Fresh off sweeping Exeter on the ice and court during last weekend's Winter A-E, Andover's varsity hockey and basketball teams all entered postseason play today. Andover is one of only two NEPSAC member schools to have four teams qualify for tournament play this winter.
QUARTERFINALS
Girls' Hockey earned the #3 seed in the Elite Eight tourney and was the sole Big Blue team to play at home today, hosting #6 Deerfield. Andover skated to a 4-0 victory and will play their semifinal at #2 Williston on Saturday at 4 p.m.
#7 seed, Boys' Hockey skated at #2 Lawrence Academy in a Martin/Earl Large School Tournament match-up. Andover netted the upset, winning 6-2, earning a semifinal clash at Dexter Southfield on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Continuing the upset trend was #8 seed Boys' Basketball who pulled off the road upset at #1 Loomis Chaffee. The Big Blue won 66-56 and will travel to #5 Taft on Saturday for a 4 p.m. Class A semifinal.
Girls' Basketball, also a #8 seed, also traveled to Loomis but lost to the Pelicans. Characteristically, the team played hard to the final whistle and the building blocks for a successful future were evident. The team graduated the program's all-time leading scorer, second all-time leading rebounder, and all of its starters last year. A return to the tournament seemed unlikely, but first-year head coach Jennifer Weissbach implemented a culture of hard work, coupled with a new offensive look built around impressive ball movement that yielded eleven wins on the season.
The postseason for Boys' and Girls' Swimming begins on Saturday too, as they play host to the New England Division 1 Championships.
#3 Girls’ Varsity Hockey @ Williston Northampton | 3:45 p.m. LIVESTREAM
#7 Boys’ Varsity Hockey @ Dexter Southfield | 2:00 p.m. LIVESTREAM
#8 Boys’ Varsity Basketball @ Taft | 4:00 p.m. LIVESTREAM
Boys' & Girls' Swimming hosting Div. 1 Championships | 3/2-3/3