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THE ILLPOLO REPORT

Week 3

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

Alex Marlott (York)

Jason Schuler (St Patrick)

GIRLS

Erin Kay (Lincoln-Way Central)

Zoe Salafatinos (Neuqua Valley)

Biggest Impact Plays

BOYS

Alex Marlott (York)

Marlott scored the game-winning goal in overtime as York outlasted Morton 11-10 in a key WSC contest on Monday.

Eric Johnson (St Rita)

Johnson's overtime game-winner against Stagg helped the Mustangs claim the Niles West Tournament title.

Jack Sweeney (STC East)

Sweeney made the difference for the Saints as his overtime goal helped East stun rivals STC North 7-6 on Thursday.

James Philbrick (Mundelein)

Philbrick scored a breakaway goal in sudden-death overtime to send the Mustangs past St Ignatius 10-9 on Saturday.

Shane Hughes (St Ignatius)

Hughes scored with eight seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime and then nailed the game-winner in the fifth overtime as SICP outlasted Loyola 13-12 on Monday.

GIRLS

Amber Barney (H-F)

Barney netted the game-winner in the closing stages of the Vikings' 6-5 upset win over LWE on Tuesday.

Caroline Walsh (Lyons)

Walsh drilled the game-winning goal to beat Evanston in the title game of the Lyons Tournament on Saturday afternoon.

Diana Capota (GBS)

Capota scored the eventual game-winning goal to help the Titans claim a 9-8 victory over HP.

Mary Kress (Hinsdale Central)

Kress notched the game-winner in sudden death as the Red Devils defeated York 10-9 on Wednesday.

Top Goalie Performances

BOYS

Chris McMahon (St Rita)

McMahon made several key saves to keep his team ahead in three one-goal victories at the Niles West Tournament as the Mustangs won the event with a 4-0 record.

Matt Lefler (Niles West)

Lefler totaled 31 saves, 17 steals and a key goal in an 11-10 win over DLS in the third place game of the Wolves' tourney.

GIRLS

Erin Kay (LWC)

The Knights' goaltender won three games and allowed less than four goals per game at the LWE Tournament as her squad claimed the event's title on Saturday afternoon.

Jordin Hale (Oak Park)

Hale made 22 saves and allowed less than 3 goals per game as OPRF finished 3-0 in Michigan at the Saline Tournament.

Biggest Surprises

BOYS

St Rita

The Mustangs sent a strong message by winning the Niles West Tournament with wins over the hosts and Stagg over the weekend.

Stagg

The Chargers went to LaGrange and earned a 15-14 upset win over Lyons during Week 3.

GIRLS

Homewood-Flossmoor

The Vikings' upset last year's state tournament qualifiers 6-5 after Amber Barney's game-winner in the closing stages of the fourth quarter of the SWSC contest.

News and Notes

Sectional Hosts Announced

The IHSA announced the eight sectional hosts for the 2015 water polo playoffs. The sites can be found here.

News Item #2

The Cube's live coverage of the York Tournament garnered over 1,200 followers despite the fact that their technical difficulties only allowed for an audio broadcast. Still, the number of people that tuned in sent a clear message that water polo is not a sport to be slept on in Illinois. The event producer was highly interested in trying to do this sort of thing again. A win for water polo!

Sectional Assignments?

The IHSA will release the sectional assignments for the 2015 playoffs sometime between today and April 16. The date is never consistent but illpolo.com will be checking on a daily basis for these important assignments.

Super Ballers

BOYS

Chris McMahon/Eric Johnson Matt Lopez (St Rita)

GIRLS

Caroline Walsh (Lyons)