Water polo: Mid-Suburban championships
Mid-Suburban League water polo
Boys championship
Prospect (15-6, 9-1) at Conant (24-4-1, 10-0), 6 p.m. today
Last year: Palatine defeated Rolling Meadows 16-7 for its fifth straight MSL title.
Tonight's matchup: With both programs clinching their first division titles last Thursday, either Prospect or Conant will hoist its first MSL championship plaque and take a celebratory swim tonight. The teams met at Conant in the season-opening crossover on March 6 (Conant won 14-4), but both squads have sharpened their games in the past eight weeks. In just their second season since the Wheeling/Prospect co-op split, the Knights (7-14 in '07) are really starting to jell. Prospect is led in scoring by senior Sean Hansen (67 goals; 96 last year), but Conant will have to find a way to neutralize Charlie Mau (game-winner in the 6-5 division-clinching win against Meadows), Tim O'Grady, Joe Stelnicki and Andrew Bowman. Not to mention a rock-solid goalie in senior Brian Forrest. Winning a second consecutive sectional championship next Saturday is definitely on the Cougars' list of to-dos, but they were aiming for a conference title before the season started. After losing 7-6 to Lindbergh (St. Louis) at the Midwest Classic on March 29 at Schaumburg, Conant won 15 in row, capped by Monday's 11-9 victory at St. Viator. Prospect can't just focus on last season's all-state selection Mike Varga, because with seniors Chris Emery, Mike McGuire, Blaine Grzegorek and Yuki Morita, and junior John Hansen, the Cougars' shots could come from any angle at any time.
What they're saying
"We've gotten other people to shoot this year (other than Hansen). We're not just a one-trick pony." -- Prospect coach Dan Gentry
"There was talk all week about the different scenarios if we tie (with Schaumburg in the MSL West). But I told the guys, 'All that doesn't matter if we win on Thursday. There'll be no discussion.'" -- Conant coach Erik Hauser
Girls championship
Prospect (19-4-1, 10-0) at Fremd (21-1, 10-0), 6 p.m. Thursday
Last year: Barrington defeated Prospect 8-5 for its second MSL title in three years.
Thursday's matchup: Surprised to see the Knights back in the MSL title game? Well, so is their coach. Dick Mortensen's squad lost nearly 80 percent of its scoring from last season, but once again, finds itself 28 minutes from a conference championship. Unlike last season when Prospect got a first-hand look at eventual MSL champ Barrington during the regular season, the new home-and-away scheduling prevented the Knights from meeting this season's championship game opponent. Last Thursday's trip to Fremd to scout the Vikings against Barrington will have to suffice. Don't expect the young Knights to be overwhelmed by the big stage as they trailed Buffalo Grove and Hersey heading into the fourth quarter and pulled out both matches -- defeating BG 7-6 and clinching the East with a 12-11 victory against the Huskies. The combination of K.C. Dix, Meg Dix, Sarah Sohn, Michelle Schueler and Molly Nordyke has more than made up for the scoring deficit Prospect faced heading into the season -- the Knights blew past last season's scoring output (182 goals) two weeks ago. And with junior Giovannina Penze one of the top goalies in conference, it's tough to find a weak link in the Knights' chain. But the same could be said of the Vikings, who are making their first MSL title game appearance since they lost to the Wheeling/Prospect co-op 8-3 in 2004. Not only is Fremd riding a 20-match winning streak (lost to Loyola 12-7 on March 8), the Vikings' 13-4 West-clinching victory over the Fillies last week capped a remarkable MSL run where they outscored their 12 opponents by a nearly 3-to-1 ratio (179-61). Fremd boasts only three seniors, but is as balanced and unselfish as any team you'll see this year. Erika Lauraitis is one of the top sophomores in the state, and with Katie French, Krysti Ruiz, Danielle Chemello and Kristine Williams also taking aim, Prospect will need a supreme effort for the MSL crown to return to the East.
What they're saying
"They've learned to trust their teammates and look for more open shots. It's great. They try and spread the ball around and look for the best situation to score." -- Fremd coach Brian Newby
"I'm very surprised, but the girls are so driven." -- Prospect coach Dick Mortensen, of his team returning to the MSL title game
-- Matt Beardmore