Girls water polo: Conant hangs on against Prospect, wins MSL title

A zen approach, in water polo?

Unusual to say the least with this visceral, rugged sport.

But it worked on Wednesday for Conant girls water polo coach Justin Bickus and his team.

"Actually, I'm a little bit surprised we won," he said after the host Cougars held off Prospect 5-4 for the Mid-Suburban League championship. "In any case, in our preparation we really weren't talking about winning or losing - the focus was just on how we were going to play."

In a matchup of two defensively stellar teams, Conant's relaxed and effective start might have ended up being the difference.

Sophomore Olivia Olszewski converted a drive from the wing midway through the first quarter for the game's first goal. Another Cougars lefty, senior Paulina Chowaniec, followed suit late in the period to give Conant a 2-0 lead.

When Nia Tsoulos scored on a man-up advantage in the second quarter, the Cougars had stretched the lead to 3.

And then Prospect senior Gracie Dix's presence began to take a toll.

First, she got the Knights' first goal on a nice 2-meter finish. About a minute later, she drew an ejection which led to a score for senior teammate Mallory Malone.

After a goal from Conant's Aly Wooley, Dix answered by following a missed lob attempt and stuffing it in the goal as Prospect headed to halftime trailing 4-3.

"She is a such a pleasure to coach," said Prospect coach Natalie Tucker of Dix, who plans to play at Carthage College next year. "She's got a great attitude, plays hard, good listener - and she absolutely loves the sport."

After a scoreless third quarter, Wooley came up with the final Conant goal by following a missed shot with 4:57 left. That 2-goal edge proved to be important as Dix and Co. rallied fiercely.

Dix found a teammate on a drive in front of the goal, which drew a penalty shot. Dix finished that chance, making it 5-4 Conant.

The Knights had one final possession and ran a play for Dix - which came within inches of leading to a goal. But Cougars goalie Cam Rosas and the defense denied that last chance, and Conant was able to claim its second MSL crown in the past three seasons.

Both Rosas and Prospect goalie Mary Clare McAleer had a big hand in keeping the scoring to a minimum with athletic saves.

Rosas has played against Dix enough to know that it's vital to identify her location at all times.

"Prospect is a great team, great players everywhere," Rosas said. "But yeah, you have to keep an eye out for 21 (Dix) and 13 (Colleen Doyle) at all times. They're really dangerous."

The outcome was certainly a disappointment for Prospect (20-6), which was making its second straight MSL title game appearance. But the Knights can take some solace that they may soon get another chance at Conant.

In next week's Hoffman Estates sectional, Conant is the No. 1 seed and Prospect is the No. 2 - meaning a rematch, with a trip to the state tournament hanging in the balance, is a distinct possibility.

"We're disappointed, but I think we played great," Dix said. "Our motto lately has been, 'Full Steam Ahead' - and I think we lived up to that. I'm proud of what we've been able to do."

Megan Pfeiffer, a Prospect co-captain with Dix, thinks team togetherness will help the Knights rebound from the setback and prepare for the sectional.

"I've never been on a team like this, where there's such a high level of trust," Pfeiffer said. "We've all got each other's back - and the team has everyone's back."

For Conant (17-8), the game marked further evidence that progress is being made. There was the usual terrific defense - Rosas stopped 11 shots, while Chowaniec had 5 steals and Tsoulos and Olivia Konieczny had 4 apiece.

But the Cougars also made good use of their offensive chances in this one, and that trend might make them tough to be beat in the days ahead.

"Early in the season, we had some trouble scoring at times," said Rosas. "I don't see that anymore. We have so many options, and I think we all feel really confident in ourselves right now."

All-conference selections

Barrington: Andrea Potgieter (Sr.), Nicole Runtz (Sr.), Heidi Pallan (Sr.).

Buffalo Grove: Dasha Yermol (Jr.)

Conant: Paulina Chowaniec (Sr.), Lea Cejvan (Sr.), Cam Rosas (Sr.)

Elk Grove: Hannah Sallenback (Sr.)

Fremd: Emily Kini (Sr.)

Hersey: Katie Lindren (Jr.), Madison Burkhalter (Sr.)

Hoffman Estates: Abigail Fuscone (Soph.)

Palatine: Meghan Woell (Sr.)

Prospect: Megan Pfeiffer (Sr.), Gracie Dix (Sr.), Mary Clare McAleer (Sr.), Colleen Doyle (Jr.)

Rolling Meadows: Betsy Zanocco (Sr.)

Schaumburg: Brianna Vasquez (Sr.), Hannah Pearson (Sr.)

Wheeling: Talia Kahn (Sr.)