Water polo: Stevenson boys notch big-time wins
The Stevenson boys water polo team has come up big in recent times.
The battle-tested Patriots were 12-10 winners over state No. 3 Naperville Central and also recorded a 15-8 win over St. Rita. Stevenson was 11-6 overall and 2-0 in North Suburban Conference play to start the week.
During games last weekend, Olin Kusevskis scored 10 goals on 11 shots (5 goals in each game).
"Olin is so physically dominant," Stevenson coach Sean Wimer said. "He draws so much attention and frees other guys up because of his presence. Even with constantly being helped on or doubled, he's making plays all over the pool."
Wimer said Angelos Koutsogeorgas also has been a difference-maker. "He's one of our senior leaders and is really coming into his own, learning how to use his teammates to make him better," he said. "He had a really nice weekend (last weekend)."
Wimer noted Stevenson has overcome a recent rash of illnesses and injuries that even called into question being able to field a full team for the York tournament. During one stretch both varsity goalies were out sick, which forced the use of a field player in net against NSC foe Lake Forest, plus the lack of presence of any goalies in practices.
"It challenged our depth and as a result made us a much tougher and more complete team," Wimer said. "I am proud of how these boys keep showing up and putting in the work."
Five of Stevenson's six losses came against state Top 3 teams - Lyons, New Trier and Naperville Central. The sixth came in sudden death to St. Louis University High, considered the top team in Missouri. "I like our trajectory and position we'll be in come May," Wimer noted.
Mundelein girls update:
The Mustangs recorded an 11-8 win over Buffalo Grove earlier in the season. "It was a great game for us," Mundelein coach Amanda Boothe said. "The girls were all in sync and had great communication."
Senior Maggie Russ and junior Hayley Williams have led the way for Boothe's squad. "Maggie has been having a great season," she said. "Her defense is solid and she's improving with every game. The girls can trust that she is going to get back on defense and do her part. This is Hayley's first year on varsity and I am impressed with her performance. She is one of our leading scorers. It's exciting to see her progress."
Vernon Hills boys update:
The Cougars were third at the recent Libertyville invitational and also took fifth at the Niles West invite. Vernon Hills also picked up a recent conference win against Maine West.
Arjuna Vimalarajah had an all-time high of 15 steals against Highland Park recently, while Ben Ravenscraft scored 3 goals in a tie game against Barrington. Charlie Karston leads the team in goals with what coach Adam Lueken calls a "wicked shot." Jonathan Ramirez leads the defense from his hole defender position. Vimalarajah, Ravenscraft and Ramirez are the team captains. "They are seriously the best captains I could ask for," Lueken said.
Mundelein boys update:
The Mustangs have caught fire of late, going 8-2 over their last 10 games after an 0-5 start. Mundelein defeated state No. 11 Libertyville 11-10 recently and was off to a 2-0 NSC start.
"We are resilient. We never give in," coach Russ Gates said. "No matter the opponent or score, we are there to win."
Ayesh Chandrasekera had six of the team's 11 goals against Libertyville and four of seven against Lake Forest. Alex Sethna has been a leader on both ends of the pool, Gates noted. Sethna is the team's second-leading scorer, and is tops in assists, steals and ejections drawn. Anthony Petrashko is averaging nearly 12 steals and 2 steals per game in goal. "Anthony is the backbone of our defense," Gates said.
Libertyville girls update:
The Wildcats were off to a 2-0 NSC start after wins against Warren and Mundelein.
In the Mundelein win, junior Chhaya Doshi scored 6 goals, including all three of the team's first-half tallies. "she had a fantastic game," coach Tracy Balla said. "The three first-half goals kept the game close before we were able to come from behind to win."
Junior Emily Fink is the team-leader in goals, assists and steals. "Emily has been playing lights out," Balla said.
Freshman Maya Anderson is a regular starter and has 28 steals already. "Maya has come to the team ready to play," Balla added.
Libertyville graduated 12 seniors from last year's team. "Aside from Emily, everyone on the varsity either played off the bench or was on the JV team," Balla pointed out. "Considering their limited varsity game experience in the past, they are playing great. They have worked hard in the off-season and that has been evident since day one of the season. They are continuing to work on developing their skills, while building chemistry."
Barrington girls update:
The Fillies placed fourth at the recent Deerfield tournament with a 2-2 record. There, Barrington beat Glenbrook North and Deerfield, "both very good teams and excitingly close battles," coach Mark Markwell noted.
In a recent game against Elk Grove, Regan Albertson broke the school record for most goals in a game with 11. Eva Kurup, the team-leader in assists and in every defensive category, also has been stellar, Markwell added.
Buffalo Grove girls update:
In a recent game against Metea Valley, Maja Pluta stepped up as Buffalo Grove's leading scorer, recording four of the team's five goals. "Maja and Olivia Bochnak are doing a great job on both sides of the ball," Bison coach Michael McPartlin said.
Kayla Dumlao has excelled in her role as the team's 2-meter defender. "Kayla is stepping up big," McPartlin said.