Kapecki, Stevenson speak up in sectional final
He's a pretty laid-back, soft-spoken fellow. Outside of the pool, that is.
It's a different story however when Stevenson freshman Collin Kapecki hits the water. That's where his actions do the talking - and pretty loudly, it should be noted.
Kapecki has been one of the keys for the Patriots this season, and things weren't any different Saturday afternoon when he popped in 5 goals to help his club produce a 15-7 victory over Wheeling in the championship game of the Buffalo Grove sectional. The Pats next head to a state quarterfinal matchup against Lincoln-Way Central on Friday, this time in their own pool.
"Being a freshman, it feels pretty good to taste that first sectional title," said Kapecki. "This was a lot of fun and exciting. We know there's a lot of work left to do but the energy in here today was great and we just want to soak this up."
Like a couple of other Stevenson players, Kapecki's preferred technique offensively consists of winding up, cocking that arm, faking a few times, and firing the ball as hard as humanly possible.
"I just wind up and try and place it," added Kapecki, who scored the first goal of the game and had all 5 of his tallies in the first half. "It also helps to have awesome teammates."
After that first goal, Wheeling's Dan Levy knotted things up at 1-1 after rifling a shot in past the outstretched arms of Pats keeper Shaurya Gilani. Stevenson size and quickness to the ball were too much as it built a 10-1 cushion by halftime. The defense also stepped up, with Gilani stopping shots at point-blank range. He finished the game with 8 saves.
"Hopefully this becomes a habit (winning and advancing)," smiled Pats coach Sean Wimer, whose club improved to 26-6 overall. "We had a pretty good start and a little hiccup in the third quarter, but overall we played really well. This has been a great experience for a young team."
Wheeling wasn't going anywhere. They were coming off of an emotional 8-7 overtime win over Mundelein in the semis, and played some inspiring water polo in the third, scoring 4 goals to cut into the lead at 12-5.
Junior Nate Reiff led the charge, scoring all 3 of his goals in the second half as Wheeling made it very respectable in outscoring Stevenson 6-5 over the final 14 minutes.
"We have tons of heart and tons of energy," said Wildcats coach Rudy Means, whose team is the first Mid-Suburban East team to ever make it to a sectional final in boys water polo. "Stevenson's fast and physical, and you can't help but be envious of what a great program and coach they have."
When Kapecki wasn't scoring, it was Andrew Shashin, who complemented him with 4 goals. Dan Maleski and Kurt Holzer had 2 scores apiece, while Alex Kapecki and Cristiano Tomassetti added single goals for the Pats.
Besides Reiff's 3 goals, Wheeling got a pair of scores from Andy Splett, while Dan Levy added a single goal.
"Our goal is to walk away knowing we played a great team well, and that's all I can ask for," said Means, whose team started the year 3-10 but finishes 16-14.