“She’s a kind and approachable person,” Keefe said. “She wants the best for everyone.”
The senior captain has a track record of success both on the ice and in field hockey, giving her the right perspective to lead her peers. She is a two-time Division 1 state champion defender in field hockey and was a leading scorer last winter, scoring 19 points (11 goals, 8 assists) as the Golden Warriors advanced to the Division 2 semifinals. It became.
This season, the touch is different than what Menmoro is used to. Andover, minus nine graduates from last year’s team, is 6-7-3. The Golden Warriors are the favorites to win the Merrimack Valley Conference/Dual County League, perhaps the toughest conference in MIAA hockey.
“I try to make freshmen feel more welcome. There’s a reason they’re on the team.”
Andover senior hockey captain Rose Menmoro talks about her approach to leadership.
That adversity is nothing compared to what Menmoro faces on a daily basis. A Type I diabetic, she deals with the reality of her lifelong illness while playing the sport she loves. It took her several years to find effective practice and procedures for her performance, but she is now in good control of her own routine.
“It took a lot of adjustments to figure out what works and what doesn’t,” Menmoro said. “Some days my blood sugar responds differently to what I’ve eaten before, and other days it’s completely fine.”
Keefe remembers when Menmoro couldn’t jump onto the ice for practice until his blood sugar levels were balanced. Both players and coaches are now prepared to deal with the ups and downs.
“There are things she can’t control and there are things I can’t control,” Keefe said.
What works now? Eat three hours before the game and keep your pregame snack low in carbohydrates. Thanks to this, Mr. Menmoro seems to be able to prevent his blood sugar levels from spiking. Thanks to advances in medical technology, it’s easier than ever to monitor her level in-game.
“I checked between periods and there was someone on the bench with my cell phone.” [which is connected to her continuous glucose monitor] They keep us updated,” Menmoro said.
“For a while, I [insulin] I used to have to prick my finger to test my blood sugar levels, but now that I have an insulin pump, it’s easier to type in what I need. I have a continuous blood sugar monitor that gives her readings every 5 minutes, which is great. ”
Another aspect of Menmoro’s diabetes management was learning how her body reacts differently to her two chosen sports.
“I realized that the adrenaline rush of field hockey is not quite the same as the adrenaline rush of hockey,” Menmoro said. “That adrenaline cancels out any insulin I have and just raises my blood sugar levels. So field hockey is a little bit easier in terms of keeping my blood sugar levels in the right range.”
“She’s a very good advocate for herself. She doesn’t make it a negative thing.”
Andover women’s hockey coach Megan Keefe talks with captain Rose Menmoro about her daily battle with type 1 diabetes.
Menmoro talks about his diabetes in the same way as any biology major he is considering as a course of study at Colby College. They are interested in causal relationships and do not resist them.
“She’s a really good advocate for herself,” Keefe said. “She doesn’t see it as a negative thing.”
That spirit continues in her leadership. Given Andover’s changes from last year’s team, Menmoro cannot lead from a negative position. She recalls her own early high school days for inspiration.
“As a freshman, I was always extremely nervous and had no idea how to deal with it,” Menmoro said. “My plays were very fast and not always completely thought out. I was thinking, ‘The puck is coming towards me, what do I do?’ Now, that experience helps me as I work to make new students feel more welcome. There’s a reason they’re on the team. ”
Buoyed by recent wins against HPNA and Beverly/Danvers/Ipswich, Andover continues to improve steadily. Keefe is working with the team to aim for more consistent scoring and finishing, and believes it will be tough for a team that moves up to Division I to play during tournament time.
Much of that is due to the sense of responsibility and high level of play Menmoro brings to every practice, which Keefe and his players praise.
“I wish I could copy and paste her for the future,” Keefe said.
ice chips
▪ Winthrop, with an 11-2-2 record and No. 15 in the Globe’s Top 20, is in good position heading into the tournament. But the Vikings face a challenge in the final weeks of the regular season.
They got off to a tough start Monday with a 1-0 win over No. 9 Peabody/Linfield/North Reading with a sophomore goaltender. Riley Touse Lock down shut out. However, the schedule is only getting tougher. The Vikings host No. 4 Falmouth on Saturday, then close out the season with games against Beverly/Danvers and Masconomet — two key battles in the Northeast.
“We’ve been working hard to get into playoff mode,” Coach Winthrop said. Butch Martucci, recorded his 200th career win on Saturday. “I think this is going to be a great development for us because we have four very good teams. We know we have a task ahead of us, but we’re willing to take it and we’re ready. .”
▪ Two Globe All-Scholastic Patriot League reigning champions reach major milestone at Hingham Jr. caroline doherty Scored 100th career goal in Saturday’s win over North Quincy/Quincy vs. Duxbury Senior Goalie anna mcginty He made his 1,000th career save on Saturday against Pope Francis.
Featured games
Wednesday, No. 7 Lincoln-Sudbury, Waltham, 5 p.m. — Waltham looks to tie the season score in the Merrimack Valley vs. Dual-County matchup. LS won the first match 2-1.
Wednesday, 14th Canton, 19th Westwood, 6 p.m. — Westwood is looking to end the regular season on a high note, while Canton has lost five straight games.
Thursday, No. 3 Notre Dame (Hingham), No. 2 Duxbury, 7:10 p.m. — The two strongest teams in the state will meet for the first time this season. It was Duxbury’s second straight loss.
Saturday, 6th Malden Catholic Pope Francis, 2 p.m. — Pope Francis is determined to carry the momentum from wins over No. 2 Duxbury and No. 8 Nauset/Monomoy into the end of the regular season. However, in the last match, MC won 3-1.
Saturday, No. 4 Falmouth vs. No. 15 Winthrop, 1 p.m. — Winthrop hopes to extend a 10-game unbeaten streak as Falmouth tries to bounce back from a 2-0 loss to Canton last week.
Correspondents Mike Puzzanghera and Julia Yohe contributed to this article.
Kat Coretta can be reached at sportsgirlkat@gmail.com.
