Girls water polo: Scouting the 2022 season in Lake County and the Northwest suburbs

Hersey senior goalie Alexa Knutson is looking to add a few more milestones to a memorable water polo career this season.

The Arizona State recruit was a key part of a historic season last season, leading the Huskies to an 18-3 record and fourth-place finish at state. She tallied 40 saves in two state games, and allowed 23 goals over three games to raise her season totals to 265 saves and giving up just 66 goals.

Seniors Tea Lang and Grace Steinberg join junior Annika Lindberg to account for a solid group aiming to top last season's historic run to offset the graduation of all-stater Annie Lindgren, the best all-time player in program history and a second-team All-American. The loss of Lindgren will take some time for the Huskies to adjust early in the season, but the experience on the team, led by 11 seniors, is a strength of the team.

"We have six outstanding field players who will work together to win," Hersey coach Megan Brownley said. "We're looking to be right back where we were last year. Last year was our first year that we played at state and we're looking to be back there. The strength of our team is the leadership of our 11 seniors and the communication among the girls in and out of the pool."

•A year after finishing in second place, Stevenson is looking to make a run at the state title. Senior attacker Elizabeth White, goalie Katie Delaney, utility player Belle Cloester along with Faith Ma, Becca Stone, Delilah Clezak, Mary Fouani and Shruthi Rajkumar are expected to be the key contributors.

"I think this year's team will be quicker, plus they all have another year of experience," Stevenson coach Jeffry Wimer said.

•Mundelein has a strong trio in sophomore Kristina Spada, senior Lauren Geary and junior Elizabeth Allore leading its team.

"We graduated a lot of our key players from last year," Mundelein coach Amanda Boothe said. "This year we have a lot of new girls with a ton of potential. Kristina has a great defense and Lauren and Elizabeth are great on offense."

•Libertyville is coming off a strong effort last season, winning 16 games before losing to Stevenson in the sectional final. The Wildcats lost 12 seniors, but return Emily Fink, Sarah Cowsky and Chhaya Doshi.

•"This team is definitely young," Libertyville coach Tracy Balla said. "We lost six starters, so we have a lot of shoes to fill, but we have a large number of players who did make the best of their winter season playing for various club teams in the area. I'm confident in our potential for the season."

•Conant is hoping to take the next step after losing to Hersey in the sectional championship last spring, bringing back a talented roster, highlighted by senior goalie Rylie McGee.

"Last year, we were forced to play a great deal of underclassmen," Conant coach Justin Bickus said. "At the time, we had some growing pains, but this team has played in a lot of close games and have gained experience along the way playing some of the top teams in the state as well as getting experience in a championship sectional game. I feel like we picked up where we left off last season and are excited to see what the season brings."

•Palatine's roster is full of young, but talented players looking to build off last season. Kieran Ohmes, Addie Bruemmer and Sofia Maldonado are among the main returnees.

"This year's team is very young compared to last year," Palatine coach Mitch Tucker said. "We lost a lot of seniors and are in a rebuilding year. We are going to focus on improving our skills and will see where the season takes us."

•Rolling Meadows posted a 3-10 record, but is looking to post more wins behind the play of junior Rachel Malik and senior Madelyn Rappa.

"These two girls are dynamic," Rolling Meadows coach Katlyn Tomasetti said. "They're leaders to all of our girls ... Our strength is the bond the girls have with one another that's the key to playing confident and working together."

•Senior Lea Steen, a Grove City College recruit, is one of the top returnees for Schaumburg. The Saxons, who won four games last season, are relying on a talented senior class this season.

"The seniors are strong and building the new girls into the team quickly," Schaumburg coach Rebecca Wutz said. "The enthusiasm from the upperclassmen has been contagious. We are small in numbers but anticipate holding strong through the season to improve our record from last season."

•Barrington is banking on several players with multiple years of experience to lift the program. Seniors Reagan Albertson, Riley Brown and junior Alexia Lee join sophomores Eva Kurup and Carly Schneider to form a solid core.

"This year's team has more than doubled in size compared to last year," Barrington coach Mark Markwell said. "We have a lot of new players eager to learn and play and a good mix of veterans in the mix."

•Four seniors are part of the leaders for Buffalo Grove (8-6) this spring. Maja Pluta, Anastasia Brukhno, Viktoriya Yarema and Amy Schwager are all returnees.

"We have a great group of returning players with experience and four years of playing alongside one another," Buffalo Grove coach Michael McPartlin said.

•Hoffman Estates welcomes several new faces to the varsity program this season, putting an emphasis on fundamentals.

"We want the players to enjoy playing, while learning the game," Hoffman Estates coach Tegan Boland said. "Our top players for this year are Amy Lam, Frannie Davis Cristina Virlan. This trio brings a lot to the table. Their enthusiasm and drive for the sport inspires new players to want to play and do better."

•Prospect is a team to watch, especially with the return of seniors Nora Wagner, Jackie Royal and Maddy Connolly following a seven-win showing last spring.

"This team is showing a much more heightened level of skill," Prospect coach Meg Dix said. "The bench is not as deep as last year, but their overall knowledge for the game is the best it's ever been in Prospect's history."