Hope ball bounces their way a bit
The goal every year for Jason Tata and the Woodstock Academy boys’ lacrosse team is the same. Put, at least, another match on the schedule.
“Every year, we want to make the state tournament, get that unscheduled game. (Woodstock Academy athletic director) Sean (Saucier) gives me 16, I want 17. It’s partially for me, I want to push the program as far as humanly possible, but it’s also for the seniors, like Keegan Covello who comes out here and grinds his butt off every day. I want to give him an extra game as a senior as well as all the other seniors,” coach Jason Tata said.
Woodstock snuck into the postseason with seven wins last year.
“If we look back at our games from last year, a couple of games could have bounced our way. We had Waterford here and it went to overtime (a 7-6 loss) and NFA here (a 10-9 loss) and that would have changed a 7-win season into a 9-win one and right there, you qualify with maybe a more favorable seed. Instead, we squeak in and have to go down to East Lyme,” Tata said.
A third meeting with the Vikings in one season is not something to look forward to.
The Centaurs will have to try and improve upon that record that this year without their top scorer. Jared Neilsen, who finished with 43 goals and 17 assists, has graduated.
The Centaurs also lost assist machine Henry Wotton.
But talent does return. “We have a really great attack line with Gunnar (Basak) and a couple of other players who will get the job done,” Covello said.
Basak, who plays the X behind the opponent’s goal, finished with 20 goals and three assists last year despite being bothered by an injury.
“That’s my spot,” Basak said of hanging out behind the opponent’s goal. “Without Jared there, it will be a little tougher.”
Phillips finished with 21 goals and six assists a year ago and is the top returning scorer but his style and that of Nielsen differs grea
Tata added that he liked what he has seen from his defense which will be led by David Genay this season, the only returning starter in the back.
“The defense is young. We have a lot of talent but we will need to do a lot of fine tuning. We have some kids who have never stepped on a varsity field before but I have faith in them,” Basak said.
The Centaurs could use a few more long pole defenders with Genay and Jacob Say comprising half of them.
“Midfield is always a question mark. You never know because there are so many things that can go wrong in the midfield. I think I have a good balance on guys who saw quality minutes on varsity and others who played a lot of minutes on JV,” Tata said.
Behind them all will be junior goalie Quan Sangasy.
“He’s steady, rock solid. Quan impresses me every year. He keeps getting better, he keeps grinding to get better and he will be the real anchor to the defense,” Tata said.
One factor that could weigh in the Centaurs’ favor is hunger. Many of their number also play hockey and last year, the team was coming off a state semifinal run.
The season ended much earlier than that this past winter leaving players like Covello hoping for better this spring. “We’ve been knocked out of the (state tournament) early in the past few years and we’re hungry for more. We want it this year,” Covello said.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
caption:
Seniors Keegan Covello, left, and Gunnar Basak. Photo by Marc Allard/Woodstock Academy.