Dodging a defender, Andrew Antonucci ’18 rushed towards the net and ripped a shot into the back of the net. Antonucci went on to score three more goals in Andover Boys Lacrosse’s 11-4 victory over Williston Northampton this past Saturday, propelling the team’s record to 3-4.
The team showcased great individual performances across the board. Attackmen Cormac Zachar ’18 and Conor Zachar ’19 both had strong showings, scoring three and two goals, respectively. Keeper Eugene Yoon ’18 was also stellar in the net, making five saves.
Post-Graduate and Co-Captain Nick Ellerton ’16 said, “Our game against Williston was probably our best team win so far this year. Our offense was smart when handling the ball and put together long possessions that gave our defense a chance to rest.”
The team was proud of its performance, specifically its potent offense and its fluid implementation of new plays.
Larson Tolo ’18 said, “The team was so successful in our last game because we executed well on all fronts and every single kid did their part. We ran the plays the way Coach drew them up and the defense dominated in their match ups. Also, Eugene played out of his mind, giving us the momentum.”
During the game, Andover’s strong offense made sure Williston had few opportunities to score.
Cormac Zachar said, “We were able to control the ball on offense for the majority of the game and were backed by a very solid defensive effort and a great game in the net by Eugene.”
Reed Findlay ’18 said, “We came out with a lot of intensity and focused on working well as a unit. We succeeded on offense because of our lockdown defense, which allowed Williston only four goals.”
Andover’s defense also held strong throughout the game.
“Anytime you hold a team to four goals is a great stand from the defense and we were really happy with how we played,” said Ellerton.
Going forward, the team hopes to sustain its strong defense and remain calm on offense to allow the defense to settle.
Findlay said, “In the future, we need to remain solid on defense and settle the ball for long possessions on offense. The offense is really coming together at this point in the season and we hope to continue the success and beat Deerfield this Saturday.”
The team is confident after its decisive win and hopes to ride its momentum heading into its game against Deerfield this Saturday.
Ellerton said, “We ultimately played much smarter this game than we have in the past on both sides of the ball and everyone put in a great team effort and that’s what got us the win. It was really a great time for a win like that leading up to our game against Deerfield this Saturday.”
With a difficult opponent this weekend, Andover will try to maintain the endurance it showed in its game against Williston.
Tolo said, “Our biggest challenge will be holding on to our focus. Our next few games will be a true test, so we need to play with the same energy and execution we showed against Williston for the remainder of our season.”
