May 3, 2009 E-MAIL PRINT

Net results for Andover's Gross

by Roger Brown/

UConn-bound Cat Gross has impressed not just with her skills, but with her deep understanding of the game. (photo: Andover Action Photos)

UConn-bound Cat Gross has impressed not just with her skills, but with her deep understanding of the game. (photo: Andover Action Photos)

There are those who look at Andover High School midfielder Catherine “Cat” Gross and see one of the best high school lacrosse players in Massachusetts. Others look at Gross and see something different: a future lacrosse coach.

“She could be a high school coach right now if she wanted,” Andover coach John McVeigh said. “We do a lot of youth clinics and I have no problem sending her to one end of the field with a group of kids by herself. I’ll be shocked if she’s not a very, very successful coach someday.”

According to McVeigh, Gross has a passion for lacrosse that’s rare for someone her age. Her physical skills are obvious every time Gross takes the field, but McVeigh insists it’s a deep understanding of the sport that sets Gross apart from most high school lacrosse players.

McVeigh, who is in his fifth season as Andover’s bench boss, called Gross the most coachable player he’s encountered.

“Definitely, I would love to be a college or even a high school coach someday,” Gross said. “I just enjoy teaching people what I love.

“I used to play field hockey and run track. [Lacrosse] was the sport for me, I guess.”

Gross collected 36 goals and 19 assists last season, when she was named a high school All-American as a junior. She’s following a trail blazed by her sister Briana, who also was an All-American at Andover and is now in her sophomore season on the Bates College lacrosse team.

Although they were high school teammates, Gross and her older sister won’t join forces in college. Gross has accepted a scholarship from the University of Connecticut.

Angela McMahon, who is in her first season as UConn’s head coach, was an associate head coach at the University of Massachusetts at this time last season. McMahon first began recruiting Gross while she was still at Massachusetts.

“Leadership, communication and work ethic are Cat’s best characteristics,” McMahon said shortly after Gross committed to UConn. “I expect Cat to make an immediate impact as a defensive midfielder.”

Although Gross once had her sights set on playing college lacrosse for an Ivy League school such as Dartmouth or Harvard — she said Bates also was an attractive option — UConn turned out to be an easy choice in the end.

“There was no real second choice,” Gross explained. “I really think I’m going to love it. I love Angela. When I visited, I liked the atmosphere and the school, too. It was a good fit.”

Said McVeigh: “She had a wide range of [Division 1] interest. I think Cat wanted to be part of a program that’s building up.  She wanted to go somewhere where she could be the cornerstone of the program.

“She’s an incredible passer, sees the field very well, and she’s a tenacious defender.  She handles the ball well in traffic. She can score as well. She’ll have to work on her strength, but I think she’ll have the chance to play right away. That’s something that appealed to her.”

Although she was named an All-American for her play in 2008, Gross was not the brightest star on her Andover team last season. Five Andover seniors last spring are now playing at the Division 1 level.

Gross is clearly the go-to player on this year’s Andover team — on and off the field.

“I think she’s excited about that,” McVeigh said. “She doesn’t need the attention, but she’s not afraid to be in the center of everything.

“It’s been a good challenge for her early in the year. She has some talented young kids around her and she’s always looking to help her teammates. She has the right balance between being a star player and a good teammate.”

Gross, one of four AHS captains, also assumed a leadership role this season. That role increased when senior Heather Sullivan, a four-year starter who was Andover’s leading scorer last season (53-10-63), suffered an ankle injury in Andover’s second game — a 15-10 loss to Framingham.

Sullivan, who has committed to Division 2 Stonehill College, set the Andover field hockey program’s single-season record for goals (29) last fall.

“We lost a lot of starters from last year,” Gross said. “Last year I was always looking to make that next pass to someone who could go make a play. This year they’re looking to me to make that play.

“We have a lot of young players on this year’s team, so what I’m asked to do is different from last year. My teammates are looking to me for advice and I don’t mind that at all. I love helping people learn the game.”

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