Sitting in a classroom in the Plimpton School, the 2011 Boys Lacrosse team intently listened to Coach Jason Andalo as he announced what seed the team would be for the playoffs. Shortly after finding out that Walpole received the #8 seed, the team had mixed reactions. All were humble to be in the tournament, but a few thought they deserved a higher seed. After accepting this seeding though, the Boys Lacrosse team realized that a potential match-up with defending State Champion Medfield was almost inevitable; but first, Walpole had to take care of business against the 25th seed, the Dracut Middies.
In what could have been mistaken for a sequel to the movie “Groundhog Day”, the game between Walpole and Dracut was almost an exact copy of the 2010 Boys Lacrosse team’s Preliminary Round match-up against, who else but, the Dracut Middies. Despite entering the game with a less than impressive 8-10 record, the Middies were 8-8 in Division 2 play so they snuck into the postseason. However, both of the teams were completely different from their 2010 teams and during the first quarter it appeared as if it would be a close game with Walpole leading 2-1. Coach Andalo settled his team down after the first quarter because the Rebels came out firing in the second quarter.
Led by stellar face-off play by senior Donny Delpha and sophomore Steve Thulin, the Rebels controlled the face-off aspect of the game. As the second half started, Walpole dominated every facet of the game – face-offs, clearing, and defense all were near perfect which gave the ball to the offense for a majority of the time. As he has done throughout his senior season, senior Captain Kyle Guilbert continued to impress players and spectators alike as his rolls and splits beat defenders and the goalie. Walpole did not let up on Dracut as the Rebels cruised behind the attack trio of Guilbert, and seniors Brendan Maloney and Nick Foley, to a 17-3 win.
On June 4, the Warriors of Medfield visited Turco Field to challenge the Walpole Rebels in a First Round playoff match that was sure to be an instant classic. The Medfield Warriors (11-7) were the 9th seed and the defending Division 2 State Champions, but they struggled a bit this year with their first in-league loss in almost 10 years. Medfield has had Walpole’s number over the years though, as they have stopped the Rebels’ playoff hopes twice before – in the 2005 playoffs and in 2008 when the Rebels were undefeated entering the EMass Final game. Andalo and the 2011 Rebels hoped to put an end to this streak.
Shortly after the first face-off which was won by Delpha, the Rebels jumped out to a 1-0 lead as Guilbert fired a shot past senior Medfield keeper, and Tufts University-bound, Sam Aronson – considered one of the state’s premier goalies. As the first quarter ended, the score was 4-2 with Walpole in command. Medfield clawed back into the game during the second quarter as they were aided by some costly Walpole penalties to tie the game at 5-5 at halftime. The second half proved to be a dogfight between two excellent programs that do not meet nearly as often as they should. The large crowd on hand for this First Round showdown got their money’s worth as the game kept going back and forth with the Rebels and Warriors trading goals and leads almost as quickly as they had attained them. With only 15 seconds left, a Medfield player swept from the top of the box down and rocketed a bounce shot past freshman goalie Andrew Blood. With that goal the Medfield Warriors took the lead 11-10 and won the game.
Even though the season was cut short, a number of seniors are going on to play college lacrosse. Captains Guilbert (Merrimack) and Matt Niden (UMass Dartmouth), as well as Foley (Western Connecticut) and Delpha (UMass Boston) are all playing lacrosse next year. Although stopped short in their pursuit of another state championship, Andalo was not saddened after the game. After the game Andalo said, “We left everything out on the field, we gave everything we could. I could not be any prouder of the way the team played tonight.”
