Scouting the MSL girls water polo championship
Scouting the MSL championship game
Who: Wheeling (18-6) at Fremd (23-5)
When: 6 p.m. Thursday
How they got here: Both Wheeling and Fremd made it through their divisional foes unscathed — but certainly not unchallenged. Fremd pulled out a close victory over Barrington to clinch the West, and Wheeling got a great challenge from Buffalo Grove in what turned out to be its clincher. Wheeling played at Fremd a little more than two weeks ago and it was a terrific matchup. The Wildcats jumped out to a 5-2 lead after one quarter but then lost hold defender Kat Dobrowski to a separated shoulder. Fremd was able to regain the lead and hold off a determined Wheeling bunch in a 14-11 win.
Fremd is the four-time defending MSL champ. Wheeling has not won an MSL crown, but the Wildcats are playing in their third championship game in the past four seasons.
Wheeling update: Kat Dobrowski has returned to the lineup, putting the Wildcats at full strength. Coach Bob Savitt looked at the handful of games his team played without Dobrowski as a positive. All-around standout Leah Malsom, who’s been regularly scoring in the 6-8 goals-per-game range, subbed in at d-hole and sharpened her skill set. Heather Murphy responded well offensively and averaged 4 goals while Dobrowski was out. “It’s huge having Kat back in d-hole,” said Savitt, “as it allows Leah to move back to driver where she can now roam freely.” When it comes to polo IQ, you’d be hard-pressed to top Wheeling. The Wildcats received the Gold Standard team award from the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Assocation for having a team grade point average of 3.75 or better. Malsom and Haydee Tomayo both earned individual NISCA All-American honors.
Fremd update: Recent losses to teams such as Fenwick, Naperville Central and Stevenson notwithstanding, Fremd remains an elite MSL girls water polo program loaded with experienced leaders. Sam Matuszewski, Lauren Zambelli, Sam del Prado and goalie Julie Conrath were each key players during the last two titles won by Fremd, so there’s every reason to expect them and their teammates to be ready to defend the championship. Fremd might also be the deepest team in the league, and first-year head coach Ray Roth likes what he’s seen from his entire crew so far. “It has been a total team effort all season,” he said. “The bench has done a fantastic job, providing quality minutes both on defense and offense.” Roth hopes recent games against state powers served as true learning experiences, as they pointed out areas in which the Vikings can improve. “I expect Wheeling to come out very hard and give everything they have,” Roth said. “It will be a tough and exciting game.”
— Aaron Gabriel