Team Chicago Cracks Orlando Thunder White, 23-7, to Conclude Day One 18U Boys’ Action at 2019 National State Challenge
LANSDALE, Pa. — Team Chicago (Ill.) received six goals from Austin Russell and five from both Dan Adamson and Ruari Murphy to overpower Orlando Thunder White (Fla.), 23-7, in the concluding game of Boys’ 18U competition at North Penn High School on the first day of the 2019 American Water Polo (AWP) National State Challenge.
Team Chicago – which improves to 1-1 in Bracket B competition on the day following a preceding 17-12 loss to Maverick (Pa.) – also received four scores from Michael Reiter, a pair by Sam Casey and a single strike via Eric Zuwada in support of a seven save effort by goalie Matt Wagonblott.
Mateo Herrera led the way for Orlando Thunder White with a pair of goals to accompany single markers courtesy Abraham Lopez Padila, Jet Zhang, Lorn Duff, Kyle Holt and Jacob Nagy.
In goal, Cody Hrynyk took the loss for Orlando Thunder White with nine saves as the team wraps up the day with an 0-2 record after dropping a 22-5 result to Maverick.
Maverick Moves to 2-0 on Day One of 2019 National State Challenge 18U Boys’ Play in Taking Out Team Chicago, 17-12
LANSDALE, Pa. — Walker Butler accounted for five goals as six different players scored to lead Maverick (Pa.) to a 17-12 victory over Team Chicago (Ill.) in Boys’ 18U competition at North Penn High School on the first day of the 2019 American Water Polo (AWP) National State Challenge.
Maverick, which never trailed in the game, held off Team Chicago by outscoring their foes 5-4, 6-3 and 3-2 in the first, third and fourth quarters – which tying at 3-3 in the second quarter – to improve to 2-0 in Bracket B action following an earlier 22-5 defeat of Orlando Thunder White (Fla.).
In cage, Nathan Bloom stopped 12 shots to pick up the victory, while Matt Wagonblatt took the loss for Team Chicago with eight stops.
The duo of Austin Russell and Dan Adamson led the way for Team Chicago with three goals each.
Orlando Thunder Blue Improves to 2-0 on Day One of 2019 National State Challenge 18U Boys’ Competition by Turning Back La Salle, 24-9
LANSDALE, Pa. — Touma Mack torched the cage for seven goals – including five in the first half to permit his team to acquire a 13-4 lead by the break – as Orlando Thunder Blue (Fla.) defeated La Salle (Pa.), 24-9, in Game Three of Boys’ 18U action on the opening day of the 2019 American Water Polo (AWP) National State Challenge at North Penn High School.
Mack – who scored six times in a 22-0 victory over Cardinal (Pa.) earlier in the day to wrap-up his Thursday afternoon with 13 goals – led an Orlando Thunder Blue offense that outscored La Salle 5-3, 8-1, 8-3 and 3-2 over the span of the first, second, third and fourth quarters, respectively, to improve to 2-0 in Bracket A action.
Leading 5-3 after the first quarter, Orlando Thunder Blue put the contest away with an 8-1 outburst in the second quarter prior to holding an 11-5 scoring advantage in the second half.
For Orlando Thunder Blue, goalie Ryan Hopegill earned the win with eight saves.
On offense, Alec Johnson joined Mack as the game’s high scorer with seven tallies, while Danny Cruz sliced in six strikes. Griffin Ewoldt (two), Felip Mora (one) and Zeyad Abdelmaged (one) round out the Thunder’s talliers.
For La Salle, Ryan McLaughlin found the back of the cage five times with Liam McFadden notching a hat-trick with three goals. Drew Dachowski also scored in support of a 14-save effort by netminder Matthew Sherry.
Maverick Stops Orlando Thunder White, 22-5, on First Day of 2019 National State Challenge 18U Boys’ Action
LANSDALE, Pa. — Grayson Walker, Ryan Larocca and Walker Butler all netted hat-tricks as Maverick (Pa.) handled Orlando Thunder White (Fla.), 22-5, in opening round action of the 2019 American Water Polo (AWP) National State Challenge at North Penn High School.
