SPORTS: Lawrence Academy Claims ISL Title
Undefeated Lawrence Academy Spartans boys' varsity soccer team (13-0-4 overall, 12-0-3 league) claimed the Independent School League (ISL) championship Saturday, Nov. 9, on the strength of a 2-0 road win over Buckingham Browne & Nichols in their final regular season contest of the 2013 campaign.
It is the first time that the Spartans have earned their name on the Gummere Cup since 1988.
Boys' varsity also earned first seed in the Class B New England playoffs.
Lawrence, which boasts four players in the top-15 of ISL scoring, is statistically led by junior forward Amadu Kunateh (13 goals, 15 assists in league play), senior midfielder Mbongeni Tshuma (12 g, 3 a), senior forward Aziz Khan (6 g, 6 a), freshman midfielder Abdul Haji (5 g, 6 a), and the ISL's top goaltender, sophomore Aiden Perry (.597 goals against average).
However, it's clear that statistics do not tell the full story of the stellar 2013 Spartans.
"Senior Adrian Colmenares comes to mind," said Head Coach Colin Igoe when asked about the most important factors that have contributed to the season's success. "He's been a rock. He is an excellent player and, while we talk about the team outlook-our whole team does the 'we before me' thing - he lives it.
"His statistics aren't going to be at the top of the league, but he is an all-league player."
As is Kunateh, a member of United States U-17 Men's National Team (alongside Haji), who was involved in 28 of LA's 57 goals in 15 games this season.
"He's incredibly dangerous on the ball," said Igoe, who himself played for Weston High School, Northeastern University, and Wheaton College before playing overseas. "He's as dangerous as any player I've ever coached. He can do things that can sometimes make you shake your head and say, 'Wow'."
Tshuma, Aziz, junior midfielder Max Breiter, and senior midfielder Christian Hernandez round out an attack that has wowed New England, while, as LA's last line of defense, Perry has been a wall.
"He was in 14 league games and let up eight goals," said Igoe of the goaltender. "That's pretty remarkable and, obviously, you can't lose if you don't let balls into the back of your net."
That undefeated streak must continue for three more games if LA hopes to add more hardware to the cases in the Stone Athletic Center.
"You have to do the things that brought us to this position," said Igoe of his advice to his players. "But we're fine-tuning all the areas of our game that make us successful."
Spartans will look to continue that success, Nov. 13, when they host eighth-seeded Cushing Academy at 2 p.m.
