Falconer's 5 goals help Mundelein take county water polo title

As a sophomore playing water polo, the idea of trying backhand shot was foreign to Mundelein's Pat Falconer.

"Our team loved that shot, but I never got it," he said. "It felt awkward so I worked on it over the summer. Now, it's instinctive."

Falconer, now a junior, poured in 2 backhanded shots Saturday to lead visiting Mundelein to a 15-7 victory over host Barrington in the championship of the Lake County Tournament.

Falconer finished with 5 goals and had plenty of help from teammates Will Davidson (3 goals) and Pat Helliwell (3 goals). Mike Begrowicz and Frank Lukacs each scored twice.

The score was tied 1-1 after one quarter, but the Mustangs dominated the second quarter and led 7-2 at halftime.

"We lost a step, and every time they had a shot it went in," Barrington coach Adam Steffen said.

Mundelein coach Rahul Sethna likes the way his team responds to in-game adjustments.

"They listen well and are good at following the game plan," he said. "They recognized when (Barrington) was dropping off and we had some easy shots."

In addition to a pair of goals, Begrowicz had 4 assists.

"His improvement from last year to this season is incredible," Sethna said.

Mundelein went 4-0 in the tournament and ran its record to 10-1. This is the second consecutive year and fourth time in five seasons that the Mustangs captured the Lake County tourney title.

Barrington (9-2) finished the tournament with a 3-1 record. This was the first time they played for the Lake County tournament championship.

For Barrington, Mike Byron had a team-high 3 goals. David Poetz and Mike Reindl tallied twice apiece.

The highlight of the tournament for the Broncos was their 9-6 decision over Stevenson on Friday. It was the first time they topped the Patriots.

"We saw coach throwing a fist pump and we were all excited," Byron said.

Steffen came away from the tournament excited about what the rest of the season will bring.

"This is the best Barrington polo team I've seen," he said. "In the past, we had swimmers who play polo. This year, we have polo players."