Steve Carr begins his tenure as the Boys’ Varsity Soccer Coach surrounded by experience—his own and that of his players. Having previously worked with the squad, Coach Carr is comfortable in Andover’s system and style of play. Alex Clifford ’07, A.J. Charles ’07, and Jason Zhu ’07 have proven their worth over Andover’s tenure as one of New England’s best soccer teams. Andover’s new additions hope to strengthen team chemistry as it prepares for tough competition from around the league. Coach Carr and his players look forward to facing off with their familiar prep school challengers. In 2005, a strong Andover team posted an 8-4-1 record. At the beginning of the season, the team fought hard against tough Brooks and Loomis teams. Andover tied Brooks and beat Loomis, but was soon taken by surprise as it lost unexpectedly to Winchendon, Deerfield, and Worcester. Entering this season, Andover’s returning players will learn from the past and treat all their competition with the respect they deserve. At this point, the team is capable of taking on a demanding schedule. Andover brings back twelve varsity letter winners from the 2005 season. Of the three seniors, both Charles and Zhu were on the team as freshmen, while Clifford joined them as a new lower. Charles, a forward, sat out last season, but he is back and ready for action this year. Though the team has yet to designate a captain, these three seniors will undoubtedly bring their leadership, experience, and know-how to the field. These seniors are supported by an exceptionally strong group of uppers, who will fill out the lineup. Most of the players have been honing their skills all summer. Many varsity candidates just returned from team prep camp, where they practiced together and tested their skills against other prep school teams. At the camp, Andover lost 2-1 against N.M.H., despite scoring first. Andover also took on Taft in two split-squad match-ups; Andover won both encounters. Though several players return for Andover, the group is looking for players to fill gaps and create a more well-rounded team. “We’re a team of midfielders,” joked Clifford. Five of the twelve with varsity experience are midfielders, as are some of the new additions. This concentration of midfielders is not the best-case scenario, but it will make for a high-powered offense. “Our biggest strength will be speed,” said Clifford. “We have a lot of fast kids. We’ll be pretty direct. We’ll try to go straight over the top [of the opposing defenders] to the goal.” Though both Mike Donelan ’08 and Tanner McNeill ’08 return as backs, the team could be overmatched on defense in terms of height. Clifford noted that the smaller defenders have the potential to be “dominated in the air offensively.” This particular weakness could make it difficult for Andover to stop aerial drives and regain possession. Despite this, Donelan, McNeill, and the other defenders should be able to use their speed as a weapon on the ground. When they are able to take control and clear the ball out, they’ll have plenty of options on offense. In addition to the seniors, they’ll rely on classmates Chris Wade ’08, Zach Dixon ’08, and Joey Mensah ’08 up the field. In net, John Gardner ’08 will return for his second year as goalie. The team looks to open the season strong when it hosts Brooks, a perennial powerhouse, on September 20th.
