Hard fought draw vs Taft
Watertown, CT - The Big Blue traveled south to Watertown, CT, to face the undefeated Rhinos of Taft School. Like a freshly brewed Latte on a crisp autumn day, spectators enjoyed a thrilling match with plenty of action. During the first 45 minutes of play, both teams created numerous chances to score, with Taft launching several counter-attacks and Andover creating their own chances by way of great ball movement. The Big Blue defense, led by Garrett Holman '24, Julian Gravereaux '24, Sebastian Mejia-Rivera '25, Alex Coman '24, and goalkeeper Jack Alexander '25 kept the Rhinos in check for most of the day; however, the Big Blue went down one-nil after a well-executed corner kick by the Rhinos. Camden Willems '24, however, scored ten minutes before the break, equalizing the scoreline.
Both teams continued to battle in the second half, with Andover creating several chances that almost led to taking the lead. Yet, the Rhino defense held firm, as did the Big Blue led by Jack Alexander and his back four line that was up for the challenge. With 25 minutes left, the Big Blue was reduced to ten men. Despite this setback, Senior Captains Zane Matraji '24 and Garrett Holman '24 led the team to a solid 1-1 tie. Senior captain Alex Torrens '24 also had an impressive performance, but he had to leave the game early after a head-to-head collision with a Rhino player. Trainers examined both players, and they were okay, but they were not allowed to re-enter the game for further evaluation. We wish the two players a speedy recovery. On the day, Paul Gichana '25 gave the Big Blue great energy coming off the bench, and so did Spencer Madge '25.
Overall, it was a challenging game for the Big Blue on the road, but well fought until the end. The next match is against Bridgton Academy on Smoyer Field.