Alex Nanda ’11 turned in two multiple goal performances against Suffield and Choate on Saturday, helping Andover to secure a spot in the postseason. His playing earned him Athlete of the Week honors. Q. What was your reaction to making the postseason after the Suffield win? A. I was thrilled. We’re all looking forward to playing in the postseason and maybe getting another chance at taking Choate down. Q. What was going through your mind before the 5 meter penalty shot that gave Andover the lead over Choate? A. I tried not to think about anything other than the shot and where I was going to aim. Q. What allowed you to score so many goals last weekend? A. Everyone on the team was drawing a lot of 5 meter penalties and I was just able to take the shots. We were able to drive well on offense and force Choate to foul us, which resulted in a lot of penalty shots. Q. What made you interested in water polo when you first started playing? A. It’s a lot of fun. It’s also a pretty challenging game, because you’re swimming and treading water and trying to get into position. Shooting and scoring is a very rewarding feeling after all that work, which is what I really liked about it. Q. What are your personal goals and your goals for the team this season? A. Hopefully we’ll continue to improve as a team and play well at the postseason tournament. My personal goal is to continue helping the team out as much as I can. Q. How have your skills improved throughout your Andover water polo career? A. Coach Fox and Coach Hoenig are both great coaches, and they’ve really helped me progress over the years. I’ve learned a lot more about just playing the game itself, since most of us started playing Water Polo when we came to Andover. Q. Out of all the goals you scored last weekend, which was most memorable? A. I was taking a 5 meter shot against Choate, and I hit the crossbar. Luckily the ball bounced back in front of me and I was able to shoot it again and score.
