Whether it is on frozen water or a pool filled with it, Hinsdale South’s Michael Corson often puts himself in a position to have objects flying in his direction at high speeds.
Corson is a junior goalkeeper for the Hornets water polo team and also plays goalie for the Chicago Young Americans club hockey team.
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Despite the difference in playing surfaces, there are similarities between the positions.
“The mental aspect of it is definitely there for both (sports),” Corson said. “Being a goalie in any sport where you are the last line of defense is definitely not easy. It can be strenuous, but there is just something about it that ties both of the positions together for me.”
Even though he has played hockey a lot longer, it is still more challenging to try and stop a puck than a ball.
“I would say that in hockey, maybe because I have been playing so long, it is a lot more technical,” Corson said. “It has a lot to do with the puck being smaller, it is easier to get a bad bounce on you.
“In water polo, it is kind of learn-as-you-go for a lot of it. You can pick up things here and there, that you see one guy do and that you like.”
The Hornets (14-5) can thank senior teammate Ryan Kirin for getting Corson into the pool as a freshman.
“Ryan Kirin was on my (travel) baseball team, and he basically convinced me to do it,” Corson said. “I was done with baseball, and my parents were making do something. I decided to give it a try, and one thing led to another and I fell in love with the sport.”
Though Hinsdale South coach Beth Walker is happy that Corson joined the program, she was not always certain that his skills on the ice would transfer to the pool.
“I was convinced hockey and water polo had nothing to do with each other until Mikey started playing with us,” Walker said. “He runs the show in the pool from the goal. He is in charge and lets those guys know where they need to be defensively.
“It has really, really upped our game this year. He is very smart and sees things differently because of his hockey background.”
With Corson in goal and a strong core of seniors in the water, the Hornets have already reached and exceeded a few of their preseason goals.
“Our goal was to go double digits, as far as wins,” Walker said. “Once we hit that, we realized that we had to re-focus and set some new goals. This group of seniors that I have, they are just so focused on what needs to be done and always looking forward.
“There is not a lot of animosity, they play very selflessly. They are just a great group.”
Seniors Matt McCormack, Dan Milosevich, Danny Savage, Kirin and Haddy Khatib form the nucleus that has taken the Hornets program to a higher level this season.
“We knew we were going to be better than normal, but we did not know we were going to be this good,” McCormack said. “It is very exciting for everybody to be a part of the records we keep breaking, so that is cool. I think all of our next games are winnable, if we just play good, strong defense.”
Patrick Kelly is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press