Amanda Brisco ’10 scored the first goal of the season against Rivers last Saturday to lead the team to a 2-0 win. The young Andover team started the game surprisingly strong with a well-executed goal from Brisco. Andover kept the momentum going throughout the entire first half, both with strong offense and steady defense. Despite several scoring opportunities, Andover ended its half up only one goal. Though Rivers showed more enthusiasm in the second half, it was no match for Andover. Co-Captain Emily Little ’09 received a cross-field pass that set her up for the second goal of the game. Rivers only had a few scoring opportunities, but Andover’s persistent defense prevented its opponents from capitalizing on any opportunities. Beating Rivers was especially momentous to the fourth-year returning players. “The Rivers game was a great first game, and none of us have ever beaten Rivers before, so it meant a lot to us,” commented Little. Newcomer Cayla Hatton ’12 brought some new talent to the midfield. Little remarked that Hatton “played all-out for the whole game, and her speed and skill in the middle were essential to the team’s victory.” Another new player on the team is returning Lower Kira Wyckoff ’11. She was a huge impact in the midfield with her extraordinary throw-in skills. “She can throw the ball twice as far as anyone else, and it was really advantageous,” Little said. The Rivers game also served as an invaluable learning experience for the girls on the team. Both new and returning players learned a lot from the game. Defensively, Andover remained strong and had good communication on the field. Goalkeeper Alex Farrell ’10 made several key saves which contributed immensely to Andover’s win. The team also excelled offensively, executing almost every shot perfectly. However, offensive communication may be one area the team needs to work on. Little said, “We put together some nice passing sequences, but we still need to become more readable to each other.” The team was ready for action this past Wednesday, as Andover traveled to Middlesex. Unfortunately, the team experienced a disappointing upset, losing to Middlesex 0-1. Early on in the first half, Middlesex scored off a slow rolling ball that trickled into the Andover net. However, Andover looked past this early goal and out hustled and outplayed Middlesex for the remaining half. Though Andover was determined and much better conditioned, the team was not able to sneak a goal past the Middlesex defenders. The team stuck to Coach Lisa Joel’s mantra to just “play one half at a time” and came out strong and ready to score at the start of the second half. The majority of the play during the second half took place in front of the Middlesex net, but the Middlesex defense was relentless. Andover had a countless number of scoring opportunities, but the ball just seemed to keep bouncing anywhere but in the net. After another disappointing half, the team walked away with its first loss of the season. “I really think we could have beaten them under different circumstances, and definitely if we played them again,” said returning player Carolyn Brown ’09. Co-Captain Catherine Coppinger ’09 agreed, “This game was really frustrating because we outplayed them the entire game. We just weren’t able to finish our shots.” With a 1-1 record, Andover has already put the Middlesex game behind them and is looking forward to an away game against rival Loomis this Saturday. Last year, Andover beat Loomis in a 1-0 upset to win the NEPSAC Championship, making Saturday’s match-up one of the most high-profiled games of Andover’s season.
