Eleven guys. Eighty minutes. With injury and illness sidelining six players on our roster, Owen Fleck ’26, Ryan Bai ’26, Rich Zhou ’26, P.J. Block ’25, Howard Jin ’27, Gershom Munene ’27, Jerry Du ’27, Kenan Ozada ’28, Max Yau ’28, Henry Markcrow ’28, and PJ Pirsch ’28 banded together—with no substitutes—and gritted out a performance to be proud of. Andover was skilled playing on its quirky field and worked the ball down to the corners well in the first half with a stiff wind at their backs. But after they took a two-goal lead in the first twenty minutes, Deerfield dug in and improved its possession and kept them from scoring for the remainder of the half. Though the wind dissipated when we switched sides, Deerfield did manage to get on the board with a great shot from Markcrow, assisted by Pirsch. Ozada gave the standout performance of the game, playing expertly in a position (fullback) where he has felt uncomfortable in the past. Fleck, as co-captain, kept the team focused and optimistic, despite the tough odds. The Andover coach complemented our team on the respect and politeness we demonstrated all through the game. We’ll need that focus, that composure, and today’s gutsy effort as we head into our final five games looking to come through it with a winning record.