The gap narrows, but Naperville Central wins

Naperville North's boys water polo team made great strides against its greatest rival.

Not quite enough, however, to top host Naperville Central, which won the crosstown grudge match 11-9 on Tuesday.

Tied 7-7 on a goal by Naperville North senior Chris Popiolek with 3:07 left to play, the Redhawks countered with 4 goals in less than two minutes.

Three straight turnovers and an interference aided goals by Naperville Central's Brad Sanford, Dominic May, Bender Russo and Matt Reagan to create the edge.

"Our defense really stepped up late in the game," said Naperville Central coach Bill Salentine, whose Redhawks (9-1) previously beat Naperville North 15-5 on March 11. The Redhawks are No. 2 in Daily Herald boys water polo rankings, Naperville North (7-3) entering No. 3.

"Out on the perimeter, Bender Russo and Dominic May, they've got long arms, they're in great positions to make steals, create turnovers and go the other way. So those two guys really turned our defense into offense," Salentine said.

Naperville Central lacked starting goalkeeper Kent Emden due to an upper-body injury. In at deep-end keeper was senior Nolan Vaughn with freshman Spencer Roehle alternating periods in the shallow end.

"During practice he's that one guy that's never scared to get to get hit in the face and he always hops in goal," Russo said of Vaughn. "We always joke around that one day we'll need him, and he came in clutch today."

Down 1-0 after one quarter, Naperville North rallied from a 6-3 deficit at 5:02 of the third quarter.

"I think it was a close game throughout," said Naperville North coach Martin Bell. "It was a goal here or there. In the fourth quarter I think that the Redhawks just came out fired up and looking to win the game. Unfortunately, the Huskies, we couldn't put a string together."

Cole Jacobs led Naperville North with 4 goals, JonJon Pettinger added 3 and both Nick Zillier and Popiolek scored 1. Naperville Central got 3 from Luke Klein Collins, 2 apiece from May, Reagan and Sanford and a single Lucas Nervig goal.

Huskies goalie Brandon Morrow thought a 2-goal spread sure beat that 10-goal margin earlier this month.

"Coming back 11-9, that's a huge win for us," said Morrow, who made 8 saves. "It may not say a win on the score wsheet or the scoreboard but we really came out and I think we shocked some people. That's as close to a win as we can get at this moment."