Kellie Walsh ’11 slipped a smooth pass to Summer Washburn ’11 from the stroke. Washburn then fired a shot just past the right shin of the Loomis goaltender to seal the victory late in the second half. As indicated by Coach Kate Dolan, last Friday’s field hockey game against the Loomis Chaffee school was an easy win. Loomis dominated in the early parts of the game, but then Andover “got back on track and played much better the rest of the game,” said Dolan. After its slow start, Andover got on the board in the middle of the first half when Mari Walsh ’11 scored on a blistering shot from the outside of the circle. Andover would have put the game away before halftime but two of its goals were shot from outside the circle. Despite these penalties, Andover still held a 1-0 lead in the second half. Washburn’s goal gave Andover a commanding 2-0 lead that would hold until the final whistle. Facing a strong Loomis Chaffee team, Andover’s enthusiasm is really what led to scoring goals. “Everyone gave 110% and it was obvious which team wanted the win,” said Captain Kyleigh Keating ’10. With support from the fans at Friday’s game, the team had an easy time getting revved up. “They cheered for us like it was Andover-Exeter weekend and that really pumped us up,” said Keating. One of the major factors in the game against Loomis Chafee was the players’ stamina. Andover did find itself prepared for the perpetual running, as the team had really worked on sprints and endurance in prior practices. Keating said, “The conditioning that we have been doing clearly paid off in Friday night’s game since it was so back and forth.”?? After playing two formal games and a scrimmage, Andover field hockey has high hopes for the remainder of the season. “As long as we play with discipline and give maximum effort in all areas, we’ll continue to do well,” said Coach Dolan.?? Even with its undefeated record, Andover is still looking to improve. This week, Andover will focus on free hits, a skill that, according to Keating will “come with practice.” Keating said, “The positive talking between teammates was really encouraging and if we keep that up we will keep developing as a team.”
