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Ultimate: Andover Grinds Out Comeback Victory

Although Somerville High School snatched the lead 2-0 in the first few minutes of the game, Andover Ultimate fought back in an incredible comeback to secure a 10-7 win. Andover now stands at a record of 13-4.

Throughout the game, Andover capitalized on Somerville’s turnovers in order to gain offensive momentum and score goals.

In the first half of the game, Andover players maintained the majority of the possession by faking out their opponents and making smart plays. Still, Somerville kept the game competitive as it scored two goals after small Andover mishandlings near the end zone.
Co-Captain Jack McGovern ’15 said, “It was extremely windy on the field today, and most of our throws were very challenging to make. The weather forced us to think more about our throwing and to value the possession of the disc.”

Head Coach Scott Hoenig reconvened with Andover during a timeout to propose a new strategy. Soon after, James Wolfe ’17 made a precise, clean assist into the end zone to Ian Jackson ’16.

Aditya Krishnamachar ’17 wrote in an email to The Phillipian, “After we called a timeout, the team started to get more together and really focused in scoring each point one at a time.”

The players maintained a strong zone defense as they continued to play precisely by keeping their hands low and following their opposing players in order to intercept passes.
Andover continued to score after Darian Bhathena ’16 tied the game at 2-2 with a goal of his own. Soon, Matthew Alpert ’15 caught a sharp pass from his teammate and ran through the end zone. After Somerville had a faulty pass near the end zone, Andover pulled out a quick play and Krishnamachar connected with Rocco Amorosso ’15 to put Andover ahead 4-2.
Andover’s communication allowed it to maintain the lively momentum. Andover intercepted numerous passes and kept a heavy press defense to stop Somerville from advancing. By taking advantage of numerous turnovers caused by the wind and mishandled catches, Andover continued to add points to its score.

Bhathena and Calvin Griffin ’15 scored the seventh and eighth goals for Andover, respectively.

Somerville entered the second half with an improved strategy and then kept the game close. Andover continued to score, however, and brought the final score to 13-7.

In an email to The Phillipian, Bhathena wrote, “I think we played hard and kept demanding our best play from ourselves. Although we could have done better with our offensive mental game, our determination on defense made the difference.”

McGovern added, “We learned a lot in today’s game, and our team is definitely ready for the New England Prep School Ultimate League (NEPSUL) Championship tournament this weekend.”

At the beginning of the season, Co-Captains McGovern and Jordan Swett ’15 were confident about placing in, and possibly winning, the NEPSUL Championship Tournament. Their confidence and determination will resonate throughout the team as Andover Ultimate prepares to face off against different schools this Saturday at Choate Rosemary Hall.