Illpolo

Complete Thursday Update (News, Previews, and Recaps)

By Aaron Brown

March 11, 2010

THURSDAY GAME RECAPS

BOYS

Schaumburg 19 Prospect 7

Justin Chen and Randy Carr each scored 4 goals, while Ben Epperly and Brandon Kase (7 assists) both totaled 3 scores as the Saxons defeated Prospect 19-7 on Thursday evening. Mike McPartlin scored 4 times in the loss for the Knights.

GIRLS

Fremd 13 Buffalo Grove 3

Erika Lauraitis scored 5 goals, Sam Del Prado added 3 scores, and goalie Julie Conrath recorded 11 saves as Fremd knocked off Buffalo Grove 13-3 on Thursday night. Emily McCarthy, Emily Orlowski, Jessica Xenakis, Sam Kirby, and Sam Matuszewski each chipped in with a goal apiece in the win for the Vikings, who improved to 2-0 on the season. Angela Rodriguez, Julie Pates, and Nicki Delanie each put in a goal in the loss for BG.

THURSDAY GAME PREVIEWS

The first week of water polo competition is nearing the weekend, but before tournament play begins, there are several key matchups scheduled for Thursday night. The Mid-Suburban League Conference begins play with a full slate of cross-conference matchups on both the boys' and the girls' side (10 games total), while several other teams are in action on the night, including #1 Oak Park hosting #19 Waubonsie Valley (boys).

Tonight's key fixtures:

BOYS

Meadows at Barrington - Both teams are seeking their first victory of the season on Thursday night, as the Broncos lost to Neuqua and Meadows fell to STC East earlier in the week.

Prospect at Schaumburg - The Pirates and Saxons are both optimistic about their respective seasons as they meet up for their season-opener on Thursday.

#19 Waubonsie at #1 Oak Park - The top-ranked Huskies were impressive in a 17-10 win over #5 Lyons and will look to carry that momentum against #19 Waubonsie Valley, who play on the road in their season-opening game.

#5 Lyons at Hinsdale South - The Lions look to make it two straight wins as they travel to West Suburban Conference foe Hinsdale South.

#6 Latin at St Rita - The Romans look to improve to 2-0 after an early-season win over Young as they head to St Rita (0-1) in nonconference play.

GIRLS

#7 Fremd at Buffalo Grove - The Vikings played well on the road in a win over St Viator on Wednesday and will need more of the same as they head to Buffalo Grove on Thursday.

Palatine at #25 Hersey - The Pirates and Huskies both get their season started with a cross-conference matchup in Arlington Heights.

Conant at #21 Wheeling - Both teams were impressive in wins on Tuesday night, but only one team will remain undefeated when the Cougars travel to play #21 Wheeling.

#20 Bremen at #8 Homewood-Flossmoor - Bremen has already beaten one Top 20 team in the first week and will look to do the same against #8 Homewood-Flossmoor, who also started off the season with a win on Wednesday.

#10 Young at Northside - The Dolphins seek their second straight Chicago Public League win against Northside (1-2).

#19 Oak Park at Waubonsie - The Huskies will look to bounce back after a tough loss to #4 Lyons, while Waubonsie Valley will look to come out strong in its' home-opener on Thursday evening.

Complete Wednesday Update (News, Previews, and Recaps)

By Aaron Brown

March 10, 2010

WEDNESDAY GAME RECAPS

BOYS

New Trier 16 Riverside-Brookfield 4

Matt McClone tallied 4 scores, James Bartels added 3 goals, and Mike Maley scored 2 times as New Trier defeated Riverside-Brookfield 16-4. Trevians' goalie Sam Buchman earned a first-half shutout before being replaced early in the second half.

Morgan Park 16 Gage Park 9

Zach Wenner scored 5 goals and Richard Leigh tacked on 3 scores in Morgan Park's first win of the season, a 16-9 decision over Gage Park.

St Viator 20 Fremd 13

Eric Primdahl had 7 goals and Peter Cleary added 5 scores to help lift St Viator past Fremd 20-13 on Wednesday evening. Justin Imhoff and Ryan Boyer also scored 2 goals apiece in the win for the Lions. Phil Schoeder and Zach Zambelli each scored 6 times in the loss for the Vikings.

