Out of the three goals scored for Andover Girls Soccer in its past two games, two were scored by Anna Hurley ’21. Hurley’s goals assisted Andover in its 2-0 win against Brooks this Wednesday. Andover suffered a 2-1 loss last Saturday against Choate, however, putting its season record at 3-3-1.
Hurley has become a vital asset for Andover despite being a newcomer to the team and taking on a different position than she is used to playing.
“I’ve really been working hard on my own to try to understand the wing position a lot better. I’m finding that my running patterns have really been helping me out because I’m finding that I’m open a lot more. I think that was really what the goal was due to [last Saturday],” said Hurley.
Against Brooks, Andover displayed its cohesiveness by working as a team to move the ball.
Madison Bourassa ’20 said, “I think that it was a team effort, and that it starts with the goalie. We just worked our way up the field as a unit, and we will eventually score off things from corners and free-kicks.”
While Andover displayed similar teamwork and put up a strong effort against Choate, the opposition’s athletes had physical strengths that overpowered those of Andover’s girls, according to Hurley.
Hurley said, “I think a lot of what [Choate] had [on Saturday] was just physical strength [and] size. It’s [going to] happen. We’re a young team. Sometimes you just have to take the loss, but I think everybody really fought hard.”
As Choate’s girls consistently used their size to their advantage, Andover’s energy quickly drained in the first half, leaving them exhausted in the second.
“After a hard fought first half and defensive battle, the girls’ energy gradually decreased, which ultimately led to their loss,” said Head Coach Lisa Joel. “I think we need to improve on our final third play and create more opportunities to score.”
Looking to next week, the team hopes to work on creating more opportunities to take advantage of their strengths, and ultimately the game, according to Coach Joel.
Andover will face off against St. Paul’s this Saturday.
