Evanston hoping to break up New Trier-Loyola party

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Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM

GIRLS WATER POLO — Loyola and New Trier are on collision course to meet in the sectional title match for the fifth time in six years.

However, upstart Evanston is hoping to stand in the way.

These will be among the major storylines at the Glenbrook North Sectional, which gets underway on May 9 and wraps up with the championship game on May 14.

The winner advances to the following week’s IHSA State Meet in Lincolnshire.

No. 1 Loyola entered this week with an 18-5-3 record and is looking to get back to State after losing to New Trier in last year’s sectional final. The Ramblers had been to State for five straight years between 2005-09.

The Ramblers and Trevians, who are the No. 3 seed at the sectional, tied 7-7 in their most recent regular-season meeting on April 9. In that contest, New Trier led 7-5 late before a late Loyola comeback.

Loyola is scheduled opens Glenbrook North Sectional play at 4:30 p.m. on May 11 against the winner of No. 8 Maine West and No. 8 Maine East.

EVANSTON: No. 2 seeded Evanston may have entered this week with a 13-13 record, but head coach Claire Howie said her team is playing its best polo of the season.

The coach said her team’s success goes back to a Spring Break trip to Miami, where the Wildkits trained several hours each day in an outdoor pool. The trip also was good for team morale, and performances have been solid since their return.

“To have a two-hour practice here and a three-hour practice there (in Florida), we were able to cover a lot of ground. We came back a m uch stronger team,” Howie said. “The girls are really starting to put things together.”

In fact, the Wildkits defeated New Trier 8-5 recently after losing 8-4 to the Trevians early in the campaign.

The star for Evanston all season has been senior Ellis O’Connor, who had scored a school record 143 goals through 26 games. O’Connor broke the old mark of 130 held by Anna Ditton.

Senior Sarah Thompson has been the team’s goaltender, senior Abby Bailey its primary defender and senior Claire Simon and sophomore Yasi Nassiri have been dangerous offensive players on the perimeter.

Evanston will open up sectional play at 7 p.m. on May 11 against No. 7 Maine South.

Boys

LOYOLA: Loyola, the No. 3 seed at the sectional, has turned its season around after a disappointing start.

The Ramblers began the campaign 0-5 before winning 15 of the next 22 games. That stretch included victories over quality opponents like Sandburg, Oak Park-River Forest and St. Ignatius. They begin the state playoffs against No. 6 Maine South at 8:15 p.m. May 12.

Through 27 games, junior Charlie Dowdle paced the Ramblers with 80 goals, junior Brendan Hulseman had 43 and junior Jordan Hodur and senior William Lecompte each delivered 30 strikes.

Junior Robbie O’Connor played every minute of the team’s first 27 games in net, making 259 saves and compiling a 8.44 goals-against average.

EVANSTON: The Wildkits entered this week with a 6-16-1 record. Through 23 games, the team’s leading scorer was senior James Conroy (51 goals). Junior Wesley Marberry had 48 strikes.

Maine East is scheduled to open GBN Sectional play at 5:45 p.m. on May 12 against No. 5 Evanston.