Tying Deerfield in the first two periods of the game, an assist from Sean Meng ’22 to a goal by Marcel Montemayor Fontes ’23 in the final period allowed Andover Boys Water Polo to take the lead in a close 13-12 victory on Saturday. Earlier in the day, the team beat Westminster 15-6, bringing its record to 3-2.
According to Andrew Chinn ’24, the two wins were the result of a full team effort, with every player contributing through assists, saves, or goals.
Chinn said, “Marcel was one of the most valuable players on our team scoring a total of 7 goals across both games. Marek [Deveau ’23], Nick [Donaldson ’23] and Hank [Yang ’22] continue to provide a strong defensive anchor for the team, across the three of them totaling nine steals, and Beckett [McKee’ 22] and Sean sharing a total of nine assists over the weekend. Overall it was a team effort.”
Coming off disappointing losses to Phillips Exeter Academy and Hopkins, the team needed to adjust its strategies, both defensively and offensively, according to Montemayor.
“In the first game, we pressed a lot and forced our opponent to make a mistake and capitalize on the counter attack. In the second game, we played a zone defense which forces the opponent to take long shots,” said Montemayor.
Chinn added, “Our team consists of some of the best shooters in the league who can really just whip the ball pool lengths and still consistently get the ball into the goal. The problem is, other teams know exactly who the shooters are and how we will play around them. We’ve shifted our strategies to be more well-rounded and flexible, also diversifying plays to conserve stronger players for stronger opponents.”
According to Deveau, the tough experience from the first doubleheader of the season assisted the team in preparing for the Deerfield doubleheader.
Deveau said, “This one was a little easier just because last week, it was our first game ever together, and this one we already had three games prior to this. So we were more used to each other as a team, and we knew what each other’s strengths were and how to utilize them in a game.”
Chinn added, “After our first season game, you could visibly see the fatigue settle into all of our starting players, as each quarter passed. In practices, frequent scrimmaging and conditioning exercises had gotten the team way more prepared for our games against Deerfield and Westminster.”
In future games, Deveau believes the team can work on discipline and respect, especially when games are close in score.
“Some people were getting a little angry at the ref just because it was a super close game against Deerfield, so that’s something we could all work on. That and sticking to the game plan,” said Deveau.
Andover Boys Water Polo will play in another doubleheader next Saturday against Williston Northampton and Greenwich.
