Palac's a net gain for Libertyville

In baseball, even the best hitters have to get used to failure on a consistent basis.

The same is true for goalkeepers in water polo.

Libertyville senior Jim Palac found that out in a hurry last year when he elected to play water polo for the first time.

In Palac's main sport, soccer, he can sometimes go a whole month allowing fewer goals than he does in one water polo match.

"At the start, I would get down on myself because I wasn't used to giving up all those goals," Palac said. "But I (started) to realize that's just the way the game is."

Coach Jeff Arce enjoyed watching Palac mature and learn under fire.

"He started to understand that his job isn't to stop every shot, because nobody does," Acre said. "In my entire coaching career, I've only seen a couple of shutouts. His job is basically to manage the entire game from the net, and halfway through the season he started to get comfortable with that."

Palac's athletic background helped him with the transition. In addition to soccer, he was a four-year member of the swim program. His swimming friends knew he was a talented goalkeeper in soccer, and they thought his skills could transition to the water.

"He's a gifted athlete, but he still picked it up so much quicker than we anticipated," senior Danny Lejeune said.

As a freshman and sophomore, Palac played volleyball. But most of his good friends were on the water polo team, and his older brother, Joe, had been a successful water polo goalkeeper for the Wildcats.

He decided to give it a try and he hasn't regretted his choice. He has developed into one of the Wildcats' leaders.

"I'm not one of those guys who yells at everybody, but I know the times when we're supposed to work and when we can have fun," he said.

Added Arce: "He works with the younger guys and his attitude is positive no matter what. He doesn't let things bother him. He can take a joke and give one out."

Palac has benefited mightily from a growth spurt over the last two years. When he received his driver's license, he was 6 foot, 150 pounds. Now, he checks in at 6-foot-4, 185 pounds.

"My arm span covers most of the goal," he said. "Unless I make a mistake, I can get to the corner shots. On fast breaks, I can see over the defense."

Palac is already playing at a more advanced level than he did last season.

"We can exploit more of a counterattack because his passing is a lot better," Arce said. He can get the ball down the pool quickly and accurately. He's also improved his treading ability and that will make him more dangerous."

Palac said he plans to make the most of his second and final season of high school water polo.

"I really feel comfortable this year," he said. "We've never beaten Mundelein or Stevenson, and our main goal is to get past them at sections. We really have high expectations for our team this year."

Boys water polo preview season preview

Players to watch: Mike Begrowicz (Mundelein, Jr.), John Blankenhorn, (Libertyville, Jr.), Jamie Clark (Stevenson, Sr.), Kevin Coughlin (Mundelein, Sr.), Pat Falconer (Mundelein, So.), Ali Khan (Stevenson, Jr.), T.J. Klink (Mundelein, Sr.), Denis Kuznetsov (Mundelein, Sr.), Danny Lejeune, (Libertyville, Sr.), Zach Leboza, (Libertyville, Jr.), Andre Lomsky (Stevenson, Sr.), Ricky Lukacs (Mundelein, Sr.), Sean Madden (Stevenson, Sr.), Reed McCann, (Libertyville, Sr.), Mike McClure (Mundelein, Jr.), Mike Mihel (Mundelein, Sr.), Cliff Nelson (Vernon Hills, Jr.), Jim Palac (Libertyville, Sr.), Brandon Palmer (Vernon Hills, Sr.), Zach Purol (Mundelein, Sr.), Mike Schock (Vernon Hills, Jr.), Greg Spigelman, (Stevenson Sr.), Dan Stiles (Vernon Hills, Jr.), Andrew Tillman (Libertyville, Jr.), Robert Wood (Vernon Hills, Sr.).

Outlook: Stevenson has a good chance to defend its conference title. Led by senior Greg Spigelman, the Patriots return six of seven starters. "He's one of the best players in the state," coach Sean Wimer said. Stevenson went to the state quarterfinals last year. "We should be pretty strong," Wimer said. "The (key) will be finding our identity." … Mundelein welcomes back five starters from an 18-13 team that lost to Stevenson in the sectional final. "We're looking to get back to the elite eight and beyond," coach Rahul Sethna said. Mundelein is hoping for a more consistent offense. "We have to become more of a scoring (team) to get to where we want to be." … Libertyville will have a new look this season. "In the past, we've usually been built on speed and counterattacks," coach Jeff Arce said. "This year, we have an element of speed but we have guys who can handle the ball. We can play out of a set offense." The Wildcats lost a pair of 1-goal games last season to perennial powers Stevenson and Mundelein. "Each year, we're narrowing the gap a little bit," Arce said. … Robert Wood will do a little bit of everything for Vernon Hills. "He's probably our strongest shooter," coach Patrick Costello said. "We can put him at any position and he'll do well." The Cougars need better communication in the water. "Our knowledge of the game is progressing, but sometimes we sit around and watch the ball," Costello said.

-- Bob Gosman