Richards 10 Lincoln-Way West 9

Marty Uzzardo recorded 5 goals to lead Richards to a 10-9 victory over Lincoln-Way West. Ray Zulanas led West with 6 goals in the team's first-ever game.

Curie 13 Juarez 2

Eduardo Chavez scored 6 goals and Ramiro Almarez added 4 scores in a 13-2 win over Juarez.

Lyons 14 Hinsdale Central 4

David Sekula recorded 4 goals, Kovas Zygas added 3 scores, and Andrew Brown stopped 14 shots to help lift the Lions past Hinsdale Central 14-4 on Wednesday evening.

GIRLS

Homewood-Flossmoor 18 Richards 3

Rebecca Matthews totaled 6 goals, Hannah Ongman and Michelle Mayer each scored 4 times, and Maya Holst added 3 goals as the Vikings moved to 2-0 on the season with an 18-3 victory over Richards. Lisa Gorski scored 2 goals in the loss for the Bulldogs.

Naperville Central 16 Andrew 4

Emily Sejna led the Redhawks with 4 scores and goalie Sam Virella recorde 14 saves as Naperville Central improved to 2-0 with a 16-4 victory over Andrew. Abbey Kerth, Claire Fleming, Claire Wirtz, Tori Davis, and Vanessa Lin each added 2 goals apiece in the win for NC. Amanda Kuchan led Andrew with 3 scores in the losing effort on Wednesday night.

Fremd 16 St Viator 7

Erika Lauraitis slammed home 10 goals and Samantha Del Prado added 4 scores to lead the Vikings to a season-opening win over St Viator 16-7. Lauren Zambelli and Megan Kennedy each chipped in with a goal for the victors.

Stevenson 7 Latin 3

Karen Lowry led the way for the Patriots with 5 goals in a 7-3 win over Latin. Cheyenne Montijo added the other 2 goals and also contributed 3 assists in the victory, while Stevenson goalie Claire Moschovas made 11 saves in the win. Brittany Wallace scored 3 times and goalie Chloe Kaulas stopped 10 shots for the Romans in the losing effort.

Mother McAuley 14 Marian 3

Yuri Chavez tallied 5 goals to lead the Macs to a 14-3 win over Marian in Catholic League play. Adriana Izquierdo, Jackie Knightly, and Vicky Arcinieaga also scored 2 times in the victory.

Curie 19 Juarez 0

Nancy Patron led Curie with 5 goals in a 19-0 shutout over Juarez on Wednesday night.

WEDNESDAY GAME PREVIEWS

Several teams get their seasons underway on Wednesday night. In boys' action, #5 Lyons looks to bounce back against West Suburban Conference foe Hinsdale Central after the Lions fell to top-ranked Oak Park on Tuesday 17-10. On the girls' side, #9 Stevenson plays host to #12 Latin in an early-season showdown between nonconference opponents.

Tonight's key fixtures:

BOYS

#17 St Patrick at DeLaSalle - The Shamrocks look for their second straight Catholic League win against DeLaSalle.

Fremd at St Viator - This nonconference fixture should provide a solid early season test for both teams.

Hinsdale Central at #5 Lyons - As mentioned earlier, the Lions will look to bounce back from a loss to Oak Park against Martin Bell's Red Devils' squad, who are coming off a season-opening win over Morton.

Northside at #12 St Ignatius - The Wolfpack seek their second win in three days against Northside, a team looking to respond after a day one loss to Lane.

GIRLS

#24 Andrew at #2 Naperville Central - The Redhawks face a stiff test from Mike Kuziel's Andrew squad in Naperville this evening.

Richards at #8 Homewood-Flossmoor - The Vikings get their season started at home against a Richards' team looking to avoid their second straight loss.

#3 St Ignatius at Northside - Both teams are seeking their second straight wins on Wednesday night after Ignatius beat St Viator on Monday and Northside toppled Maine East last night.

Schaumburg at Prospect - The Knights look to start their season with a bang against the Saxons (1-1), who are playing their third game of the week.

