Mighty Macs eye title repeat

Please excuse Mother McAuley water polo coach Larry O'Connell if he sounds a tad defensive about his team this season.

"I think it's going to be extremely difficult to win the state title two years in a row," he said. "There are a number of well-established teams and also rising powers in the area that are going to be very tough teams to beat."

The Mighty Macs' top three players are seniors who have been starting since they were freshmen: Laura Perez, Lilly Cortez and Meghan Nolan. Perez was the lone junior on the all-state team last year.

O'Connell expressed confidence that Yuri Chavez and defender Maggie McShane will also make a splash this season and see much more playing time. Patti McNamara and Genesis Romo are to share time in goal until the playoffs, when a decision on a starter is to be made.

Although they are the defending champions and return key players, the Mighty Macs are ranked second in the state, according to illpolo.com. Fenwick, winners of three straight state titles prior to 2007, is at the top of the rankings.

"I think you have to earn the spots," O'Connell said. "Whoever did the analysis must think Fenwick is better, but that's their opinion. We have to go out there every meet and earn the top ranking. I have no problems with people seeding things, but then you have to go out there and play."

It may be a two-team race between the Mighty Macs and the Friars in the Metro Catholic Aquatics Conference. The next echelon of teams includes St. Ignatius and Loyola Academy, each of whom lost a number of starters from last year.

In the SouthWest Suburban Conference, the Southland's other major conference, Sandburg and Homewood-Flossmoor figure to battle it out at the top. Sandburg is the defending champ of the eight-team league, but H-F was the only SWSC team to earn a berth in the state quarterfinals.

"Sandburg is going to be rough for us; they are probably the best team in the south suburbs," H-F coach Pat Duignan said. "They are going to be incredibly tough to beat this year. But if we play our perfect game, we can beat Sandburg."

Duignan also mentioned Lincoln-Way East, Lockport and Richards as area teams that might be dangerous.

Of H-F's seven starters, six are seniors, including drivers Story Pumphrey and Andrea Peterson, who accounted for half the team's goal production last year.

"Both are really good swimmers and have strong arms - it's hard to say who would be the top out of the two of them," Duignan said. "They are very aggressive offensive players and good defenders as well.

"Story used to play goalie, but she has too strong of an arm. They should both be on the All-State Team this year."

Seniors Erika Adamonis and Kiley Maanum also are expected to have strong seasons.

Despite their talent, it figures to be difficult for the Vikings to get through Mother McAuley and Fenwick to earn the first state championship for a public school since the sport began its affiliation with the IHSA in 2002.

"Just flip a coin," Duignan said. "That's the best way to tell who is the best team in the state. It's either Mother McAuley or Fenwick."