DAVE PURPURA THISWEEKSPORTS.COM @ThisWeekDave

Only time will tell whether Andre White of the New Albany High School boys lacrosse team can surpass last year's 71-goal performance.

White, a senior midfielder, is more concerned with building on the 18 assists he made last season and helping the Eagles advance beyond the Division I Central Region tournament.

"I don't really worry about (statistics). I am focused on the team winning a state championship. That's all I really care about," said White, a Hartford University recruit. "Our chemistry is looking better. Everybody is working harder than we did last year. We have started to mesh better. Practices are flowing better.

"We know where we will throw the ball next. Everything is flowing right."

Three of New Albany's top four scorers return from last year's 12-8 team in White, senior attacker Noah Bressler (16 goals, 20 assists) and junior midfielder Drew Miller (28 goals, 17 assists). Miller is a Rollins College commit, and Bressler is a three-year starter.

White had five goals through two games, all of them coming in a 15-11 loss to Dublin Coffman on March 25.

"Noah has developed quite a bit athletically. He has always been on the smaller side, but he's put in the work in the weight room and is dodging harder to the cage," sixth-year coach Chris Brown said. "We don't expect (White) to score 71 goals again. If he can do it, great. If not, it's OK. ...

"I want to see some more balance between goals and assists, maybe distribute the ball more. He is a great playmaker. He is out there and goes hard all the time. He is always on. He's never slacking. I think his vision is better on the field, understanding where other people are supposed to be as opposed to before, where he was more an individual player."

New Albany was 1-1 before playing Pickerington North on March 29.

Junior attacker Nathan Reader and sophomore attacker Cody Roberts each had two goals in a 5-4 season-opening win over Granville on March 22.

Last year, the Eagles lost to eventual state champion Upper Arlington 14-9 in a regional semifinal.

They went 4-2 in the OCC-Ohio Division to finish third behind champion Dublin Scioto (6-0).

Now in the OCC-Buckeye as part of the conference's realignment, the Eagles begin league play April 6 at Olentangy Liberty.

While New Albany returns its two goalkeepers from last year in junior Matt Huizenga and sophomore Perry Dolan, the Eagles need to replace much of their defense. Returnees there include seniors Andrew Chang and Anthony Jimenez, junior Chandler Wilson and sophomore Luke Muter.

According to Brown, sophomore Peter Ackley is expected to step in as faceoff specialist, replacing 2016 graduate Michael Brendle. Brendle, who had 55 goals and 17 assists as a senior, now plays at Otterbein.

"We've looked strong in pretty much every position," Bressler said. "We have a few experienced players, and we have a lot of young players. It's exciting to see how it will turn out."

Rounding out the roster are seniors Elijah Bridges (midfielder), Matthew Dinsmore (defender), Will Green (midfielder), Piercen Kirigiti (midfielder), Louis Miranda (attacker), Nathan Phillips (midfielder) and Akil Stokes (midfielder), juniors Joshua Bridges (midfielder) and Patrick Cooper (attacker), sophomores Ryan Conley (defender), Aiden Day (midfielder), Owen Dunn (midfielder), Mav Spellman (defender) and Brode White (attacker) and freshmen Patrick Gurd (midfielder) and Lucas Kasper (defender).

"So far we are as athletic, if not more athletic, than we've ever been as far as our speed and our size," Brown said. "Those are good things."

Girls lacrosse team off to fast start

Featuring a roster dominated by sophomores, the girls lacrosse team got out to a 3-0 start thanks in part to an offense that averaged 13 goals per game.

New Albany has early wins over Springboro (16-5 in its season and home opener March 18), Dublin Jerome (11-8 on March 21) and Worthington Kilbourne (12-7 on March 24). Senior attacker Molly Berend and sophomore attacker Emily Rezabek each had four goals in the opener, and against Jerome senior attacker Gracie Pine led the way with four.

Berend added three more against Kilbourne, and her nine are tied with Pine for the team lead.