#7 Fremd at St Viator - The resurgent Lions will look to surprise Mid-Suburban League favorites Fremd in Arlington Heights on Wednesday evening.

Marian at #6 Mother McAuley - The Catholic League foes wrap up the first set of MCAC fixtures on Wednesday night.

#12 Latin at #9 Stevenson - Brittany Wallace and Co. head to Lincolnshire to give the Patriots their first test of the season.

Complete Tuesday Update (News, Previews, and Recaps)

By Aaron Brown

March 9, 2010

TUESDAY GAME RECAPS

BOYS

Homewood-Flossmoor 20 Hinsdale South 2

Russell Maanum totaled 7 goals and Shay Banton added 3 scores to lead Homewood-Flossmoor to a 22-2 victory over Hinsdale South. Alec Wojack, Alex Diorio, Caleb Peterson, and Luke Dobben also scored 2 goals apiece in the Vikings' first win of the season.

Neuqua Valley 20 Barrington 7

Mike Rooney scored 5 goals, David Lesniak and Jason Koberstine each added 4 scores, and Robert Vechiola tallied 3 scores as Neuqua defeated Barrington 20-7 on Tuesday evening. Mark Larson led the Broncos in the loss with 4 goals.

Hinsdale Central 13 Morton 7

Bill Jacob racked up 3 goals and both Luke Walker and Peter Flood added 2 scores apiece as Hinsdale Central defeated Morton 13-7.

Oak Park 17 Lyons 10

Eric Hallman scored 4 times, Luke O'Connell added 3 goals, and Armando Lee, Dylan O'Connell, and Troy Williams each tallied 2 scores as Oak Park opened the season with a 17-10 victory over Lyons. David Sekula tallied 4 goals and Michael Shapiro added 2 goals for the Lions in the losing effort.

Evanston 9 Stevenson 7

Matt Wich totaled 4 goals and Daniel Dunietz added 2 scores as Evanston held off Stevenson 9-7 on Tuesday night.

Deerfield/Highland Park 14 Vernon Hills 11

Notie Meyer erupted for 10 goals to help lead Deerfield/Highland Park past Vernon Hills 14-11. Paco Medina added 3 scores and Chris Falkenrath chipped in a goal in the win.

GIRLS

Wheeling 7 Glenbrook North 3

The Wildcats opened the season with a 7-3 nonconference win over Glenbrook North as Amy Wilson scored 5 times and Callie Schoenman and Emily Sullivan each tallied a goal in the victory.

Neuqua Valley 10 Schaumburg 4

Chelsea Pesesky and Shianne Gillespie each recorded 3 goals in the Wildcats' 10-4 victory over Schaumburg.

Northside 10 Maine East 5

Emma Battaglia and Kelly Buchanan both scored 3 goals and Stephanie Ullman added 2 scores to help lift Northside past Maine East 10-5 on Tuesday night. Goalie Cecile Franke also recorded 18 saves in the victory for the Mustangs. Natalia Bialecka scored 4 times in the loss for Maine East.

Naperville Central 14 Marian 2

Claire Fleming scored 5 times, Claire Wirtz and Robyn Stanley each added 2 scores, and goalie Sam Virella stopped 8 shots as the Redhawks started the season with a 14-2 win over Marian Catholic. Amy Martello and Carlee Weiser each tallied one goal apiece in the loss for Marian.

Hinsdale Central 8 Morton 3

Ellen Heenan, Holly Moran, and Lexi Gross each scored 2 times and goalie Kelsey White recorded 13 saves in the Red Devils' 8-3 win over Morton in the West Suburban Conference opener for both teams.

York 13 Naperville North 9

Stephanie Ter Bush scored 4 goals and Bridget Chadwick added 3 scores as York defeated Naperville North 13-9 on Tuesday evening.

Conant 13 Libertyville 2

Hannah Duke posted 6 goals and Jessica Southern, Kristi Burke, and Liz Ernst each contributed 2 scores in the Cougars' 13-2 victory over Libertyville.

Lyons 18 Oak Park 1

Katelyn Jacobs and Madelon Craig both scored 4 goals and Adriana Hoak, Allie Grimes, and Kirby Kaptur each contributed 3 scores as Lyons defeated rival Oak Park 18-1 on Tuesday night.

