On the opening face-off of Andover Boys Lacrosse’s third overtime game this season, Post-Graduate Max Anthony ’15 ran, spun and darted past his defenders to find the far left corner of the net. Anthony’s game-winning goal broke the 11-11 deadlock and propelled Andover to 12-11 over Loomis Chaffee on Saturday pushing its record to 9-1.
Anthony said, “I knew my teammates all had my back and would help me if I got into trouble, so I had the confidence to win the face off and look for the open guy to pass too. Instead, I saw an opening in the defense and took it in for the shot.”
Throughout the game, both teams played with intensity and diligence. Foster LeBoeuf ’15, Jack Beare ’15 and Mike Panepinto ’15 each scored, while Cyrus Scott ’15 made many important saves in goal.
Anthony said, “We played with much more intensity and tempo than in our Tabor game [last week]. Our team was more focused and came ready to play. Our strategy was like any other offensive possession; move the ball fast and take good shots.”
Head Coach Stephen Moreland added, “Loomis was very tough. Our strategy in overtime isn’t a whole lot different than regulation play; win the ground ball battles, move the ball quickly in transition and be physical and smart at both ends of the field. The difference in overtime is that you pray that somebody will make a big play. On Saturday, it was Max Anthony who made the play, and I couldn’t be happier for him.”
Trailing 10–9 toward the end of the fourth quarter, Mike Panepinto ’15 fired a rocket into the back of the goal, equalizing the score at 10-10. Minutes later, with an assist from Panepinto, Jack Beare ’15 slung the ball into the net, extending Andover’s lead to 11-10. However, Loomis quickly responded and scored another goal to even the score 11-11 with five minutes left on the clock, eventually taking the game to overtime.
Captain Tim Bulens ’15 said, “Our strategy in overtime is no different than the rest of the game: play hard, but make smart decisions. Luckily, Anthony won the faceoff and took a great shot, so not too much more strategy was needed.”
He continued, “We definitely capitalized on more of our transition opportunities, especially early in the game. Our on ball defense was also significantly better on Saturday than it was on Wednesday against Tabor.”
The team will face Pomfret on Saturday and will look to build upon its upward momentum to expand on its nine-game winning streak.
Moreland said, “Like every team at this point in the season, our guys are fatigued. The incredible work ethic and will to win that they’ve displayed all season are testament to their outstanding character. This is a very special group of young men.”
