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glenviewlantern.com sports
the glenview lantern | May 3, 2018 | 45
Girls Water Polo
Titans fast start doesn’t last at Spartans
Michal Dwojak, Sports Editor
The difference in Glenbrook
North and Glenbrook
South’s matchup
April 25 might’ve been
what didn’t actually happen.
GBS held a 3-1 lead after
the first quarter when
GBN head coach Robin
Walker relied on a philosophy
he’s learned has
worked throughout the
years: do nothing. He
didn’t panic or start yelling
at his team in between
the opening two quarters,
he let his players figure
out what needed to
change.
The Spartans quickly
figured things out after
that inaction in their 7-4
win, showing the development
Walker has expected
all season.
“There were too many
times where we got a
good shot and it didn’t get
in the goal,” Glenbrook
South head coach Michael
Stancik said. “That’s the
major difference between
the win and a loss today.”
GBS came out of the
gate with a strong offense,
creating different
opportunities wherever
they could find them. Senior
Eliana Wright scored
the first goal with five
minutes, 58 seconds left
in the first quarter before
Julianne Crawford added
another less than 30 seconds
later.
Spartans senior Isabel
Herbst broke up the shutout
when she scored with
4:16 left but Lily Dolan
scored with less than five
seconds left in the opening
quarter to give GBS
the 3-1 lead.
That’s when Walker allowed
his team to figure
Online content
For the photo gallery
from this game, visit
GlenviewLantern.com.
Glenbrook South defender Dru Tibbetts (right) looks to move the ball against the Spartans on April 25 in
Northbrook. Michal Dwojak/22nd Century Media
Nomun Saintur moves the ball against the Spartans.
things out, talk amongst
each other. There they realized
that they needed to
tighten things defensively
and that’ll open things on
the offensive front.
The Spartans wasted little
time getting back into
it, primarily Sophie Dimoff.
She scored the first
two goals of the second
quarter in the first three
minutes before Gaby
Hana interrupted Dimoff’s
scoring by scoring
one of her own. Dimoff
added one more to take a
5-3 lead into the half.
South played less effectively
in the third and
fourth, scoring a goal each
time, but it was enough for
the Spartans to take the
game against their rival.
“We kind of lost our
way the second, third and
fourth quarter,” Wright
said. “We fought hard, we
did the best we could and
they deserved this win.”
It’s been something
Stancik has noticed all
season. While his teams
have remained competitive
against good teams
like GBN, the Titans have
not yet found the playmaking
ability to shine
into the moment and take
charge.
“We need to play with
more intensity in every
moment of the game,”
Stancik said. “It’s not
about occupying a space,
but it’s making things
happen. I have a lot of
girls who can do the technical
stuff well, but they
haven’t gained the confidence
to be a playmaker
yet.”
That’s something he’ll
need to see from his team
heading into conference
tournament and sectional
time. He wants to see his
players play intensely at
practice and realize it’s
not about knowing the
strategies but knowing
how to execute them.
He knows a rematch
might be likely against the
Spartans because of the
sectional and he’s ready
for the challenge.
“I would like to see a
repeat of this game and us
take home the win,” Stancik
said.
The night was also senior
night for the Spartans.
While they still a few
weeks together, they are
preparing for a run that’s
been years in the making.
With a 13-5 record following
the win over their
rival, the seniors and rest
of the Spartans are ready
for the challenge of what
lies the rest of the way to
winning a championship.
“It’s crazy,” Herbst
said. “I remember the senior
night when I was a
freshman and I remember
like it was yesterday. It
doesn’t feel real. I’m really
proud of the seniors
for how we worked hard
to get to where we are.”