Donov, Quinn pace Hersey's victory at Vernon Hills

Take your pick: Kristiyan Donov or RJ Quinn.

Probably won't matter, as either guy can score on you.

On Thursday afternoon, it was Donov who led the offensive charge with 8 goals and Quinn finished with 4 during Hersey's 19-7 victory at Vernon Hills in boys nonconference water polo action.

The victory was the Huskies' first of the season after 5 competitive defeats to open the campaign.

"It's exciting to get that first win, and right before we go on spring break," said Huskies coach Dick Mortensen, whose team is young having graduated all six of its field players from a year ago. "We were able to play a lot of different combinations and (Kristiyan) Donov was just clicking today."

Senior Andrew Maggio got things going for Hersey with his tally in the first minute. Then senior Connor Stanley fed junior Brian Prior for a 2-0 lead with 3:07 left in the first.

Next it was time for Donov, who went crazy in scoring the final 4 goals of the period to give Hersey (1-5) a 6-0 advantage that would never be threatened.

"We moved the offense and spread the ball really well tonight, said Donov. "It's great that we have a lot of offensive weapons on our team. It keeps their goalies guessing."

And speaking of goalies, Mortensen said all-sectional keeper Sergey Smirnov adds much needed stability, and it sure looked like it Thursday.

Vernon Hills unloaded close to 30 shots on goal, with Smirnov collecting 14 saves when it was all said and done.

Trailing 3-0 in the first, Vernon Hills showed signs of life when senior utility player Daniel Greenberg rifled in a penalty shot passed the outstretched arms of Smirnov to ultimately make it 6-1 before Donov went off.

"We've been working on not being too crowded in the middle. We need to spread out more," said Vernon Hills coach Adam Lueken, whose club slipped to 0-3 and hosts a quadrangular meet today with Barrington, Lake Forest, and Highland Park.

"We definitely are young with some new players, which is nice. To see them learning and the knowledge of our seniors rubbing off is how we're going to build our program."

Hersey added 5 more goals in the second when Quinn got it going to the tune of a hat trick, while Donov and junior Danny Garza scored one apiece.

Despite trailing 7-1, the Cougars got more aggressive in the second when sophomore left wing Jackson Murrie ripped the ball away when Hersey was driving and promptly heaved a pass down to junior counter-attacker Jeffrey Zhang, who promptly found the back of the net.

Greenberg then scored his second goal in the period as the Cougars trailed 11-4 at halftime.

Hersey added some more insurance in the third by outscoring the hosts 6-3 to take a 17-7 lead after three quarters.

Donov picked up right where he left off in taking a breakaway off a steal all the way to the house to make it 12-4 to kick off the third. Donov scored twice more in the frame, while single goals were scored by Quinn, Stanley and freshman Jack Casey.

Vernon Hills received third-quarter goals from senior wing Konstintine Konovalov, junior attacker Declan Kelleher and senior driver Ron Levich, whose tip off of a beautiful feed from Jeffrey Zhang snuck past Smirnov.

DJ Meyers and Prior scored the fourth period goals for Hersey with the game well in hand.

Mortensen pulled Smirnov and sophomore Patrick Koutris did a terrific job in pitching a shutout in the fourth.