NL_031419

38 | March 14, 2019 | the new lenox patriot sports
newlenoxpatriot.com
Senior-laden Warriors start season with two straight wins
Delaney Janosek
scores 17 goals in
first two games
Randy Whalen
Freelance Reporter
Last season the Lincoln-
Way West girls water polo
team had its best season
ever.
The Lockport Township
girls water polo team had
its best season in years.
But when the two teams
hooked up to start this season,
they weren’t going
to rest on those laurels.
Both teams are looking
for improvement again
this season. Both showed
flashes of what’s in store
this spring but in the end,
it was eight goals by Delaney
Janosek that proved
to be the big difference as
the host Warriors pulled
away for a 14-11 victory
over Lockport in a South-
West Suburban Conference
clash that was the
season opener for both on
March 5 in New Lenox.
The next day, Wednesday,
March 6, Janosek did
even better with nine goals
as West hosted Metea Valley
and came away with a
12-9 victory in a nonconference
contest.
Janosek, a four-year varsity
player, simply uses her
speed to get open.
“I used to be a swimmer,
and I just try to get as open
as possible,” Janosek said.
“I’m really good friends
with our goalie [fellow
senior Julia Mindy], and
she’s able to get the ball to
me.”
Mindy had many saves in
goal, but she’s also scored
the game’s highlight goal.
With the score tied at 7-7
Mindy was holding the
ball in the final seconds of
the third quarter when she
wound up and shot it. The
perfectly arched toss went
over the outstretched arms
of Lockport senior keeper
Kaya Nasinska and in at
the buzzer to give West (2-
0, 1-0) the lead.
“Her goal was really
shocking and got the whole
team going,” Janosek said.
West coach Eric Pavlacka
knew that Mindy had
the gumption to convert
the shot.
“I have all the confidence
in the world to let
her take that shot,” he said.
“She works harder than
anyone in the pool and
plays a big role for us.”
Lockport (0-1, 0-1) tied
the game at 8-8, 36 seconds
into the fourth quarter
on a goal by sophomore
Alyssa Wengel (5 goals).
That was the fifth time the
Porters had tied the game
but they never led.
It was also the last
time the game was tied
as Janosek got open for
three straight goals. The
first two came 41 seconds
apart and the third in the
stretch gave the Warriors
an 11-8 lead with 3:18 to
play. Junior Emily Plaszewski
(4 goals) pushed in a
rebound goal in front with
2:04 to play in the game
to pull the Porters within
11-9.
Janosek came back
with another breakaway
goal for a 12-9 advantage.
The teams then traded
goals in the last 1:21 and
in the end, West turned
the tables in last seasons
opening result. That was
a 14-10 Lockport win on
March 6.
“This is always a great
game, a good rivalry
game,” Pavlacka said
of the matchup with the
Porters. “It gets the girls
motivated for the season.
Last year, we lost in this
game so we wanted to flip
that. We didn’t lose confidence
and kept going. We
don’t want to slow down
the tempo. We have eight
returners and we want to
advance to the sectional
championship game this
season. We’ve never done
that.”
Janosek wants even
more than that as the Warriors
plan to improve on
last seasons school-best
record of 19-8.
“We’re hoping to make
the state finals this year,”
she said. “I’ve learned a
lot from all the other seniors
along the line and
I’m taking that into this
season. Last year, I scored
101 goals and hope to do
better than that this season.”
With 17 goals in the
first two games, she’s on
her way to doing that.
Janosek scored the first
two against Lockport.
Wengel and senior Francesca
Brunetti answered
with goals for the Porters
to tie the game for the first
time. West led 3-2 after
the first quarter and both
goalkeepers made big
saves in the second quarter
which ended with the
Warriors having a 5-3 at
halftime.
Also tallying goals for
the Warriors were seniors
Maddie Casto, Emma
Fleisleber, and Eileen
Quinn, along with junior
Riley Kettelson, and sophomore
Lea Moeller. Senior
Emily Johnson added a
goal for Lockport.
In West’s win over Metea
Valley Quinn along
with seniors Elaina Hogeveen
and Josie Torres
added goals while Mindy
had 24 saves.
Lincoln-Way West’s senior leader Delaney Janosek (right) scores a goal during the
Warriors’ season opener on March 5 against Lockport in New Lenox. She finished
with eight goals in the game. Photos by Julie McMann/22nd Century Media
Lockport’s Alyssa Wengel (left) looks for an opening as Lincoln-Way West’s Riley
Kettelson is defending.