Scouting girls water polo

Two-time defending state champion Naperville North is looking for a three-peat this spring in girls water polo. The Huskies bring back several talented players to be among the teams in the mix for the state title.

The Huskies defeated Stevenson 9-5 in the state final last season, but the 2023 version is a revamped squad with the same goal.

Junior Kelsey Wessel, an elite All-American player, is the leading scorer from last season. Senior captains Caroline Pendlay and Avery Wright joins senior goalie Sofi Raquel to form the backbone of the team.

"We have a strong team with new upcoming freshmen," Naperville North coach Andrew McWhirter said. "Everyone is working hard to achieve the success of the last few years. Our team is different than in past year. We're working to find our voice and vision in the water in our upcoming games. The leadership from our captains will drive the team to new successful journeys this year."

Naperville Central coach Jeff Plackett has five returnees from last season's 24-win team which lost to Naperville North in a sectional final. Senior goalie Clare Shiffer headlines the team after tallying 279 saves. Senior Juliana Russo is one of the leaders on offense with 80 goals and 89 steals in 2022. Senior Allie Guccione, who had 24 goals, 28 assists and 44 steals last season, is another key returnee. Bethany Towers and Annika Patel are among the returnees, while Bernadette Albright, Reagan Fox and Sophia Hayes are top newcomers.

"We return significant more experience this season," Plackett said.

Looking to take another step this season after a solid showing in the playoffs, Buffalo Grove (9-19-1) has some promise for the future with two seniors leading a junior-strong team. Sophomore Emily Bielski is a player with a solid upside, along with Abigail Swanson and Gabriella Olbur.

"Our goals for the season are to continue to show growth and development and to be competitive withing the MSL," Buffalo Grove coach Michael McPartlin said.

Conant will benefit from the return of senior Jackie Windbiel, who scored 72 goals last season. Kayla Wong had 65 goals last season, while the defense is anchored by Danielle Akinosho (111 steals in 2022). The Cougars (22-7) are deep and talented, according to coach Justin Bickus.

"Our focus is on improvement and we want to be the best team we can be by the end of the season," he said. "We return a good mix of experience and talent, as well as girls who are stepping up to play varsity for the first time. The girls really took advantage of their offseason opportunities and have improved their skills. We have some great senior leadership and some absolute competitors on the team."

Hersey senior attacker Annika Lindberg and senior goalie Anastasia Smirnova are fueling high expectations for the Huskies. Lindberg, a four-year varsity starter who tallied 46 goals, 25 assists and 45 steals last season, is one of the top players in the state. Smirnova finished with 133 saves last season for a 13-3 record.

"We graduated 11 seniors from our Elite Eight team last season, but we're looking forward to another playoff run this year," Hersey coach Megan Brownley said. "A lot of the girls put in a lot of hours during the offseason and are ready for another great season."

Stevenson has a clear-cut goal this season: Win a state championship. After finishing with 33 victories and placing second in state, the Patriots are brimming with talent. Senior goalie Katie Delaney, a Michigan State recruit, is one of the top players in the Midwest. She headlines a strong team that includes Belle Cloeter, Becca Stone, Camila Maya, Sophia Berger, Elise Regalado, Emily Headley, Caroline Rutcosky and Jillian Carlson.

"Our success will depend on our defense transitioning into our offense," said Stevenson veteran coach Jeff Wimer, who will reach 750 wins for his career early this season. "We have to use our speed to our advantage. As a team, we have one goal and that's to play in the last game of the year for a state championship."

Fremd can rely on a trio of Sunny Batra, Jacklyn Bickler and Maya McMinn to help newcomers Reese Winegar and Elly Jo Fay adapt to the varsity. The Vikings were 17-11 last season.

"A strength of this team is the work ethic and competitive spirit that they display," Fremd coach Theresa Knowles said.

Hinsdale Central is another area team built around a solid core of senior captains, as Tessa Barber, Abby McMillin and Grace Van Houtte lead the team. The Red Devils, who compiled a 15-14 record last season, lost to Waubonsie Valley in the playoffs last season.

"Leadership and communication are real strengths this year," Hinsdale Central coach Christopher Ortiz said. "The defensive pressure on the outside is something our players excel at, so we hope it helps leads to goals using our speed at the top."

At Libertyville, senior all-stater Emily Fink, who had 79 goals, 26 assists and 100 steals, is one of the top returnees in Chicagoland. Center defender Chhaya Doshi and sophomore driver Maya Anderson joined talented newcomers Ellie Shafer and Payton Howard.

"Our goals are to make it to the sectional finals again, but this time win," Libertyville coach Tracy Balla said.

Mundelein senior captains Nadia Emso, Elizabeth Allore and Hayley Williams form the strength of the team, which won seven games last season.

"The captains have really stepped up this year and encouraged the team to do their best," Mundelein coach Amanda Boothe said.

Neuqua Valley lacks experience with a small group back, but doubled its squad, so look for the Wildcats to possibly string together a few more wins, with Lexi Kubelbeck, Caelyn Tum and Phoebe Puacz leading the way.

"We're building toward the future and learning the game as we go along," Neuqua Valley coach Lew Kasten said. "Our focus isn't necessarily our win-loss record, but rather our continued improvement in playing the game. The team has an incredible amount of positive energy, which I believe will propel us to an improved overall record this season."

Rolling Meadows is led by Rachel Malik, Anne Kiaupa, Nora Montgomery and Maya Dorosz.

"Our goal, as a team, is to strive to be the best that we can be and to work harder than we did the day before," Rolling Meadows coach Katlyn Tomasetti said.