Through a downpour from the first to the last whistle, Deerfield took on Phillips Academy Andover during a Sunday morning match at home on the turf.
Despite the weather, the Big Green came out fired up and connected well on the ground. They passed the ball through the midfield, doing well to switch the point of the attack on a slick surface. About 15 minutes in, Andover’s speed on the attack led to two goals – one from range and one across the face of the goal. Deerfield’s backline worked to neutralize their offense – Emma Visnapuu ‘21 even saving one on the goal line.
Both teams started to feel the cold in the second half, but DA kept working to win balls and find feet. Morgan Moriarty ‘22 got on the end of a corner kick by Ingrid Matteini ‘21 part way through the second half to put the Big Green on the scoreboard, recording the first goal of her varsity career! Another chance for Deerfield came from a ball chipped forward from the wing. Andover’s keeper came off of her line to intercept it, but Angie Rey ‘21 got forward with a burst of speed to touch the ball over the keeper’s head. A last second hit from an Andover midfielder kept the ball from crossing the goal line. After an 80-minute battle in the rain, well fought on both sides, the final whistle made it 6-1 Andover.
Deerfield will remain at home for their next contest against Suffield on Wednesday, October 30th at 3:00pm.