Maverick never trailed in the game as the team opened up a 1-0 lead prior to Orlando Thunder White pulling even at one-all. However, the Pennsylvania squad went ahead to stay prior to the conclusion of the opening frame by rattling off four consecutive strikes to snag a 5-1 lead by the conclusion of the first quarter.
The margin expanded to 9-1 before Orlando Thunder White answered as the Florida based team entered halftime behind by an 11-2 margin.
The lead grew to 17-3 by the conclusion of the third quarter prior to Maverick pulling further ahead by the concluding buzzer for the 22-5 final score.
Nathan Bloom played the first half for Maverick and made six saves to notch the win.
In the field, Robbie Calabro posted a pair of markers with Zack Kaplan, Ben Villareal, David Gobora, Max Ehlinger, Louie Proctor, Jake Larocca, Danny Cramp and Brian Bartle chipping in solo scores.
Cody Hrynyk took the loss for Orlando Thunder White between the pipes. Ryan Fullerton scored twice, while the trio of Kyle Holt, Gavin Conaway and Jacob Nagy each accounting for single goals.
Orlando Thunder Blue Strikes Down Cardinal, 22-0, in 2019 National State Challenge 18U Boys’ Opener
LANSDALE, Pa. — Touma Mack and Griffin Ewoldt both scored six times to lead the way as Orlando Thunder Blue (Fla.) topped Cardinal (Pa.) by a 22-0 score at North Penn High School in the opening game of Boys 18U competition at the 2019 American Water Polo (AWP) National State Challenge.
Orlando Thunder Blue raced out to a 7-0 lead by the conclusion of the first quarter and never looked back by outscoring Cardinal 4-0, 5-0 and 6-0 in the second, third and fourth quarters, respectively, to pick up the win.
Alec Johnson added four goals for the victors, while Danny Cruz also posted a hat-trick with a trio of tallies. Felipe Mora (two) and Eli Schweitzer (one) completed the scoring.
In cage, Ryan Hopegill made two saves to take the win for Orlando Thunder Blue. Jacob Robinson suffered the loss for Cardinal with seven stops.
Wilson Captures Second Victory as Team Closes Out Opening Date of 2019 National State Challenge with 9-5 18U Girls’ Win Versus Cardinal
AMBLER, Pa. — Goalie Hannah Stambaugh made eight saves to allow the Wilson (Pa.) Girls’ 18U team to take its second victory of the day with a 9-5 defeat of Cardinal (Pa.) at the Wissahickon HIgh School pool during the opening date of competition for the 2019 American Water Polo (AWP) National State Challenge.
Wilson – which previously edged out Rebel Polo (Pa.) by an 11-9 score in the Girls’ 18U opener also at Wissahickon – nearly led from opening sprint to closing horn as the squad built a 4-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back.
Leading 6-1 at halftime, Wilson padded its margin to 9-2 by the conclusion of the third quarter before Cardinal put away three shots in the fourth quarter to close the final gap down to four at 9-5.
Jasmine Thek took the loss for Cardinal with 14 saves, while Lauren Carboni keyed the offense with two goals.
North Penn Upends Orlando Thunder, 11-4, to Commence Girls’ 18U Clashes on First Day of 2019 National State Challenge
LANSDALE, Pa. — North Penn (Pa.) started its 18U Girls’ competition with a flourish as the home team took down Orlando Thunder (Fla.), 11-4, at the North Penn High School pool on the opening day of the 2019 American Water Polo (AWP) National State Challenge.
North Penn never trailed in the game as the squad went ahead 4-0 by the conclusion of the first quarter and carried a 7-1 margin into halftime. Following the break, Orlando Thunder was able to inch within 8-3 by the end of the third quarter. However, North Penn wrapped up the victory with a 3-1 scoring spree in the closing moments of the fourth quarter to acquire a seven-goal win.
Caroline Dunigan earned the win for North Penn with six saves, while Krystyna Jolley stopped five shots in suffering the loss for Orlando Thunder.