TUESDAY GAME PREVIEWS

The water polo season got underway on Monday night with a total of 28 games. Fenwick's boys' and girls' teams began their respective title defenses with solid wins over Loyola. #4 Brother Rice, #12 St Ignatius, and #17 St Patrick also earned Catholic League wins on the boys' side, while #3 St Ignatius' girls also grabbed a win over St Viator. Meanwhile, the Chicago Public League got off to a fortunate start as well, with #7 Curie, Juarez, Lane, and #18 Young getting wins on the boys' side and Curie, Lane, Lincoln Park, and #10 Young grabbing wins on the girls' side.

Tonight's key fixtures:

BOYS

#1 Oak Park at #5 Lyons - Oak Park plays its' first game as the top-ranked team in 2010 against West Suburban Conference rival Lyons

#6 Latin at #18 Young - Two intriguing teams square off in an early-season test in Chicago.

#21 Naperville North at #23 York - Two evenly matched teams looking to move into the Top 20 meet up in Elmhurst.

#24 Evanston at #8 Stevenson - Stevenson faces its' first test against an up-and-coming Evanston squad.

GIRLS

Marian Catholic at #2 Naperville Central - The Redhawks face their first test at home against Catholic League member Marian Catholic.

#4 Lyons at #19 Oak Park - The two West Suburban Conference powers do battle in Oak Park to get their respective season's started.

#22 York at #23 Naperville North - The Dukes open their season with a tough non-conference matchup at Naperville North's new pool.

Opening Night Game Recaps

By Aaron Brown

March 8, 2010

BOYS

Fenwick 10 Loyola 4

Matt Farmer and John Osborne both recorded 3 goals, Will Rigali scored 2 times, and Dan Francisco made 12 saves to lead #3 Fenwick to a 10-4 victory over #13 Loyola on Monday night. Charlie Dowdle scored 2 times for the Ramblers, while Frank Toops and Connery Brennan each added a goal in the loss.

St Ignatius 22 St Viator 12

Brendan Moore recorded 8 goals and Giuliano Wrobel, Kevin Barth, and Mark Alvarado each scored 3 times for the Wolfpack in a 22-12 win over St Viator. Ignatius' goalie Mike Fratto stopped 12 shots in the victory. Eric Primdahl led the Lions' attack with 7 goals and Peter Cleary added 2 scores in the loss. St Viator trailed 8-7 late in the second period before St Ignatius put the game away with an 11-0 run.

Brother Rice 16 Mt Carmel 3

Sophomore Mike Mulcrone tallied 5 goals and Matt Stelnicki added 3 scores to help lift the Crusaders to an opening-night victory over Mt Carmel 16-3 in Catholic League play.

Lane 16 Northside 9

Eryk Puczek scored 7 goals and added 5 steals, while Aaron Ruiz and Ricardo Quezada each added 4 goals to lead Lane to a 16-9 victory over Northside in Chicago Public League action on Monday.

Curie 19 Morgan Park 6

Ramiro Almarez scored 5 times and Eduardo Chavez added 4 scores to lead the Condors to a 19-6 win over Morgan Park. Richard Leigh scored 3 goals in the loss for Morgan Park.

Lincoln-Way Central 17 Bremen 5

Petar Jackovich registered 7 goals in Lincoln-Way Central's 17-5 victory over Bremen. Murphy Hebbard also scored 3 times in the win for the Knights, while Jacob Bernard and Jeff Hipp each recorded 2 goals.

McHenry 8 Conant 4

Reilly Shanahan scored 7 goals to lead McHenry past Conant 8-4 on Monday night in nonconference action.

Juarez 20 Lincoln Park 12

Josue Hernandez scored 8 times and Antonio Reyes added 6 goals as Juarez started the season with a 20-12 victory over Lincoln Park.

Naperville Central 21 Lincoln-Way East 3

Ryan Stanley scored 5 goals, Kyle Rickert added 4 scores, and Mark Menis tallied 3 goals in Naperville Central's season-opening 21-3 victory over Lincoln-Way East. Pat Stablein also recorded 13 saves in the win for the Redhawks.

