The numbers are eye-popping, from his 84 goals as a sophomore to his 107 goals this season to his 156 points this spring, a Connecticut single-season record.

Yet when it comes to Old Lyme's Henry Hunt, The Day's 2015 All-Area Boys' Lacrosse Player of the Year, it was his 49 assists this spring — and the Wildcats' success as a team — that made his junior season such a memorable one.

"Assists really indicate a healthy offense where everyone is involved, everyone is moving the ball and the offense is working," Hunt explained. "I don't want to take too much credit for the offensive attack. Guys like (Jacob) Fenton and (Ian) Humphreys ... they took a lot of pressure off me. They would make a play, take some of the attention away from me and it made the whole offense work together."

That fact wasn't lost on Old Lyme coach Mike Murphy, either.

"As an attackman, you have to be a bit selfish," Murphy said. "But he's not afraid to give that ball off, which isn't always the case with (goal scorers). Henry, when he draws that attention, still makes the possession productive.

"Guys with that many goals usually don't have that many assists. He handled that attention well. He'd be looking for guys on the backside. There were few times when he would hold (the ball) to a point where he didn't come up with a productive scoring chance for us."

Still, when the Wildcats needed a spark offensively, Hunt was front and center from his attack position.

He had seven goals and two assists when Old Lyme outlasted rival Morgan 17-14 to win the inaugural Shoreline Conference tournament championship game. The Wildcats would go on to finish 16-4, reaching the Class S quarterfinals before losing to East Catholic.

Hunt's 156 points broke the single-season record of 147 set by New Fairfield's Andrew Fiamengo in 2008, according to website laxworm.com, and his 107 goals were the second highest single-season total in Connecticut history behind New Fairfield's Sean Macy, who scored 115 goals in 2007.

Hunt was a first team Class S all-state selection for the second straight season and was named the Shoreline Conference Player of the Year.

"Henry was really instrumental at key points in big games, whether it was goals to keep a lead or when we had to come from behind," Murphy said.

But Murphy also said it was a joy to watch Hunt mature as a player, and especially as a leader.

"He really blossomed as a leader this year, even though he wasn't a captain," Murphy said. "You could really see it in practice, too. He helped make practices really productive. Some lose interest in drills, but he's got that kind of mentality where he just keeps at it. He makes players more productive, he makes practices more productive and that helps coaches when the best player on the field is also motivating everyone else."

Hunt said he made a conscience effort to take on more of a leadership role this season.

"We lost a lot of seniors from last year," he said. "I knew we had to have our upperclassmen step up, including myself because we were going to have a young team ... we had only three seniors. I think we did a great job of bouncing back and having another good year."

Hunt's physical growth also played big dividends. He grew three inches to 6-foot-1 between his sophomore and junior seasons and added about 20 pounds, now weighing about 165. He credits running indoor track, where he participated in the 300-meter sprint and 4x200 relay, with helping his fitness.

"I've become a better dodger and a better athlete," Hunt said. "And a lot of that credit goes to track. It gave me little more pop in my step, a little more energy."

Murphy agrees.

"I thought he had a better physical presence," Murphy said. "He looked stronger and had better strength on the ball this year. He also has great speed and when I talk to college coaches they realize in a one-on-one situation, Henry's not only a great dodger, but a great feeder, too."

There has been some Division I interest, but Hunt said Division III schools offer him the best fit academically and athletically. A recipient of the Shoreline Conference Scholar-Athlete award and an honor student, Hunt lists Hamilton, Union, Washington & Lee and Williams among his top choices.

c.banning@theday.com

Twitter:@ChuckBanning1

The Day's 2015 All-Area Boys' Lacrosse Team

Player of the Year - Henry Hunt (Old Lyme) 

Attack - Erik Aarsand (East Lyme), Tyler Grills (Stonington), Ryan Rueling (Fitch)

Midfield - Jack Riordan (Stonington), Nick Schultz (Ledyard), Zane Smallidge (East Lyme)

Long-stick midfield - Ben Volk (Stonington)

Defensive midfield - Spencer Sgandurra (Waterford)

Defense - Jake Giannelli (NFA), Brendan Sinko (East Lyme), Josh Turkowski (Old Lyme) 

Goalie - Taylor Huta (Waterford)

Utility - Jack Fader (Williams), Matt Pagan (East Lyme)