The historically strong Andover Girls Lacrosse program endured some tough losses last season, but this spring the team will look to improve its record under strong Senior leadership.
Coach Kate Dolan said, “The leaders of the team are our seven Seniors, all returners: Captain Greer McBeth ’12, Catherine Anderson ’12, Hannah Beinecke ’12, Leah Humes ’12, Lizzie Paul ’12, Mallory Tyler ’12 and Brooke Van Valkenburg ’12. Each brings a great deal of experience, talent, poise, spirit and commitment to the team.”
Anderson said, “I am most looking forward to being a Senior on the team. During my time playing sports at PA, there have been many Seniors whom I’ve looked up to for their leadership, skill and commitment to the team. I hope to be one such Senior: someone the underclassmen can look up to.”
Andover’s numerous young and talented newcomers should contribute to the team this season. However, one of the major questions heading into the season is how quickly Andover’s young athletes can mesh with the team’s veterans on the field.
Anderson said, “Even though we have a very young team and not a lot of us have played together before, I think we have really come together; I feel a companionship with the other players that I know will aid us in the coming weeks.”
While Andover possesses a lot of skill and speed, the team must address the weaknesses in its overall performance which plagued it last spring and could prevent Andover from reaching its potential this season.
“We aren’t perfect yet. One of our weaknesses is that we tend to be static off the ball, which leaves the ball-carrier without many options. This is something that we can work on with practice as our understanding of plays and how we work together grows,” said Anderson.
On Friday, Andover opens its season at home against St. Mark’s School.
This match will show how far Andover has progressed collectively and individually since the beginning of spring practices. Especially during a relatively short 17 game season, every victory is crucial.
“Before Friday we are focusing on a few key offensive plays so that we can have fluidity and poise in the offensive zone,” said Anderson, “This also helps our defense with understanding how to react to different scenarios in the offensive zone. Overall this helps with communication, which is always vital.”
Dolan said, “Our main goals are to have a successful and enjoyable spring, on and off the field. We want to be competitive and we want to build a cohesive team. We want the girls on the team to be good sports and good teammates.”
