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THE ILLPOLO REPORT

Week 6

The following is a summary of what took place during the most recent week in water polo action in Illinois. This is not a complete list; the purpose is to recognize several of the best performances from across the state that have been reported.

Players To Watch

BOYS

Nick Cogswell (Barrington)

Phil Vdovets (GBN)

GIRLS

Lauren Liberio (Naperville North)

Lilly Jensen (Maine West)

Biggest Impact Plays

BOYS

Jake Nelson (GBS)

Nelson scored the eventual game-winning goal in the final minutes of the Titans' 10-8 win over GBN on Wednesday.

Nick Cogswell (Barrington)

Cogswell's game-winner in the final minute gave the Broncos a 10-9 victory over Conant during Week 6.

Tyler VanGyseghem (STC East)

VanGyseghem tallied the game-winning goal with just eight seconds left in the Saints 11-10 win over Maine West early in the week.

GIRLS

Emily Morrison (Maine West)

Morrison scored in the last second of regulation as Maine West edged Vernon Hills 6-5 in the final game of the VH Tournament on Saturday.

Honore Collins (Evanston)

Collins' overtime goal sent the Wildkits past Maine East 5-4 on Tuesday night.

Kaela Codo (Naperville Central)

Codo's game-winning goal in the final period helped NC beat #3 Hudsonville (MI) 8-6 on Saturday morning.

Lauren Barrett/Maria Breen (New Trier)

Barrett drew a penalty and Breen converted the shot as the Trevians stunned Lyons 6-5 in four overtimes on Thursday.

Top Goalie Performances

BOYS

Davis Hianik (GBS)

Hianik stopped 41 shots as the Titans went 3-1 and finished in third place at the Naperville Tournament.

Sean McNicholas (Sandburg)

McNicholas made 59 saves to help Sandburg win their own tournament over the weekend. He also allowed one goal and made 16 blocks in a 9-1 final game victory over Andrew.

Shamus Shields (LWN)

Shields racked up 65 saves to help the Phoenix finish 2-2 at the Sandburg Tournament; he also allowed just two goals in the team's 2-1 loss to STC North in the event's third place game.

GIRLS

Anna Tamulonis (Andrew)

Tamulonis saved 36 shots and recorded a shutout to help the T-Bolts win the York Tournament with a 3-1 record.

Kim Butler (Palatine)

Butler stopped 49 shots and shutout Prospect 7-0 in the title game of the St Viator Tournament, helping the Pirates win the event for the first time in team history.

Maddy Demaret (Conant)

Demaret continued her stellar goalie work at the Vernon Hills Tournament, making 24 saves in three wins to help Conant win another tournament on Saturday.

Biggest Surprises

BOYS

Glenbrook North

The Spartans continue to rise after beating Maine South 8-5 on Thursday after nearly shocking GBS on Wednesday.

GIRLS

Andrew

The T-Bolts dealt Naperville North their first loss en route to winning the York Tournament with a 3-1 record. They also beat Sandburg 13-11 earlier in the week.

News and Notes

Sectional Seeds

The seeding and matchups for the sectional playoffs will be determined on Thursday, April 24.

Wall-to-Wall Water Polo

With three weeks left in the regular season, expect the daily and weekend schedules to rise to never-before-seen levels as the postseason approaches. For example, each night this week will feature 30+ games and the weekend shows twelve tournaments on the docket.

Super Ballers

BOYS

Sean McNicholas (Sandburg)

Zach Roper (Sandburg)

GIRLS

Anna Tamulonis (Andrew)

Megan Hofer (Andrew)