Girls Hockey – 2:00 PM
After suffering its first loss of the season to Phillips Exeter Academy by a margin of 1-0 earlier this year, Andover Girls Hockey looks to redeem itself this Saturday. Andover holds a record of 14- 3-6, while Exeter stands at 9-12-2. The team looks to extend its Andover/ Exeter winning streak to three games, as it defeated Exeter the past two years with scores of 4-0 in 2014 and 2-0 in 2015.
This season, Andover has scored a total of 15 more goals than Exeter. Andover has netted 52, while Exeter has only managed to score 37. Andover will look to have its high-powered offense on full display this Saturday and hopes to start the scoring early.
Post-Graduate (PG) Jacquie Diffley ’16 said, “I think our strengths [this season] included our speed and ability to forecheck teams hard. We also had a tremendous resiliency present in every game. I think it’s important to get the first goal. I am looking forward to a very competitive game against Exeter. The rivalry is so intense, and I can’t wait to step foot on the ice Saturday afternoon.”
Despite having enjoyed a significantly more successful season than in past years, Andover will enter the matchup against Exeter with the mentality of an underdog. Andover is determined to redeem its previous loss to Exeter on Saturday.
Sarah Rigazio ’18 said, “When we played Exeter previously this season we lost, and it was a really tight game, but we weren’t playing our best. They ended up winning 1-0. I think that alone gives us a lot of motivation going into Andover/Exeter, and also of course there is going to be hype and motivation anyways because it is Andover/Exeter, but having lost to them earlier on I think that really is pushing us and motivating us.”
Courtney Masotti ’17 said, “We all know how important A/E is and we all love that game, so I think the most important thing is just that we keep working hard and improving on our power play, penalty kill and playing off the puck; we should be ready. It’s also really a mental game and I think that after going to Exeter to play them a few weeks ago, we are ready to be at home with that huge crowd of Andover fans to help help us stay mentally tough.”
Boys Basketball – 3:30 PM
After suffering a crushing 75-49 loss to Phillips Exeter Academy during last year’s Andover/Exeter weekend, Andover Boys Basketball will fight for redemption in this year’s contest. Andover will go into the game with a record of 7-12, while Exeter will approach the court with a record of 14-10. Earlier this season, Andover fell 58-49 to Exeter after blowing a halftime lead. Despite its underdog status, Andover is confident as it heads into this weekend’s matchup with a revamped game plan.
Head Coach Terrell Ivory ’00 said, “We are gonna [play] man-to-man defense to stop their Princeton offense. Their defense is really good, and in order to score against their defense we [need] a lot of movement and make sure we are moving the ball and attacking the rim.”
Peter Heckendorn ’17 said, “We have been doing a lot of specific drills for Exeter’s defense. They play a really a man-toman defense in which they switch really aggressively. We had a hard time coping with that earlier in the season. This time around, we are looking to exploit that aggressive switching defense to get some easy baskets.”
Andover’s offense is well-equipped to deal with Exeter’s high powered defense. With four starting Post-Graduates (PGs), the team plays with great confidence. Heckendorn said, “We have a lot of experienced players on this team. Our guys have played in some big games in their careers. Having that kind of experience gives us real solid leadership in the locker room and also allows us to play a fearless style of basketball on the offensive end.”
Beyond simply focusing on offensive and defensive tactics, Coach Ivory also stresses the importance of fighting for every play. Ivory said, “One of the things that we have to [do] is to [outwork Exeter every play]. I don’t think we did [that] the first game. This notion that every play matters [is crucial]. We can’t be outworked.” Andover will welcome Exeter at home this Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
Boys Hockey – 4:00 PM
After a devastating 7-0 loss at Phillips Exeter Academy earlier in the season, Andover Boys Hockey looks to cap off an 9-17-1 season with a win over its rival. Last year Andover faced Exeter twice, first falling 4-3 in overtime and then avenging the loss with a 5-3 victory later in the season. Andover hopes to finish this year on a similarly positive note.
This weekend, Andover will have to be disciplined both defensively and offensively against a strong 24- 3-1 Exeter team. Andover’s struggling offense will line up against a tenacious Exeter defense that shut Andover out in January.
Forward Kevin Kastholm ’17, for whom this weekend’s rivalry game will be a first, said, “We’ll have a few people back, which will be big. They’re quick, they’re big, they’re strong, so we just have to play our game. We have to stay physical. They have a few pretty good guys, so we have to match them, and we have to get more shots; we only had about ten last game.”
Despite the intimidating competition, Andover expects a better outcome at home. Captain Payton Jancsy ’16, who was out with a concussion during this season’s earlier matchup, looks forward to playing the last game against Exeter of his Andover career.
Jancsy said, “This game means the world to me. This is my fourth and final game against Exeter and to end on top would be amazing. Some of my best memories at Andover have come during this game and I am hoping to make one last good one on Saturday.” Andover also anticipates a stellar performance from Post-Graduate (PG) goaltender Matt Schoen ’16, who put up 67 saves against Exeter in the last rivalry match.
Schoen will stand behind a rejuvenated group of core of players, many of whom were out with injuries for the game in January. The season’s first game against Exeter was played without PGs Nick Latham ’16 and Nick Ellerton ’16, both of whom will play this week. Jancsy said, “This game is our one game playoff.
This season hasn’t gone as planned, there have been plenty of ups and downs, but all can be erased with beating Exeter at home. The first time we played them, they got the upper hand. This time around we have a full roster and are looking to return the favor.”
Girls Basketball – 6:00 PM
After a devastating overtime loss to Phillips Exeter Academy last year, Andover Girls Basketball hopes to redeem itself this year. Although Andover currently holds a record of 6-11 to Exeter’s 9-9, Andover toppled Exeter earlier this season 46-42 to shatter Exeter’s temporary eight-game winning streak.
With this loss in the back of Exeter’s mind, there is no doubt that the opposition will step up its game. Head Coach Lani Silversides said, “I know that [Exeter is] going to be coming out for revenge, and I think our goal is going to be to stay cool and calm under the pressure and to be as consistent as possible sticking to what our game plan is.”
Molly Katarincic ’18 said, “We beat Exeter last time, so they will definitely be looking to play a physical game, so I think toughness will be a big principle for us.” Co-Captain Sarah Humes ’16 said, “Exeter is a really good team, and they will come out strong against us. We need to play twice as well as we did the first time around if we want to win.” Looking to match Exeter defensively, Andover has emphasized locking down its opponents in recent practices.
Humes said, “We need to improve our help defense and stop fast breaks from the other team. Exeter is a quick team, and we will need to prevent giving away any easy points in such a big game.” Most of Andover’s success this season has been in the post, either from getting the ball inside and going up strong or kicking back out for a shot. Katarincic said, “Personally, I want to work on being strong in the post because I think we score a lot there.”
The past years have shown that anything can happen at Andover/Exeter. Coach Silversides said, “A couple years ago Exeter was 17-2 and they were the best team in New England, and we ended up winning in the last second.”
Andover has been building up to this game for the whole season, and it won’t be satisfied with anything less than victory. Co-Captain Emma Kelley ’17 said, “We want to win. We have had many ups and downs this season, and it would feel so good to end our season on a high note.”
Above all, Andover looks to stay focused throughout the tough matchup. Kelley said, “I want to bring a balance of intense energy and composure to the game on Saturday.
