The Andover Girls Varsity Field Hockey team played great defense this week, beating Deerfield 2-0 and BB&N 2-1 in overtime. Although the team did not play its best game, Andover managed to shut out Deerfield and pull away with its ninth victory of the season. The final score was 2-0. The first half began rather slowly, with neither team dominating nor creating huge scoring opportunities. However, less than ten minutes into the game, Kristen Macdonald ’07 scored her first goal of the season after some nice offensive play. About ten minutes later, Andover scored its second goal. Whitney Annicelli ’06 put one in for the Big Blue, assisted by Lauren Jackson ’07 and Jamie Harisaides ’08. The Andover defense played very aggressively and completely stifled Deerfield’s offense. In the first half, Deerfield did not have any shots or corners. Co-Captain Jevan Jammal ’06 and Co-Captain Megan Montecalvo ’06 played especially well for the defense. The two hustled, helping to forcefully restrain the Deerfield offense. Though some players did have great games and Andover won, the girls have played better. Wednesday afternoon, Andover faced BB&N in a very competitive game. Andover snuck away with a 2-1 overtime win. The game started out slow, although it got more tense and nerve-wracking as the minutes ticked on. BB&N scored early in the first half. After the goal, Andover pulled together and the team really began to play up to its usual standards. The midfielders made the difference in the game. Possession was volatile and the midfielders were regularly in contact with the ball. Lindsay Moramarco ’06 and Lauren Jackson ’06 anchored the midfield creating offensive opportunities. In the last few minutes of the half Ali Zindman ’07 scored Andover’s first goal. In the second half, both teams came on to the field eager to win. The girls played with intensity hustling to every ball. Strong defense from Alyssa Hill ’06 and great goaltending from Ale Moss ’07 kept BB&N at bay. Andover dominated the last few minutes of the game. Many close shots were saved by a talented BB&N goalie. The game ended tied at 1-1 despite overpowering Andover possession. Andover went into overtime playing confidently and eagerly. About five minutes into overtime, Whitney Annicelli ’06 came through for Andover, scoring a beautiful goal assisted by Boylan.
