Exeter/Andover Soccer Games End in Tie
Braving the rain, mud and cold, Exeter boys’ and girls’ varsity soccer teams played with an intensity that kept both the Andover and Exeter fans on their toes. Boys’ soccer tied 1-1 and girls’ soccer tied 2-2, both with remarkable come-from-behind victories to infuriate the Smurfs.
Despite Exeter boys’ soccer having possession of the ball for longer, Andover was first to find the back of the net. Starting goalie Matthew Chen explained the goal: “Our midfield gave away the ball around the middle of the field, and Andover worked the ball to the six yard box where a player was there to tap it in. I got a hand to the shot but I wasn’t strong enough to stop it.”
Chen agreed. “Andover was always going to be a big game, but this year the stakes were especially high, since we needed to avoid a loss to make playoffs.”
The boys went into the game knowing that they could beat Andover. As prep Aiden Silvestri said, “We knew this would be a tough game in the mental aspect. In terms of rank and our season, we are better than Andover, but we knew we could not be overconfident.”
Chen agreed. “Andover was always going to be a big game, but this year the stakes were especially high, since we needed to avoid a loss to make playoffs.”
He outlined the team’s plans. “We knew Andover’s outside backs were weaker than the rest of their team, and we tried to expose that from the start.” Their plan worked in the second half to force a tie when senior Tyler Swanbeck bodied the Andover defender and smashed a powerful shot into the net.
There were many standout performances and moments in the big game, but Silvestri’s favorite play was when upper Billy Menken “Diddled his defender then blew past him, leaving the Andover defender humiliated.”
Silvestri also added that lower Jack Burgess had “Many key plays that sparked our offense in the second half.”
The girls also had a thrilling game, especially in the last 15 minutes. Senior and co-captain Ogechi Nwankwoala said, “We prepared for Andover as we would prepare for every other game. We wanted to come out strong and attack from the first second of the game.”
However, this upfront strategy did not manifest as planned. Lower Marymegan Wright recapped the game, saying that “Andover got off to a strong start by scoring in the first two minutes, then scoring again early in the second half which really discouraged the team.”
Nwankwoala acknowledged prep Kaylee Bennett for “bringing so much energy and liveliness. She attacked on the dribble and put a lot of pressure on Andover’s defense which led to our first goal.”
Exeter’s first goal was scored by senior Leni Lemos with 15 minutes left. Wright said that this goal, “Helped to rally the team for the remainder of the game.”
After the first goal, Wright dangled her defender and an Andover player pulled her down and drew a penalty kick. Lower Allison Hanlon took the penalty kick and buried the ball deep into the back of the net to tie the game up.
Wright wanted to shout out her captains. “Juliana was really giving her all up front and Ogechi saved us countless times in the back.” She went onto to say: “I will miss their leadership and energy along with our other seniors.”
This game concluded a great season for girls’ soccer. Nwankwoala said, “I will miss the team so much next year. They are my family and soccer is the highlight of my day every day. It’s hard for me to imagine not being on the team next year.”