Boys Water Polo (5-3) fought a strong battle against Choate on Saturday. Despite missing four key players and its coach, the team put up a commendable performance, displaying resilience and adaptability throughout the match.
Going into the game, the team knew it would face challenges. With four of six starters absent, team dynamics and rotations were heavily impacted. Jacob Shin ’29, who was swung up from JV to fill the roster gaps, described the team’s expectations and effort.
“There was a bit of an anxious atmosphere, but by the end of the game the whole team was very proud of themselves. They still managed to pull through and play a really great game, even though we lost,” said Shin.
With so many players and its coach unavailable, Co-Captains Oliver Stabach ’26 and Ethan Zhu ’26 stepped up to lead the team. Andrew Cai ’27 praised their leadership and communication.
“Both of our captains, Oliver and Ethan, definitely played a big role in this game, especially because our main coach, Coach Kalter, wasn’t able to be there. They took leadership and guided the team on mistakes we made, and they also talked during timeouts and helped the rest of the team get opportunities during the game,” said Cai.
Despite the loss, the team had several standout performances. Shin highlighted Nathan Egbuna ’26, Zhu, and Joshua Chang ’27 for their impact on both ends of the pool.
“A few key players were Nathan—he did really well in the hole as a center. He had a really nice backhand shot, flung it with his right hand into the net. Ethan was another key player because he played really strong defense and stayed aggressive on whoever he was defending. Joshua also came off the bench this game and had some very solid defense. He got a lot of steals and assists, so he did really well,” said Shin.
Shin also praised goalie Hugo Appen ’27, whose saves kept Andover competitive throughout the match.
“I remember that Hugo had one really great save. It was an open shot from one of the Choate guys, around the five or four meter mark, but he still managed to get the save. I remember another time the ball was right in front of the goal, and the guy tried to shoot it in, but Hugo made that save as well,” said Shin.
Two of the players sidelined for the game, Victor Hillier ’28 and Ryan Loh ’28, still contributed from the stands. Cai shared how their presence and advice supported the team.
“Victor and Ryan were watching from the stands, so they were able to help us out and give us some guidance. In general, being down so many players and having lower confidence going into the game, we performed pretty well, given that Choate is ranked pretty highly in our league,” said Cai.
Even with the loss, the team viewed the match as a valuable learning opportunity. Brandon Xu ’26 reflected on how the game helped the group focus on fundamentals.
“We were really just focused on getting better and practicing good defense, not really worrying too much about the final result. We just tried to play good, fundamental water polo. Overall, it was still fun,” said Xu.
Loh, who was out due to injury, echoed that sentiment, describing the game as a moment of collective growth.
“The team was facing some challenges, of course with a few key players out, but it seemed like it rallied well. Despite the scoreboard, they worked together and it truly was a great team effort. Everyone pitched in—even swing players and people who don’t usually get too many minutes contributed,” said Loh.
Boys Water Polo will face Loomis Chaffee and Brunswick on Saturday.
