Boys Lacrosse lost against Berkshire School on Saturday, fighting a close game against Pingree on Wednesday before ultimately falling short in overtime. Its record now stands at 10-7.
Jacob Keller ’24 reflected on the incidental assist during the second half against Berkshire that deterred team morale.
Keller said, “It shouldn’t be funny, but when our own player passed the ball to the other team right in front of our own net for a wide open goal, it was definitely in our best interest to laugh it off. That moment, unfortunately, set the tone for the game and it occurred right after half. After that the team lost a lot of spirit that led to the result of the game.”
Following the team’s loss against Pingree, Max Herbison ’25 commented on the pressure end-of-season games place on the players, especially upperclassmen.
“Just before OT [overtime], we won the face-off with about 20 seconds left and almost scored to end it there, so we felt like it was going our way. I think there was a lot of pressure, especially because we only have two games left, everyone wants to win, and the Seniors and PG’s on the team will have their highschool lacrosse experience come to an end. Everyone really wanted to do the right thing and get the win, but it was unfortunate in the end,” Herbison.
Liam Doyle ’24 emphasized keeping composure after tough losses and moving forward regardless. He also shared the team’s plan for the Andover/Exeter (A/E) Weekend.
Doyle said, “Losses help bond everyone together. You have to have a short term memory in these kinds of games, especially with [Phillips] Exeter [Academy] coming up on Saturday, which is probably the biggest game of our season. With them coming up, we are going to just keep our short term memory. We got practice tonight, practice tomorrow, and we’ll have to scout all their top players. They’ve got some big guns this year but we are excited to face off against them.”
Keller detailed the team’s routine when preparing for matchups, which includes reviewing opponent rosters and analyzing their game strategies through videos.
“After every game over the weekend, on Monday, we get an email that scouts the other team and has not only our matchups, but the entire other team’s roster and their hand, and their tendencies. So, as an offensive player, I’ll look at the goalie. Then I’ll look at my matchup as a midfielder. Sometimes we may even look at a bit of a film and then as a team we’ll look through their clears, their defensive sets, and their defensive tendencies,” said Keller.
Herbison praised goalie Paul Harrison ’25, who has the highest save percentage of Andover goalies at 0.516, totaling 79 saves for the season.
Herbison said, “I thought Paul played very well. He played great in the first half, as he only let in two goals which set the bar high for us going into the second. Unfortunately we were not able to capitalize off our lead. He really held down the fort to start the game off, and he was part of the reason why we were pretty confident going into the second half.”
Despite the 10-11 let down, Andover’s offense kept pace during the game. Doyle highlighted Jake Murray ’24’s performance as integral to the team’s ability to persevere through difficult plays.
Doyle said, “Jake Murray played very well. He helped settle the offense when we weren’t that settled. We were out of sorts quite a bit and he helped keep our team composed. He was able to break free on offensive a few times and put up some really good shots. All in all, he played very well, and was definitely a backbone for our team.”
Looking ahead, Andover will play Exeter in its last game of the season.
