Nico Madrid ’20 has been on the Andover Boys Water Polo team since his Junior year.
According to Zach Hooven ’22, the team demonstrated a good defense for its first game. The team also had strong offensive possessions, plays, and shots.
“Well, we went into this first game knowing we were playing the best team in the league, but we felt that we defied what we thought we could do in terms of both offense and defense,” said teammate Beckett McKee ’22.
“I think we did well more on the defensive side. We were able to make Brunswick turn the ball over or miss shots for several plays,” continued Hank Yang ’22.
The team’s success was aided by contributions from particular individuals throughout the game, according to Hooven.
“I would say Theo Faugeres, [Captain] Sam Donchi [’20], Max Hunger [’20], and Gregor Deveau [’21] all stood out,” Hooven said.
Yang continued, “Max Hunger made several good plays. His size gave him a real advantage and at one point, because he was so dangerous with the ball, Brunswick needed two players to stick to him at all times.”
Additionally, the team welcomed Dale Hurley to the team as its new Head Coach this fall. According to the team, Coach Hurley coached the team well and is helping it become stronger as a unit.
“Coach Hurley has been very helpful coaching the team this past week. He has been super supportive of everyone on the team and made sure everyone got a chance to get in the pool this weekend which really helped our newer players get some early experience that usually comes later down the line,” said McKee.
Hooven added, “Coach Hurley is very experienced in the world of water polo and has used his extensive knowledge to the team’s advantage. He is a great coach and does a good job of preparing the team for the trials ahead.”
Even though the team put up a strong fight against Brunswick, one of the leading teams in the nation, the players believe that the team will continue to improve in many aspects of the game.
McKee said, “Now that we are past [Brunswick] we are going to be focusing more on our offense and trying to create more goal scoring opportunities.”
“Along with defense of course, our offense needs vast improvement. In addition, I think our awareness of our surroundings needs some work too, so that we can get into position and stay prepared for whatever comes our way during a game,” Yang concluded.
The team looks to improve its record this weekend against Noble and Greenough.
