Scouting Northwest boys water polo

Barrington: Brendan Lesniak was a difference-maker for the Broncos last season, but coach Adam Steffens' team seems to be in a rebuilding mode after divisional losses to both Fremd and Schaumburg in the first week.

Buffalo Grove: The Bison were a near-miss to win the MSL East title last season, and many a coach in the division this year see Buffalo Grove as one of the leading contenders to take the crown this season. And the Bison are off to a good start after 2 wins and no losses in divisional play. Glen Bernard leads a team with experience, grit and plenty of swimming ability. Matt O'Rourke and Ian Rodriguez figure to find the net often.

Conant: Coach Tim Daniel has a group of proven players returning, including Zack Sikat, Steve Siska, Ryan Haman, Jerry Flowers, Brandon Chic, Ryan Chiero, Palmer Lynch and Blake Thompson. "We have put in a strong off-season with many players playing this summer and having excellent swim seasons," Daniel said. "The schedule is more difficult, but this should only help prepare us toward our ultimate goal of a playing for a sectional title."

Elk Grove: The Grens have enountered stiff competition so far with decisive losses to Wheeling and Rolling Meadows. Damian Zabielski and Maverick Enolva have been the most consistent scoring threats so far.

Fremd: First-year coach Mike Slowik describes his team as "young but promising." Senior co-captains Phil Schroeder (offensive hole) and Garrett Muller (defensive hole) will help lead the way; senior Zach Zambelli has also sparked the offense in the early going. The Vikings will rely on sophomore Max Plichta in goal.

Hersey: Coach Jeff Baker's team is aiming to bounce back from last season's disappointing 4-21 record. The key players figure to be seniors Neil Mier, Eric Engleson, Brian McKee (captain), Chris Workman, (captain), John Poelking, Matt Williams and Seth Murzyn, as well as juniors: Kevin McCarten (goalie), Kevin Pedersen and Stephen Petro. "The team is focused on improving their overall record from last year's disappointing season," Baker says.

Hoffman Estates: Coach Chris Fetterman is eager to see how some promising newcomers blend with returnees such as Mike Christen and Akash Shah. Freshman Adam Pasnicki has been scoring with regularity, and the Han brothers (Sang M. and Sang W.) figure to contribute along with sophomores Jordan Kathe and Mike Desider and freshman Logan Gizel. "Our newcomers are probably the most important issue we have to overcome," Fetterman said. "Since we are so young, we are trying to balance preparing for the future, while trying to compete this year. Our goal is to at least double our win total from last year, which I believe we are well on our way to doing."

Palatine: Coach Joe Grzybek has an experienced bunch returning from the group that advanced to the sectional semifinals at Barrington last spring before being eliminated by Schaumburg. Brad Ferris, Dylan Weisman and John Giuliano lead the way, but the Pirates have added depth and experience and could make some serious noise in the MSL West.

Prospect: Last year was a disappointment for the Knights, who were competitive in most matches but came up short more than they'd have preferred. The early returns this year have been encouraging, though - Mike McPartlin has been scoring at will and had 6 in a Thursday victory over Rolling Meadows, and senior Joe Lakner has also produced plenty of offense in the early going as the Knights are tied for the East lead with a 2-0 record.

Rolling Meadows: Coach Bill Christiansen is relying on experienced players such as seniors Damian Fitzsimons, Sam Schmid and Dan Briggs to help the Mustangs maintain the high level of excellence from last season, when they won the MSL East and fell to Schaumburg in the league championship match. Christiansen likes his returning talent, but after the aforementioned group and players such as Kevin Fitzsimons and Travis Farrell, it's a long drop to a bunch of young and unproven players.

Schaumburg: The defending league champs coached by Tom Gallagher don't seem to have slipped much despite losing a bumper crop of standout seniors such as Chris Corbett, Mike Kehoe, Aaron Johsnon, Neal Salemi, Anthony Darovec and Pat Kraulis. The good news for the Saxons is they still have Brandon Kase, who's been unstoppable in the early going, and others who are proving varsity-ready such as Ben Epperly, Mike Gergen, Randy Carr, Justin Chen, Brandon Luke, Jack Martin and Michael George. The Saxons were 8-0 overall and tied for the West Divison lead at 2-0 after topping Conant on Thursday. "This year's team had the opportunity to play every day with some very, very good player for the last two seasons," Gallagher said. "Now it is time to see if they were learning the things we as coaches emphasize in practice. We need to concentrate on team defense, good passing, and a quick and concise transition game. Our offense starts with our defense."

St. Viator: Coach Everardo Leon is optimistic that an exceptionally strong junior class can help the Lions improve this season and reach at least the second round of sectional play - and possibly the third or fourth. Key players for the Lions figure to be captain Eric Primdahl plus Ryan Boyer, Greg O'Connor and goalkeeper Robert Bansfield.

Wheeling: Tim McDaniel delivered a 5-goal effort in a decisive win earlier this week against Elk Grove, and goalkeeper Shane McDade made 10 saves in limiting the Grens to just 4 goals. Other key returners for coach Jessica Temple's team include Andy Eiter, Daniel Kubeck and Clark Jensen. "We only lost two seniors and have a solid team that will be in their third year playing together. Be ready for a significant change for the better for Wheeling."