Lincoln-Way North 21 Richards 6

Kyler VanSwol led the way for LWN with 4 goals, while Jake Roberts and Nick Roberts each contributed 3 scores in the win for the Phoenix.

GIRLS

Fenwick 9 Loyola 7

Stephanie Ovalle scored all 5 first-half goals and finished with 6 total scores for the top-ranked Friars, who went on to beat #5 Loyola 9-7 in the Catholic League opener for both teams. Maggie Carey and Molly Loeffler also tallied goals for Fenwick in the victory. Ashley Letrich scored 3 goals and Caitlin Sershon added 2 scores in the loss for the Ramblers.

Lincoln-Way North 10 Richards 8

Janna Tasic totaled 5 goals to lead Lincoln-Way North past Richards 10-8 on Monday evening. North's goalie Jess Beringer recorded 9 saves in the win.

Young 9 Mather 0

Shay Bell recorded a shutout and eight different players tallied goals for the Dolphins in a 9-0 win over Mather in the CPS matchup on Monday.

Lane 11 Northside 4

Ana Chavez and Cassidy O'Connell each scored 4 times in Lane's 12-4 victory over Northside.

R-B 9 Morton 5

Lori Clarke tallied 3 goals and both Alex Krug and Erin O'Connor scored 2 times as the Bulldogs knocked off Morton 9-5. Natalie Benoy made 10 saves and added 5 steals in the win for R-B.

Bremen 18 Lincoln-Way Central 5

Catherine Vivado and Emma Martinus each scored 6 times to lead Bremen to an 18-5 victory over Lincoln-Way Central on Monday night. Danijela Jackovich and Jess Graf both tallied 2 scores for the Knights in the losing effort.

Evanston 14 Maine East 5

Ellis O'Connor and Rosy Capron both scored 5 goals to lead the Wildkits to a 14-5 win over Maine East on Monday.

Loyola-Fenwick Matchups Highlight Opening Day Of The High School Water Polo Competition Season

By Aaron Brown

March 7, 2010

23 games are scheduled for the first day of the high school water polo competition season on Monday afternoon. The first swim-off of the season takes place at St Charles North, as the North Stars' girls team takes on Schaumburg at 4:30pm in a non-conference game. The rest of the action begins at 5:00pm, with key matchups on the night including a girls' game between #17 Lincoln-Way Central and #20 Bremen, a boys' fixture between #9 McHenry and Conant, and a girls' Public League battle between Northside and Lane.

The biggest games of the night take place in the Catholic League, which opens conference play on the opening night of the 2010 season. On the boys' side, #3 Fenwick faces an early-season test from #13 Loyola. The Friars begin the defense of their state title at home at 5:30pm.

The girls teams play immediately afterwards at 6:30pm, as #1 Fenwick also begins their title defense against last year's fourth-place team, #5 Loyola.

Chicago Public League Schools To Participate in 2010

By Aaron Brown

March 7, 2010

A decision was made last week by the Chicago Public School system to cut the sport of water polo from their budget, effective immediately. Full details about the cuts can be found by reading this article from the Southtown Star.

An off-the record source informed us last Wednesday that this decision basically meant that coaches were not going to be paid any salaries for the upcoming season, but that most coaches were considering continuing as volunteers in order to keep their seasons alive. A meeting was held last Thursday to determine if it would still be possible to continue the season as scheduled, and it was determined that the Chicago Public School teams will participate in water polo for the 2010 season. Salary details and other information is not available at this time.

No further decision has been made for the 2011 season.

Illpolo.com 2010 Preseason Update #4

By Aaron Brown

March 2, 2010

Tuesday notes:

Still working on team previews...should be done by the end of the week
A few additions/changes have been made to the All-Illpolo Teams (due to gaining more information about the upcoming season and returning players)
To get the latest information and alerts, sign up to be a fan of Illpolo.com on Facebook...I plan to post major site updates as soon as they happen this way
Send any information/team updates/player updates to illpolo2010@gmail.com; the more information we have, the better!
6 more days until the first games of the season!!! Almost all games have been updated on the site, with Monday's games also listed on the Live Scoreboard page

Illpolo.com 2010 Preseason Update #3

By Aaron Brown

March 1, 2010

Rankings for the 2010 season have been posted on the site. This year's Top 25 was extremely difficult to determine, so expect a lot of changes once the season gets underway and we know a lot more about the teams.