Wissahickon Defends Home Turf in Taking Down Pennridge, 16-4, on First Day of 2019 National State Challenge Girls’ 18U Competition
AMBLER, Pa. — Becca Valentine scored eight times and goalie Paige Benning turned aside eight scoring tries as Wissahickon (Pa.) defended its home pool in defeating Pennridge (Pa.), 16-4, in Girls’ 18U play on the first day of the 2019 American Water Polo (AWP) National State Challenge.
Wissahickon never trailed as the team jumped out to leads of 3-0, 8-1 and 10-3 by the conclusion of the first, second and third quarters, respectively, to outdistance Pennridge.
Madilyn Johnson chipped in four goals for Wissahickon with Makalya Pickett, Jilian Garvey, Jaclyn Staub and Maggie Krieger notching solo tallies.
For Pennridge, Hannah Keyser made 12 saves to accompany a pair of goals from Hope Garges and solo markers by Megan Weiss and Olivia Embert.
Wilson Quells Rebel Polo, 11-9, in Girls’ 18U Opener at 2019 National State Challenge
AMBLER, Pa. — Carolyn Pitorak and Rylee Wenzel both contributed hat-tricks with three goals as Wilson (Pa.) squelched Rebel Polo (Pa.) by an 11-9 score in the opening game of Girls’ 18U action at Wissahickon High School during the first day of the 2019 American Water Polo (AWP) National State Challenge.
Wilson fell behind to open the game as Rebel Polo jumped out to a 1-0 lead via a scoring volley by Julianna Kelcy with 6:34 left in the first quarter. However, the game turned in favor of Wilson over the next six minutes as the team punched in back-to-back-to-back goals at 5:48, 1:27 and 1:14 to go ahead.
Leading 4-2 and 5-3 at the conclusion of the first and second quarters, respectively, Wilson needed to stave off a comeback try by Rebel Polo in the third quarter as the teams were tied at six-all with 2:46 to go in the third quarter.
A pair of points over the remainder of the frame pushed Wilson back ahead by an 8-6 count entering the fourth quarter.
Rebel Polo tried to once again even the score, but the squads traded scoring shots over the final minutes to allow Wilson to escape with an 11-9 victory.
In cage, Hannah Stambaugh picked up the win with 14 saves, while Lindsey McMackin took the loss for Rebel Polo with 13 saves.
Kelcy led the way for Rebel Polo with a game-high four goals. Hailey Freed and Ellie Hiestand both chipped in pairs to accompany a solo strike by Hannah Christie.
Swim RVA Pounces on Princeton, 15-7, to Conclude Day One 14U Action at 2019 National State Challenge
AMBLER, Pa. — Swim RVA (Va.) pulled out to leads of 8-0 and 12-1 by the conclusion of the first and second quarters, respectively, to hand Princeton (N.J.) a 15-7 loss in the final 14U game at Wissahickon High School to wrap-up Day 1 of the 2019 American Water Polo (AWP) National State Challenge.
For Swim RVA, Sev McNulty claimed the victory in cage with five saves. Mihailo Lemaic and Ben Berselli both scored five times with Koji Wood (one), Sam Lindsay (one) and Petar Stjepanovic (three) combining for the other five goals.
Julia Reznik took the loss between the pipes with eight saves. Kevin Ellingson led the Princeton offense with three goals.
Brooklyn Hustle Deals Maverick 15-13 Loss in 14U Play on Day 1 of 2019 National State Challenge
LANSDALE, Pa. — Aaron Gershkovich scored the game-winner with 2:01 left in the fourth quarter and Ben Gradus added insurance with 12 seconds remaining on the clock for the deciding factors as Brooklyn Hustle (N.Y.) overcame a Maverick (pa.) rally to hang on for a 15-13 victory in 14U competition at North Penn High School on the first day of the 2019 American Water Polo (AWP) National State Challenge.
Brooklyn Hustle trailed until the 2:50 mark of the third quarter as Maverick jumped out to an early lead. Trailing 4-2 with 5:10 left in the second quarter, Brooklyn Hustle began to climb back into the game as back-to-back strikes by Owen Randazzo (4:15) and Ayo Zeitlin (1:15 seconds) deadlocked the teams at four-all. However, Maverick regained the lead prior to intermission as Luka Sekulic (nine seconds) slipped in a shot to make it 5-4 entering the break.
