Ando wins it for L-S
Claims title in the return of Coaches Cup
DOVER — When the Coaches Cup was postponed for the first time back in 2020, Kyle Ando and his fellow teammates felt as though an opportunity had passed them by. That was the same tournament in which Lincoln-Sudbury was set to honor his father, and a close friend of the program in Yoshitaka Ando.
The tournament made its long-awaited return in 2022, and it didn’t simply live up to its billing. It had a miraculous ending.
Senior Henry Grosso finished with a hat trick and dished out an assist, while Ando registered the gamewinning goal as LincolnSudbury captured its first Coaches Cup title since 2019 with an unforgettable 8-7 victory over longtime rival, Hingham.
“I can’t really put it into words,” said Grosso. “It hits the heart a lot. I think the beginning of our season was a little slow, and we’ve just been picking it up lately. Obviously, it’s been really hard without Ando the last two or three years. Today was all about him.”
Both teams came flying out of the gate to start, as Lincoln-Sudbury (4-2) took a 5-3 lead into the second
quarter. Grosso tallied all three of his goals in the opening frame.
After robbing Hingham junior Charlie Packard of a goal with a fantastic save in the cage, Nolan O’Brien kept possession and sprinted in the opposite direction with 8:32 left in the first half. The senior goaltender knifed his way to the net, then stunned the crowd with a goal of his own, helping the Warriors take a 7-3 lead at intermission.
However, Hingham staged a rally in the second half, scoring four unanswered goals. Joe Hennessey evened the score at 7-all with about five minutes remaining in regulation.
“I think both those teams were equally skilled,” said Lincoln-Sudbury coach Brian Vona. “It was a good
matchup, they were a very good team. At the end of the day, we had a little heart with us. We had Ando. We love Ando, and we felt like he was there with us today. So, it meant a lot.”
Just one minute later, Riley O’Connell scrambled as he searched for a teammate. As the play swarmed his way, Ando slipped out from behind the pack of defenders, and was left all alone in front of the Hingham cage. When the pass came his way, Ando caught the ball, then guided a shot into the twine, putting the finishing touches on an incredible run.
“I honestly got really emotional after that goal,” said Ando. “I’ve obviously been playing for my Dad ever since he passed away. Especially today. It really came out. The emotions were there. I don’t think I’ve really shown much emotion outside of that, and that was a big goal.”
O’Brien proceeded to make a game-clinching save in the final seconds, and the Warriors stormed the field shortly thereafter. For one more year at least, the Coaches Cup dynasty continues for Lincoln-Sudbury.
“Goals come and go,” said Vona. “Friendships are what last, and these kids get it. These kids get who Ando was, who Ando is. That’s what today is about for us, friendship.”