After what most would call a strong season for Andover’s young ultimate program, the team was a dealt a tough hand this season. The team lost six of its seven starters from last year, returning starter and captain Mac King ’05 will lead the talented young team. Other key players who were on last year’s team are Pete Kalmakis ’06, and Jesse Seegers ’05, both of whom saw ample playing time last year, and will be expected to step up as leaders this season. Among the young players on the team, Jonah Guerin ’07, who stands out for his speed and quickness, returns after being the only freshman on varsity last year. A bright spot that the team can look to is their new coach William Scott, who will join head coach Scott Hoenig as an assistant. Though William Scott has little experience with ultimate frisbee, he brings significant coaching experience. He led the soccer team for many years. and will be important in helping the young team develop. The Andover ultimate program is young compared to most other schools, but it has steadily been on the rise, thanks largely to coach Scott Hoenig. When he took a leave of absence in 2003, the team was a measly 2-7. Since then, the team has been steadily improving, and is starting to be recognized by other schools. Thanks to Andover’s outstanding play against the top ranked area team NMH last year, Andover has been invited to compete in the Amherst Regional Tournament, which draws the top teams from all over the country. The team will be placed in the “B” division as it is their first time, but will still play some of the countries top programs, and experience a very high level of competition. Their great finish last year in the New England Prep School Ultimate League Tournament Other is another sign that the team is improving. Hosted at Andover, the team rose up on the home field advantage, and finished a surprising third place. Though the team did lose many outstanding players from last year’s team, this year looks to be better, and Andover’s program expects continued growth and improvement.
