With five goals in Andover Lacrosse’s season opener against Belmont Hill, Co-Captain Jack Walker ’09 showed why there is a lot of hype about this year’s team. Andover opened its season Wednesday against Belmont Hill, whose team is already three games into its season. Nevertheless, Andover came out ready to play despite only a few days of practice. Walker set the tone for the game early, scoring his first goal three minutes into the first quarter. From there, Andover’s offense exploded and capitalized on numerous scoring opportunities. Walker scored four more goals, ending with five total. The other half of the dynamic Walker brother team, Will Walker ’11, added two goals. Chris Kreider ’10, a member of Boys Varsity Hockey, scored three goals against Belmont Hill, showing that the transition from ice to turf is not all too difficult. Returning players Spencer Macquarrie ’10 and John McKenna ’10 added one goal each. Another highlight performance came from Cam Boll ’09, who tucked his first career goal. Walker was very impressed with the team’s performance. He said, “Belmont Hill is a very good team, so this was an especially great win.” Walker was also satisfied with the level of play from the transition offense, led by McKenna and Kreider. The offense accounted for only part of the success, however, as the defense managed to shut down the Belmont Hill attack. Co-Captain Spencer Rice ’09 picked up right where he left off last season and played another impressive game in goal. Rice only allowed four goals over the course of the game. Luke Duprey ’10 also played an aggressive game, accompanied on defense by Theo Lederfine-Pascal ’09, Andrew Pohly ’09 and Forrest Cox ’09. The defense, which also goes by the self-given title “Meat-Fense,” was key in preventing Belmont Hill’s shots. In the end, the size and speed of Andover, combined with Rice’s play in goal, was too much for Belmont Hill to handle. Andover’s dominating victory against Belmont Hill is only the start of what the team hopes will be a great season. Led by the Walker brothers, Andover’s offense is comprised of mostly returning players including Macquarrie, McKenna and Kreider. The only new addition to the offense is Chris Brown ’09. But the team suffered a huge loss when Reid Mosquera ’09 tore his ACL during football season. Not only was he one of the team’s top defenders, but he was also a leading force for Andover. With the loss of Mosquera, the defense will have to step up this season in order for Andover to be victorious. The new defense will be led by Lederfine-Pascal, who slid into the position Mosquera formerly held. Pohly has also emerged as a defensive force this season, and the addition of post-graduate Cox solidifies the defensive line. This season looks very optimistic for Andover, who looks improve on last year’s 10-5 record. Along the way, the team will face difficult opponents such as Deerfield, Choate, Loomis and Exeter. On Monday, April 6 the team will travel to face cross-town rival Brooks.
