WOODBURY— Nonnewaug’s Liam Sandor, a senior captain on the Lakeview boys lacrosse team, feels it’s not going to be easy, but with hard work, they will be successful in their season.
“I wouldn’t say we’re the most skilled team out there, and not everyone has the sharpest stick skills, but if we give max effort on ground balls, and always chase after people on defense that’s going to give us a really good shot at being successful this year,” says Sandor.
With the title of captain comes the role of being a leader. Sandor has made it a priority to lead his team and guide them to success, so younger players are ready when it’s their time.
“I have motivation to lead the team better than I found it, [to] show the younger kids how to play lacrosse, and develop them into the next great players,” said Sandor. “So hopefully when I come back next year to watch some games, they will be a little bit sharper than I was.”
Sandor is a returning player while the team faces many other changes. Other key players, according to junior Connor Segers, include Henry Matthews, Dan Campbell, Rolfe Brindle, Jack Lawrence, Eddie Allen, Sam Paletsky, and Connor Dutton.
Sandor is confident new players can step up and fulfill the roles of the key players they lost.
“I think the biggest thing is that the people we lost last year, at least key players, were great leaders, so they foster those people who are going to fill their shoes this year,” Sandor said. “We have young freshmen who are going to step up, but thankfully they’ve been around people who have been leaders and those people will make them better, so they will be pretty good at filling those people’s shoes that we’ve lost last year.”
The team has goals they can make it far into the season, with hard work and dedication.
“Some expectations for the season is to make our conference tournament, but hopefully the final for our conference tournament,” Sandor said. “A winning record would be great but obviously it’s going to go game by game. Each game is a little bit different so different game plans accomplish what we need to and if we could qualify for states, which would be our first time ever.”
Segers agrees with Sandor: It will be hard but can be accomplished.
“We expect to make the conference tournament like we have the last two years,” Segers said. “Our goal would be to have our first state tournament, which will take a lot, but we have enough skill on our team to do it.”
