Lulu Rourke is pictured above playing her first and last game this season
for Andover Girls Lacrosse this past weekend.
The dynamic attack duo of Tory Rider ’22 and Isabela Miller PG’21 blew past the Deerfield defense, each scoring six goals to contribute to a 19-5 win. Girls Lacrosse traveled away for the first time this season to Deerfield on Saturday, advancing its record to 2-0. With 12 assisted goals, the offense worked as a unit along with stout goaltending and defense that held Deerfield to only five goals.
According to Co-Captain Kennedy Everson ’21, the team focused on valuing the ball with long possessions that resulted in goals. Everson ensured the defensive side was working together through clear communication to halt any offensive strides by Deerfield.
“One key to beating Deerfield was that we really focused on taking care of the ball on the offensive end. We didn’t want to have too many turnovers because that could allow Deerfield to capitalize on our mistakes. Another key was that we communicated a lot more on the defensive end,” said Everson.
According to Head Coach Heidi Wall ’94, there were multiple factors that were points of emphasis which all connected to holding onto the ball through smart possessions.
“Possessing the ball was key. The efforts in the midfield from everyone was huge in winning draws, forcing turnovers, and picking up ground balls. Lacrosse is a game of keep-away, the longer you have the ball, the less time the other team has it to score. And when we had it, we took advantage,” Wall said.
According to Wall, the Andover offense capitalized on transitional situations in which the team scored assisted goals. Wall noted the standout performances that were crucial to the victory.
“We took advantage of gaps in Deerfield’s defense. We scored on a number of fast breaks and unsettled situations. We also took opportunities to be heads up and find free players when they started to double us. Tory Rider and Isabela Miller each were key contributors on offense each with 6 goals. [Gwyn Lapp ’22] also had seven assists and two goals of her own. [Lulu Rourke ’23] was a force on defense causing five turnovers and scooping up four ground balls,” Wall said.
According to Miller, the defense has continued to demonstrate loud communication that has resulted in turnovers along with strong goaltending from Everson.
“The defense did a really great job containing Deerfield by communicating a lot and putting pressure on their offense. The defense had several stick checks and interceptions that stopped Deerfield from having any offensive opportunities. Our goalie Kennedy also had a lot of huge and important saves,” said Miller.
According to Lucy Booth ’23, the team maintained a high level of energy and excitement despite controlling the game with a comfortable lead.
“Throughout the entire game there was a big disparity in the score. We were always up against Deerfield, but it still felt like a close game because we kept our intensity up and our energy on defense just didn’t cease. We guarded our matchups well and our attackers were great on our redefends. Each player played to their strengths. Overall, it was an amazing game to witness beating Deerfield and connecting so successfully,” said Booth.
Girls Lacrosse will look to win at home against Worcester Academy on Friday and away at Governor’s Academy on Saturday.