The 2010 All-Illpolo Teams have also been posted. Keep one thing in mind as you review the latest information on Illpolo.com:

There is generally a lack of information available when trying to determine who has graduated, who is returning, and anything else that has happened over the past year between seasons (injuries, transfers, etc.). As a result, there may be some individuals who will feel overlooked or perhaps someone has been mentioned who has decided not to play for a variety of reasons. If you would like to make comments or ask questions, please feel free to do so at illpolo2010@gmail.com. And keep in mind...the entire purpose of the site is to try and reward as many young athletes as possible, so any information you can provide is always helpful.

Coming soon: 2010 Team Previews

Illpolo.com 2010 Preseason Update #2

By Aaron Brown

February 24, 2010

To all coaches...if you are interested in promoting your teams and getting your players some early season recognition, please send any team previews, press releases, or other information to illpolo2010@gmail.com. I am in the process of completing team previews and making All-Illpolo Team selections and would like to hear from you. Important information to send could include top returning players, potential starting lineups, and any other players to watch throughout the season. I have a lot of information already, but it's always preferable to make sure my information is correct regarding things such as players not returning due to early graduation, injury, or any other reason.

Further, to all coaches, parents, players, and fans...the goal of the Illpolo.com web site is to both promote the sport and provide as much recognition as possible to the athletes participating in our great sport. Please feel free to contact us at the site with any information or questions, as the more details we can provide, the better.

Illpolo.com 2010 Preseason Update #1

By Aaron Brown

February 17, 2010

With the season just a few weeks from getting started, here are a few Illpolo.com updates for those who have been wondering about the status of the site:

2010 RETURN

We’ll be back in 2010 for our eighth season of covering the sport. Currently, we are in the process of getting everything in working order, with a March 1 date set for rolling out all of the updated site information. This will include rankings, All-Illpolo Teams, game schedules, and other information. Check back at that time for the latest information.

NEW EMAIL

The new contact for the site is illpolo2010@gmail.com – that information will be located on the updated version of the site on March 1, so please use that to send information as soon as possible.

DONATIONS

More than ever, donations are essential to keeping the site running. Please read the note at the bottom of the page if you are willing to help make this season a great success.

FACEBOOK

The site will have a Facebook page that will be used from time to time. Not sure how much or how it will be implemented, but we’ll see how that goes once the season gets started. The main purpose of Facebook will be to provide a backup source of information in case there are any problems with the main site (which happens maybe 1-2 times per season). In the meantime, click on the link on the right side of the main page to become a fan of Illpolo.com on Facebook.

HELP!

With a large number of players graduating, we are in need of anyone (players, parents, coaches, fans) who can provide the site with fresh information throughout the season. A big part of the site has been providing as much information about games and player performances as possible, and we cannot do that without your help. Please send e-mails if you wish to help or contact us at anytime during the season with updated information. A general rule is that if you don’t see something (game score, game recap, et al.) on the site, we probably don’t have that information.

Donations Needed To Support Illpolo.com

By Aaron Brown

February 17, 2010

PLAINFIELD, IL – I need your help! My mission is to ensure that the sport gets the proper coverage that these boys and girls deserve, starting with this web site and hopefully moving towards the newspapers. I will do everything I can to make this happen, but if I could get some assistance I would be greatly appreciative.

I don't know how long I can keep this pace up...the cost of web hosting, wireless Internet, domains, travel expenses, gas, and the time spent volunteering can be very difficult when all is said and done. To make a donation, have an advertisement placed on the site, or to become a sponsor, either click the PayPal link or read the following contact information:

Any donations can be made to No Limit Water Polo, which is a not-for-profit organization. If you are interested in helping out or have questions, you can contact me by e-mail at illpolo2010@yahoo.com, by phone at (847) 331-6520, or by sending mail to:

Illpolo.com

21343 Earhart Court

Plainfield, IL 60544

Click the link to donate via credit card or PayPal