lead when it scored with about seven minutes remaining in the middle period. However, Andover proved to be a resilient squad when Co-Captain Liv Coffey ’07 netted another impressive goal. Assistant Coach Caroline Odden described the goal, “Coffey doubled back to tag up at the blue line before exploding into the zone, beating a Nobles defender to the puck, and scoring.” Unfortunately, the team could not capitalize. The girls generated multiple scoring chances in the third period, but just could not find a way to sneak in the equalizer. Alissa Fromkin ’09 was solid in goal throughout the evening, stopping 21 Bulldog shots. Andover did not have much time to dwell on the loss, as it traveled to face another ISL opponent in Milton. Co-Captain Coffey described the game, “We started off kind of slow in the first two periods. The team seemed a little down from the big loss against Nobles the day before. But we picked it up in the third and played together to notch four goals.” Andover was rewarded with a first period goal, after out-shooting Milton 14-5. Emily Weedon ’07 made a stellar finish when she collected a rebound off a blast from Stephanie Clegg ’08. The second period was again dominated by Andover, however its hard work did not pay off. After a scrum in front of Andover’s net, a Milton player poked the puck through the pile and the puck found its way past goaltender Co-Captain Joy Joung ’07. Andover sealed the win in the third period. Kaitlyn McInnis ’09 started the third period scoring off, as she finished off a great play by defender Clegg. A few minutes later, Coffey raced in on a breakaway and showed talent and poise to tuck home the golden opportunity. Just 11 seconds later, Megan Shea ’07 made it a three-goal lead as she ripped a low wrist shot to the near post. McInnis added her second of the game to cap off the strong 5-1 victory. McInnis continued her hot streak with two goals in Andover’s 4-3 win against Westminster. This game was a roller coaster affair, as teams traded goals throughout the night. Winger Lindsey Weiner ’08 said, “the game was definitely nerve-racking, as the game was truthfully never over until the final buzzer.” Westminster was the first to score, but McInnis quickly answered, tying the game at 1-1. Again Westminster took the lead, only to see it vanish with the two goals from Carly O’Leary ’07 and Shea. At this point, Andover had the 3-2 lead, but Westminster showed its resiliency, tying the game at three. The hot hand of McInnis pulled through, scoring to secure the team’s final home game 4-3.
