White’s goal gives Waubonsie victory
Early on Thursday night at Naperville North, it was evident the girls water polo battle between the Huskies and Waubonsie Valley wasn’t going to be decided until almost the very end.
Leads in this match didn’t have much time to savor their existence before they vaporized. However, with just 37 seconds left, the Warriors’ Alex White scored the game-winning goal and Waubonsie went home an 8-7 winner.
“I saw the shot clock. I tried to toss it somewhere near the net and hoped it goes in,” White, who took the shot just slightly ahead of the middle of the pool, said.
The victory moved the Warriors to 6-3 overall and gave them their first win of the week after losses to Naperville Central and Homewood-Flossmoor the previous two nights.
“We were better offensively, but there are things we still need to work on,” Waubonsie coach Diana Mehl said. “Our passing for offense was one of the weaker points. Defensively, we were strong. Naperville North has some good shooters.”
One of the shooters struck early, just more than a minute into the game, as the Huskies’ Jessie Lietz put her team on the board first. Waubonsie responded over the next two minutes with goals from White, who took a pool-length pass from goalie E.B. Keeve, and Lauren Stercay, who also finished with 2 goals. That gave the Warriors a 2-1 lead after the first seven minutes.
“I always look for Alex,” Keeve, who finished with 13 saves, said. “I can throw far and she can swim fast.”
The second period saw Naperville North (5-5-1) strike twice thanks to Meghan Nerud and Audrey Chien and Waubonsie’s Cara Stack getting the first of her 3 goals to make it a 3-3 deadlock.
Waubonsie was the only team Thursday to do any padding of a lead as Michelle Moynihan and Stercay hit net with less than two minutes left in the quarter to give the Warriors a 5-3 lead. It would be the only time of the night any team had more than a 1-goal advantage.
The contest also stayed close as both teams several times hit goalposts and the crossbar on scoring opportunities.
After Lietz scored her second goal of the game for the lone offense of the third quarter to cut the Waubonsie advantage to 5-4, the wild fourth quarter commenced.
Nerud tied the contest at the 5:19 mark with goals then coming from Waubonsie’s Stack, Naperville North’s Chien, North’s Taylor Bridgman for the Huskkies’ final lead of the night at 7-6 and Waubonsie’s Stack again to tie the game at 7 with 1:32 left.
Naperville North coach Andy McWhirter said the game will factor into the sectional seedings, which will be decided April 15. With Naperville Central second only to defending state champ Lyons Twp. in the most current state rankings, the Huskies, Waubonsie and Neuqua will be battling for the seeds below the Redhawks.
The Warriors and Huskies tied earlier in the season at the Naperville Quadrangular.
“I thought the defense played pretty well. I thought we stayed them. Our two goalies (Emma Ryan and Olivia Landiak) did a good job,” McWhirter said. “We need to work on offense.”
The Huskies are off until April 5 when they head over to Naperville Central.
Waubonsie is at the Lyons Twp. tournament this Saturday and could face the host Lions.
“(The win) will give us a boost. Lyons is extremely tough,” Keeve said.