Stevenson’s boys water polo team is in a familiar position. For the third straight season, the Patriots are playing at home with a chance to win a state championship.
The previous two seasons, Stevenson has fallen short.
On Friday, May 22, the Patriots took another step toward a state title when they easily defeated Lincoln Way-Central 12-4 in the state quarterfinal round.
“In the first half, we were playing very well. We were up big, we were playing out of the water,” Stevenson coach Sean Wimer said. “It looks like we hit our stride.”
From the first quarter on, there wasn’t much doubt the Patriots (27-6) would advance. Stevenson got on the board first when sophomore Andrew Shashin scored with 3:25 left. Just over a minute later, the Patriots led 2-1. Senior goalkeeper Shaurya Gilani blocked a Knights shot, leading to a transition opportunity for the Patriots. Gilani lobbed a pass to junior Kurt Holzer. Holzer beat junior goalkeeper Jake Burke with a shot to give Stevenson a 3-1 lead.
Holzer scored again during a 6-on-5 Stevenson advantage with 1:12 left in the first. Then, with 33 seconds left in the period, Shashin found the back of the net after a shot from two meters out. Stevenson kept the pressure on the second, adding three more goals for a decisive 8-1 halftime lead.
“We came out really well. There was a lot of excitement in this pool with the crowd, music and everything. We came out with a lot of energy,” said junior Alex Kapecki, who finished with one goal. “I think we maintained it the entire game.”
When Kapecki’s younger brother, freshman Collin Kapecki, scored his fourth goal of the game to make it 11-4 Stevenson late in the fourth, the result was clear. The Patriots’ reward is a match with mighty Fenwick on Saturday, the fourth match of the season between the teams. A 16-9 quarterfinal win by the Friars over Barrington earned them a spot in the semifinals.
Fenwick’s average margin of victory over Stevenson this season is six goals. But Wimer cites the last match, a narrow 7-6 defeat on May 2, as being more indicative of his team’s ability. He said he expects another close game Saturday.
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“They are a young group. But as I told them, at a certain point, being young is not an excuse. Grow up,” Wimer said. “This is their time to grow up.”
Gilani added: “I’m happy to play them. [Fenwick] is the team to beat. I know if we beat them, our team will be so pumped up. No one can stop us.”
Kerr is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter: @prepspioneer