Boys Varsity Lacrosse Smashes Austin Prep 15-2
Upper Ryan Ehrgott (#10 on the field) evades two opponents from Austin Prep as he advances across the field. Courtesy of @exeterathletics
By SAM ALTMAN and FORREST ZENG
Exeter’s boys varsity lacrosse team kicked off their season with a 15-2 win against Austin Prep on March 22. The team expressed confidence about their team morale and the upcoming season.
“The team was able to execute for the most part on all cylinders and take a commanding lead without too many issues,” upper Quinn Smith said of the season opener.
While Exeter coaches can scout information from most teams in the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC), Austin Prep is an entirely new team to NEPSAC, meaning that boys’ lacrosse entered the match without prior knowledge. “They are a new team to NEPSAC, but they are very young and talented. It was a good game for us to play,” head coach Bill Glennon said.
He continued, “At the start, you could see we were the better team. But, for the first half of the first quarter, it was only 1-0. I knew that if we could truly break through, we would be fine. Following that, we got two more quick goals, and it was steady from there on out.”
Upper Shane McDonnell commented on the atmosphere of the team. “As with every team on their first game of the season, I think we had some first-game-jitters, but it ended up going very well,” he said.
Glennon also noted the specific performance of a few players. “The Moore twins, Ethan and Gabe, did very well. I think Ethan had five or six goals and two assists, and the captains even selected him as player of the game. We also had key contributions from Tommy Lombardi and Gavin Kim.”
McDonnell concluded, “Overall, coming out with a 15-2 win was the perfect way to start the season.”
Glennon described the composition and strategy of the team. “Our strengths are on the defensive end, and our goalkeeper is fantastic. Our three starters are all experienced uppers, and as the season goes along, we’ll become better offensively as well.”
He continued, “Going forward, we have what’s called a 5-10 rule. We figure that if we can score 10 goals per game, and not give up more than 5, we’ll have a safe margin of error. And given our especially strong defense, that strategy caters well to our team.”
The match came after a pre-season training in Florida. “The trip to Florida was a good way to develop,” lower Syan Desai said. “It was also a good chance to develop some team chemistry.”
From the start of the season, the team has shown great teamwork. “The team environment is great,” McDonnell said. “Everyone is excited to be out on the field and to work together to win as many games as possible.”
“Even the people who weren’t playing much on the sidelines were very positive,” Glennon commented. “That’s terrific. That keeps the morale and the character of the team.”
Looking ahead, the boys’ varsity lacrosse team will face schools such as Thayer, Holderness, and Deerfield in April. “I am very excited for the season ahead,” McDonnell said. “We have a very great group of guys with a lot of very good players. This season could be very successful.”
