Co-Captain Zane Matraji ’24 is one of four Co-Captains on Andover Boys Soccer.
10/21 — Andover: 0, NMH: 0
Andover Boys Soccer (8-1-2) walked onto the pitch ready to face Northfield Mount Hermon (NMH) this past Saturday, but due to weather complications, the game was called off at halftime. Despite the harsh conditions, Andover produced a competitive 45 minutes during Family Weekend, finishing at 0-0.
Spencer Salhanick ’24 highlighted the mentality of the players before the start of the game. The team’s goal was to leave everything out on the field for the parents and relatives who had come to watch them play.
“[The Coaches] didn’t come into the locker room and the four Captains… delivered a speech talking about how we’re playing for our families who have traveled so far to be there, to watch us, and who have done so much for us in our lives,” said Salhanick.
NMH and Andover are currently competing for the top spot in their division. Kai Myles ’27 highlighted that the game was very intense and it was clear that both teams knew what was at stake.
“It was such a rough game and it was one of those games where it’s… head-to-head, shoulder-to-shoulder, [and] nobody’s an underdog… That was just one of those classic games that you can tell both teams were fighting for that number one spot,” said Myles.
Salhanick credits the team’s positive atmosphere to the Co-Captains this year: Alex Torrens ’24, Zane Matraji ’24, Garrett Holman ’24, and Ellis Denby ’24, and the many other upperclassmen who have fostered strong team morale.
“The [Co-Captains] this year have really stepped up and [encouraged] everyone. Some of the other leaders on the team… have had a big role in connecting each side of the team,” said Salhanick.
Myles felt very disappointed after the game’s cancellation. Myles said that the team has been working towards the game against NMH for a long time, and the players felt unsatisfied that they were not able to display their hard work.
Myles said, “All of us were distraught after the game that we didn’t really get to play against NMH, just because all of us are really excited to play [them] and win. We were aiming for that win to go [to the] top of the whole table. It would have been a really good match.”
Goalie Jack Alexander ’25 highlighted Sebastian Mejia-Rivera ’25 for his quick reflexes and determination to withstand the harsh conditions that impacted the game.
Alexander said, “He played extremely solid on our right flank for the entirety of the game. As the conditions made it really hard for either team to build out and combine, he did a great job shutting down their attack down that side. There was one tackle he made in which he tackled their player which I think set the tone for us for the rest of the half. Everyone knew the game would be ugly, but he really adapted to it faster than anyone else.”
Andover will travel to Deerfield Academy on Saturday.
