Oliver Stabach ’26 looks across the pool, ready to shoot.
10/5 – Andover: 5, Hamden Hall: 14
10/5- Andover: 11, Choate: 14
On Saturday, Boys Water Polo played two back-to-back games against Hamden Hall and Choate. Although the team ultimately lost both games, it showed great improvement from the first game to the second.
In its first match against Hamden Hall, despite trailing 0-5 by the end of the first quarter, the team quickly adapted, switching up the defense to lock down Hamden Hall’s top scorer. Ethan Zhu ’26 mentioned how this allowed the team to rebound and play stronger in the second half of the game.
“We struggled quite a bit in the beginning against Hamden Hall and were down 5-0 at the end of the first quarter. Hamden Hall was difficult as we had a tough time organizing ourselves and playing patient and that ended up hurting us. Luckily as the game went on we were able to rebound and played much better in the latter half of the game. We did this by making adjustments for a defense to stop Hamden Hall’s best scorer, which slowed them down,” said Zhu.
Lincoln Tomlinson ’27 commended the team’s goalie for his impressive save against a penalty shot, which resulted in a fast break and a goal. He acknowledged how impactful this was for the team.
“One crucial moment happened after Hamden Hall had earned a five-meter penalty shot and our goalie did a great job of blocking the shot, not letting them get the free goal, and in that same play, we had a fast break that resulted in a goal for us. That was definitely a game changer,” said Tomilson.
Although the team was falling behind, players nonetheless displayed grit and perseverance. Austin Stern ’27 shared how the team’s collective energy positively impacted the atmosphere, providing motivation.
“Despite being down most of the game we were really determined to keep trying and put full effort into the game. We never stopped putting pressure on Hamden Hall. Even though we weren’t winning, we kept fighting our absolute hardest until the end. This made the atmosphere really energetic. We were excited to play them and played hard, drawing fouls, always sprinting, [and] taking shots,” said Stern.
Boys Water Polo exploited Hamden Hall’s weaknesses to increase scoring opportunities. Tomilson commended the team’s defense and its ability to manage plays against the opponent’s strongest players.
“Hamden Hall’s weaknesses were that they weren’t as fast as Andover, thus, we won every swim off and were able to score on turnovers and fast breaks thanks to the faster swimming that our team possessed. Overall our defense was strong and we were able to keep their best players in check,” said Tomlinson.
In the team’s game against Choate, Zhu noted that it traded goal for goal in the first half. Despite Choate eventually gaining a significant lead, Boys Water Polo stayed persistent, taking advantage of Choate’s weak defense and almost taking back dominance over the game.
“Our game against Choate was really even throughout, especially in the first half because while we had some really good points, they also responded with good points too,” said Zhu.
Zhu continued, “Eventually, Choate started to pull away but we kept it close until the very end and we cut their lead to just two. We forced Choate to tighten up their defense, and because of that they almost lost control of the game.”
During the game, Co-Captain Jason Kokones ’25 and Zhu both stood out with their exceptional performances. Stern mentioned how Kokones was able to take leverage against Choate and exhibit his leadership and also highlighted Zhu’s improvement, noting both individuals as offensive threats during the game.
“The two people who stood out to me the most were Ethan Zhu and Jason Kokones. Both had a really good game offensively and defensively. Jason is one of our captains so it is not uncommon for him to take control of a game but he really was in control against Choate. And Ethan is someone who has gotten so much better so quickly this year. Him and Jason were both threats from deep in this game,” said Stern.
Going forward, the team is optimistic about sharpening its offensive strategies. Zhu acknowledged how the team has improved significantly throughout the season so far.
“Our game against Choate made some of the improvements we need to make clear. One of those would be to improve our ball movement and vision in the pool. Also being more patient and making smarter decisions when we’re on the attack. Sometimes we struggle to get open near the goal, but we’re working on that. Looking ahead, we have already come so far this season, especially considering many of us only play Water Polo for two months out of the year. I’m excited to see how we keep growing as a team,” said Zhu.
Boys Water Polo will compete away against Suffield Academy on Wednesday, October 16.
