Spencer Madge ’25 adeptly dribbles the ball across the field.
Andover 1-1 Nobles
Under the guidance of its new Head Coach Joe Donnelly, Boys Soccer had a strong defensive showing against Noble and Greenough (Nobles) in its last scrimmage of the season. While the scrimmage resulted in a draw, Boys Soccer dominated the game both on offense and on defense, improving its performance from the last scrimmage.
Co-Captain Spencer Madge ’25 highlighted Kai Myles ’27, who dominated on the offensive side despite having a goal uncounted. In the midfield, Louis-Thomas Vincent ’25 partnered with Madge to make tactical advances with Co-Captain Sebastian Meija-Rivera ’25, keeping the defense stable and powerful.
“Kai had two goals, and he is always a presence in front of goal, someone up top that we can always rely on. He was a huge part of the performance today. L. T. [Louis-Vincent] Thomas was really good today in the middle as well. I think me and him [have] a good partnership. And it’s only going to get stronger throughout the season. Sebastian in the back was defensively pretty strong today, so that’s another thing he’s good at is leading the back line,” said Madge.
Despite the recent expansion of the team, players are settling in well together and moving the ball, noted Edrian Vargas ’27. The last three scrimmages showed areas of improvement, especially in passing, and allowed the team to continue honing their skills in adjusting throughout the game.
“Even though we’re still a relatively new team, now that we’ve finalized the roster and are getting to know each other better, we’re able to move the ball around and communicate effectively. Also, when we do make mistakes, we’ve learned to fix them quickly, and it’s been easier thanks to our great coach, who really helps guide us through those moments. As for what the team did poorly, I think we made a few individual mistakes, with passing and stuff like that. But overall, we moved the ball well, and it was a good game,” said Vargas.
Madge commented on the areas the team hopes to improve on for its first game. Primarily focusing on the defensive line, Madge noted how the team will keep its defensive formation more firmly.
“We’ve been talking [about] tactics such as pressing or defensive shape, and I think that definitely showed in the game today. We were definitely defensively more solid: we had less gaps in the back, and our shape as a team was a lot better collectively. So I think one thing will be the shape when we have the ball, positioning for certain players.”
Although Andover gave up a goal early on in the game, the defensive line held control of the game otherwise and strategized offensive plays, commented Aaron Huang ’25.
Huang said, “We controlled possession pretty well, and their only major opportunity came from the goal they scored. Defensively, we were solid overall, and we also created some good chances from set pieces and crosses.”
Looking forward to the season, Madge shares that the goal for the team is to make it to the playoffs while also building and fostering chemistry and morale amongst the team.
“Our overall goal is to make the playoffs, and I definitely think we’re capable of securing the seventh or eighth seed this year. Another important goal for us is building a tight-knit team with good chemistry, which we already have. As the season progresses, I think that chemistry and camaraderie will only get stronger. Our focus is on taking things one game at a time, and I think that’s the only way to do it,” said Madge.
Andover Boys Soccer will compete in its first official game and its home opener against Belmont Hill School this Saturday.
