The Andover boys' lacrosse team is enjoying a breakout season in which close games have resulted in victory rather than loss.
"We're getting over the hump of losing to teams we're close with," Huskies coach Ken Weikel said.
Though the Huskies (9-2) fell Monday to rival Anoka (10-1) for the first time that Weikel could ever recall, a second meaningful game awaits Wednesday against undefeated Champlin Park (9-0). Losing to Anoka means the Huskies cannot clinch a share of the Northwest Suburban Conference championship but an upset of Champlin Park means earning the No. 1 seed for the Section 7 playoffs.
For Andover to rebound, standouts Adam Wiczek and Ryan Olson must play to their abilities.
Wiczek, a junior midfielder, has come into his own. He ranks among the state's most productive players with 41 goals and 10 assists. If not for a school district rule preventing eighth-graders from playing varsity, Wiczek would have started, Weikel said.
"He's been good for a long time," Weikel said. "It's just been a matter of him realizing how good he is."
Olson, a senior goalie, has been a pleasant surprise. Graduation claimed the entire defensive corps but Olson stood tall. His saves percentage of .703 ranks among the best in the state.
"We're not really stopping other teams' good looks but Ryan is stopping more shots," Weikel said. "We like to run and score and he stabilizes us on the back end."
