Scouting the Mid-Suburban League championship game
Boys water polo / Mid-Suburban League championship game
Who: Buffalo Grove (17-7) at Fremd (22-6)
When: 6 p.m. Wednesday
How they got here: Fremd showed a knack for winning close games on the way to a perfect 10-0 run through its Mid-Suburban West opponents under first-year boys coach Brian Newby. He’s no stranger to MSL title games, having led the Fremd girls team to four straight before taking over the boys program this season. Buffalo Grove and Wheeling ended up tied with 9-1 records in the East, but the Bison advanced on a tiebreaker of having allowed fewer goals. BG most recently played for a league title under coach Scott Kopecky in 2010, at Palatine.
Fremd update: Newby is thrilled with how the season has gone — so far. He credits the Vikings’ success to solid defense and a balanced offensive approach. “I can’t pinpoint it to just one guy,” said Newby, “but I would say that this group of guys work great with each other, and that is what has given them their success.” Andre Degla, Ryan Helsdingen, JP French and Dan Knudsen, along with goalie Max Plichta, were the main returning players from last year’s team, and their experience and skill has been key. Newby cites defensive standouts Austin Smock, Dillon Heinlein, Luke Strak and Josh Ostman, as well as great bench contributions from Matt Zambelli, Matt Emerson and Connor Helsdingen. “I would say they have learned this year that the game is 28 minutes long, and that they have to play from beginning to end to be successful.”
Buffalo Grove update: The Bison have only added to their reputation as one of the area’s better water polo programs this season. Michigan State-bound senior Ian Rodriguez is finishing his impressive high school sports career with a bang, scoring in bunches regularly, and against top competition. With Rodriguez alongside standouts Jon Mass and Justin MacIsaac, BG has a trio of all-conference players that can cause real problems for foes. “Ian and Jon have been a huge part of our defensive game as well,” said coach Scott Kopecky. “Ian leads the teams in steals and goals, so I think that shows the type of player he is. Justin has stepped it up as well, on both sides of the ball and has been a strong leader on the team.” The development of Ryan Chlopowicz and goalie Trevor Boburka also helped BG develop the defensive posture that ended up coming in handy in breaking its tie with Wheeling in the East. No team allowed fewer goals in MSL play than BG. “We need to play well on Wednesday,” Kopecky said. “We need to pass well, shoot well and swim fast. We have the talent and the skill to win — we just need to step up and get it done in an important game.”
— Aaron Gabriel