Grotoniana | All Things Groton As we moved through the spring, the attack gelled, being able to run a sound motion offense as well as set plays. The scoring leader, center Gabriella Flibotte (53 goals, 20 assists) is also one of the best center draw specialists in the league; this attack showed its versatility, with Dee Ezzio, Kait Mello, Ali Gray, Christie Colley, and Heather Mayer all being consistent scorers. Undoubtedly, the most exciting game of the season came with the St. Mark’s contest, our final tilt of the year. It was a wild one, which saw several lead changes. Dee Ezzio had the game of her career in her final contest for Groton, with four goals and one assist, the final goal coming in the last overtime period. This is a game that none of us will forget! Most Valuable Player: Morgan Smith Most Improved Player: Adrianna Pulford Coaches’ Award: Emma Curtis All ISL: Gabriella Flibotte Honorable Mention ISL: Morgan Smith NEPSWLA All Stars: Gabriella Flibotte and Morgan Smith Co-Captains Elect: Gabriella Flibotte and Kaitlyn Mello
Boys Varsity Lacrosse | 0 – 15
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hough 2008 proved to be another challenging campaign for the boys’ varsity team, the leadership of tri-Captains Brendan Fogarty, John Goodlander, and Matt Midon, as well as fellow seniors Sam Minifie and Gardner Smith, helped instill a spirit, enthusiasm, work ethic, and positive attitude that served as a strong foundation for our perseverance. The tone was set immediately on our annual trip to Cocoa Beach, Florida, and was sustained through our grueling ISL schedule. Coaches Will Webb, Fred Beams, and Bob Low drilled the boys daily on
2009 tri-captain elect Henry Mumford heads for the crease.
54 | Quarterly September 2008
2008 captain Brendan Fogarty fires on goal against Lawrence Academy.
the basic individual fundamentals of the game—passing, catching, stick protection, groundballs, defensive positioning, as well as basic team concepts—offensive spacing and timing, transition and unsettled situations, and defensive teamwork. As a result, this group made remarkable progress throughout the season in ways that are not readily revealed in win–loss statistics. With only five sixth formers on the squad, youth reigned in every position on the field, with several players logging valuable playingtime minutes. Fourth form goalkeeper Dale Adams anchored the defense, along with Sam Minifie, Matt Midon, Angus West, Billy Larkin, Conor Robinson, and Charles-Eric Boutet. Tom Nagler and Nate Blair rounded out the defensive core. In the midfield, Sixth formers Fogarty, Goodlander, and Smith led a hard-working group comprised of Evans Grenier, Julian Bloom, Scott Fronsdahl, and third formers Alex Machikas and Nils Martin. Fronsdahl’s intensity and competitive fire often sparked his teammates into action. Our attack unit of fifth formers Mumford, Jono Turchetta, and Peter Taylor showed much improvement from last year, while Ames Lyman and Alex Gregoire stepped up their play from last year’s junior varsity squad. Finally, this team showed remarkable resilience all season long. Though the record and team statistics clearly state otherwise, a closer look reveals a tightly-knit team of hard working, unselfish, dedicated athletes. Without fail, players arrived to practice early on a daily basis, always looking to learn and improve. They practiced with spirit and energy, and their work ethic was indefatigable. There was a camaraderie that enabled these young men to enjoy each other’s company, love the game of lacrosse, and represent Groton admirably. There are no statistics that measure these traits that characterize an extremely successful team. The team voted defenseman Charles Boutet as the Most Improved Player, while Captains Fogarty, Goodlander, and Midon earned the Coaches’ Award for their strong leadership throughout the season. We will look to tri-Captains elect Mumford,