"We have only two seniors and a couple juniors (in goalie Catherine Ryan and defender Sarah Teas)," seventh-year coach Dave Ferguson said. "We are young, but we're excited. As usual, I try to play a very tough schedule and I think that will help us, but we will have to work hard for every victory."

Rezabek, an Ohio State commit, is one of 14 sophomores on the roster. She had 48 goals and 18 assists as a freshman, third behind three-time All-American and 2016 graduate Liza Hernandez (83 goals, 24 assists) and Berend (54 goals, 26 assists).

New Albany went 19-4 overall a year ago, losing to Massillon Jackson 8-7 in a Division I state semifinal. It was the Eagles' first state tournament appearance since 2013.

Berend is a Florida Southern recruit, and Pine will play for Lindenwood.

"Emily Rezabek is just an outstanding athlete," Ferguson said. "She provides a great dimension to the entire team. (Sophomore) Alyssa Kneedler is another midfielder who will be very competitive. (Sophomore midfielder) Chloe Platte is another one, and so is (sophomore defender/midfielder) Zoe Kellerman. Zoe has made some nice transitions and has been very effective."

Kneedler played for Pickerington North last year, scoring a team-best 47 goals.

Rounding out the roster are sophomores Liz Beckner (attacker), Erin Carson (defen-der), Valentina DiLorenzo (defender), Blythe Ferguson (midfielder), Grace Hoover (attacker), Addyson Koterba (defender), Margeaux LaJeunesse (attacker), Regan Roteff (defender), Lauren Sokol (attacker) and Sarah Zinsmeister (defender) and freshman Julia Brisk (goalie).

The Eagles begin OCC-Buckeye play April 6 at home against Liberty. They went 4-0 in the OCC-Capital last year.

dpurpura@thisweeknews.com

@ThisWeekDave

BOYS LACROSSE

March 22 -- vs. Granville

March 25 -- vs. Dublin Coffman

March 29 -- vs. Pickerington North

March 31 -- at Dublin Scioto

April 1 -- vs. Hilliard Bradley

*April 6 -- at Olentangy Liberty

April 8 -- at Thomas Worthington

*April 11 -- vs. Olentangy Orange

*April 13 -- vs. Westerville North

*April 18 -- at Olentangy

April 21 -- at DeSales

*April 25 -- at Westerville Central

*April 27 -- vs. Westerville South

April 29 -- vs. Worthington Kilbourne

*May 2 -- at Big Walnut

May 4 -- vs. Delaware

May 6 -- at St. Charles

May 9 -- vs. Dublin Jerome

GIRLS LACROSSE

March 18 -- vs. Springboro

March 21 -- at Dublin Jerome

March 24 -- vs. Worthington Kilbourne

April 4 -- vs. Dublin Coffman

*April 6 -- vs. Olentangy Liberty

April 8 -- vs. Massillon Jackson

*April 11 -- at Olentangy Orange

*April 13 -- at Westerville North

April 15 -- vs. Cincinnati Indian Hill

*April 18 -- vs. Olentangy

April 21 -- vs. Mason

*April 24 -- vs. Westerville Central

*April 27 -- at Westerville South

April 28 -- at Medina

April 29 -- Cleveland Heights Tournament

*May 2 -- vs. Big Walnut

May 3 -- at Upper Arlington

May 6 -- at Cincinnati Sycamore

*League contest

Below are the coming schedules for the New Albany baseball, softball, boys tennis and track & field teams:

BASEBALL

*March 31 -- At Newark

*April 3 -- Home vs. Newark

*April 5 -- Home vs. Big Walnut

SOFTBALL

April 1 -- At Upper Arlington with Westerville North

April 3 -- Home vs. Mount Vernon

April 5 -- At Olentangy Liberty

BOYS TENNIS

April 3 -- Home vs. St. Charl
es

April 5 -- At Columbus Academy

TRACK & FIELD

April 1 -- Wildcat Premier at Hilliard Davidson

April 4 -- At Marysville with Pickerington North B

*League contest

See original here:
New Albany Roundup: Boys lacrosse team building chemistry - ThisWeek Community News