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lockportlegend.com SPORTS
the Lockport Legend | April 19, 2018 | 37
Boys Water Polo
Porters edge past Knights for eighth win of season
Hecker makes nine
of his 18 saves in
fourth quarter for
LTHS
Randy Whalen
Freelance Reporter
Water creates rust.
After not playing against
an opponent for 19 days,
the Lockport Township boys
water polo team had rust.
The Porters not only had
a long layoff, they had four
players, including two starters,
not at the first game back
for a variety of reasons last
week.
But in the end, the Porters
also had something else —
defense and Connor Hecker.
The senior goalkeeper and
defense came through big
time, holding Lincoln-Way
Central scoreless for the final
8:18 of the game, and the
team rallied for a 10-9 victory
in a SouthWest Suburban
Conference clash on April
10 at Lockport.
The win moved Lockport
to 8-0 on the season. The
Knights played well but just
couldn’t get their offense going
at the end.
“Just trying to keep the
guys motivated and focused
was unbelievable,” Lockport
coach Joe Lewandowski
said of the long layoff. “But
we were able to get certain
things done, like a lot of fundamentals
work that we can
always use. But we were also
short guys and missing six or
seven guys to the flu, but we
did the best that we could.
That’s probably why in the
beginning of the [Central]
game, I was so stressed out.
We hadn’t played in 19 days
and were down two [starters],
so things were going to
be tougher, since we had to
go deeper into the bench.”
Lockport did, but the
results were good. Junior
Tyler Thompson, who led
all scorers with four goals,
scored from close range with
29 seconds left in the third
quarter to close the Porters
to within 9-8. He then
skipped a shot in for a score
to knot it up with 4:45 left in
the game.
That set the stage for a
chaotic finish. Lockport had
multiple guys ejected in
the fourth quarter, but the
Knights could not take advantage.
They either turned
the ball over or were turned
back by Hecker, who made
nine of his 18 saves in the
fourth quarter.
“We were missing two
starters, so we started off
rusty,” Hecker said. “But
in the second half, I feel
like we picked it up and
started playing our game. I
wouldn’t be doing anything
like this if it wasn’t for my
defense. They’re sticking up
for me and stealing the ball,
so they’re making my job so
easy. I appreciate that, so all
of the credit goes to them. I
like this team because we’re
all on the same page. If
we’re not having fun, then
we’re not learning.”
Hecker’s defense came
through down the stretch.
With the game tied, and
with the Porters in many a
precarious position being
down a man, the defense
stepped up. That allowed
Simon Harmata to get a pass
to junior Michael Bates, who
scored what proved to be the
game-winner from the left
side with 1:56 to play in the
game.
“On the go-ahead goal,
I saw the ball land in front
of me, and two guys were
on me,” Harmata said. “I
saw Michael swimming
open down on the weak side
and tossed it to him, and he
scored. We’re definitely a
Lockport’s Caleb Speechley (right) tangles with Lincoln-Way Central’s Adam Ceh as the two go for the ball during a
SouthWest Suburban Conference match April 10 at Lockport. Adam Jomant/22nd Century Media
defensive team this year after
being all about offense
last year. We’re stepping up
and trying new things, and
it’s working out. In the end,
we always put a smile on
our face and fix what we do
wrong.”
The Knights couldn’t get
the equalizer. A final opportunity
ended with Harmata
getting another steal with
11 seconds left in the game.
Harmata, who missed the
start of the season with an
injured left shoulder, has
been going to therapy for
that. His first game back was
the Porters’ last game before
the 19-day break, a 9-5 victory
at Andrew on March 22.
Thompson had a highlight
goal when he skipped one
in past senior keeper Chuck
Evans with four seconds left
in the first quarter to put the
Porters ahead 4-3. Junior
Declan Ruane added a goal
in the opening minute of the
second quarter to give Lockport
a 5-3 advantage. Hecker
then turned back a 5-meter
penalty shot with 5:43 to
play in the first half.
But Brian McGuire and
fellow seniors Adam Ceh (2
goals) and Tim Murphy (2
goals) tallied, as the Knights
rallied for a 6-5 halftime
lead. Senior Ryan Burke
(3 goals) put Central ahead
7-5. The Porters, however,
scored for the first time in a
span of 9:26. That happened
when senior Matt Zalesko
zipped in a pair of goals in
23 seconds. The last one of
those, on a penalty shot with
3:25 left in the third quarter,
tied the game at 7-7.
Senior Jack Lyons and junior
Caleb Speechley added
first-quarter goals for Lockport.
Murphy and senior
Josh Fox had third-quarter
goals for the Knights, the final
one of which gave them
a 9-7 lead with 1:18 left in
the third quarter.
“We had two tries at the
end to tie it but couldn’t get
it done,” Central coach Patrick
Shaughnessy said. “We
[had] six games this [past]
week, so the guys are just
working on getting better.
We played really well, and
we’ve been clicking and are
starting to really get it. Ryan
[Burke] played awesome
and does so many things
for beside scoring. He’s our
leader and really showed it.
“But our eyes are on sectionals,
and we have to get
better for that. The guys are
all working together. I told
them from the start, if they
want to win, they have to
work together.”
Central will be at the
Lincoln-Way East Sectional,
while the Porters are at
the Metea Valley Sectional,
along with the top-ranked
team in the state — Naperville
Central. But the
Porters, and Hecker, aren’t
afraid of any team.
“Connor is a different
goalie this year,” Lewandowski
said of Hecker. “He’s
spotting things, reading the
outside shot much easier
and is really doing a good
job of coming off the line.
This team likes the pressure.
They want to see it in every
single game.”
The Porters schedule picks
up now. On Thursday, April
12, they traveled to Lincoln-
Way East for another SWSC
matchup, losing 13-10 for
their first loss of the year.
Then, last Friday and Saturday,
April 13 and 14, they
were at the Sandburg Invite.
This week brought a home
match on Tuesday, April
17, against Lincoln-Way
West, and then on Thursday,
April 19, Lockport is back
at Sandburg at 5 p.m. for
a huge SWSC showdown.
This Friday and Saturday,
April 20 and 21, the Porters
are at another tough tournament
at Brother Rice.