Down 6-4 following a tally by Sekulic with 4:49 on the third quarter clock, Brooklyn Hustle rattled off four consecutive markers as Gradus (4:10, 2:50), Luke Pertz-Kelley (3:32) and Gershkovich (1:59) buried opportunities to push the New York squad ahead 8-6.
Sekulic (1:45, 1:01) sandwiched a score by Daniel Goldgisser (1:18) to pull Maverick back within one at 9-8 heading into the fourth quarter.
The teams exchanged scoring punches in the dawning moments of the final frame as Maverick pulled even at nine-all, 10-all, 11-all and 12-all prior to moving ahead at 13-12 on the strength of another marker by Sekulic at 2:57.
Similar to Brooklyn Hustle’s outburst in the third quarter, the squad from the Empire State finished out the contest with a flurry as Gradus (2:47, 12 seconds) and Gershkovich (2:01) combined for the final three blows to allow their team to rally back and claim a 15-13 win.
For Brooklyn Hustle, Gradus led the way with five goals, while Zeitlin deposited a trio. Goldgisser, Randazzo and Gershkovich chipped in pairs with Pertz-Kelley contributing a single goal.
In cage, Skye Gallagher turned away 14 shots to pick up the win for Brooklyn Hustle. Robin Lambregts took the loss for Maverick with seven saves in the second, third and fourth quarters after relieving Jordan Shuckman who made two saves in the first quarter.
Sekulic finished as the game’s higher-scorer with 11 goals.
Maverick & North Penn Prove Equals in the Challenge as Pair Tie 7-7 on Day 1 of 2019 National State Challenge 14U Competition
LANSDALE, Pa. — Trailing 7-4 with 3:55 left in the fourth quarter, Maverick (Pa.) rallied back to stun North Penn (Pa.) and tie the score prior to the final buzzer at seven-all on the first day of 14U Coed competition at North Penn High School during the 2019 American Water Polo (AWP) National State Challenge.
Leading 1-0 with 5:48 to go in the first quarter, Maverick saw North Penn pull even at one-all with 33 seconds left in the opening frame. North Penn pulled ahead in the second quarter as the team reeled off two goals to snag a 3-1 lead. Maverick evened the damage at three-all with 1:11 to go until halftime, but North Penn found an answer with 23 ticks on the clock to enter the break with a narrow 4-3 advantage on the scoreboard.
Maverick again balanced the score at four-all with 5:57 remaining in the third quarter. However, back-to-back-to-back strikes by North Penn at 2:11 of the third quarter, 5:17 of the fourth auarter and 3:55 of the final frame appeared to spell doom for Maverick as the team trailed 7-4 with under four minutes to play.
Similar to its earlier rallies, Maverick once again found the answer as a flurry of strikes at 3:00, 2:03 and 35 seconds squared the squads at seven-all.
Per tournament guidelines, overtime is not played during round robin play.
Swim RVA Outdistances Brooklyn Hustle, 24-6, to Commence 2019 National State Challenge 14U Competition
LANSDALE, Pa. — Petar Stjepanovic scored six times and Mihailo Lemaic tossed in seven more markers as Swim RVA (Va.) outscored Brooklyn Hustle (N.Y.), 6-2, 8-0, 4-2 and 6-2 during the first, second, third and four quarters, respectively, to take the 14U Coed opener at North Penn High School during the first day of the 2019 American Water Polo (AWP) National State Challenge.
Leading 4-0 by the 4:09 mark of the first quarter, Swim RVA saw its lead cut below four once over the remainder of the game as Brooklyn Hustle pulled within three at 4-1 with 3:06 left in the opening frame. However, Swim RVA pulled away with back-to-back goals to snag a 6-2 lead by the conclusion of the quarter prior to putting the game out of reach with an 8-0 outburst in the second quarter to acquire a 14-2 lead at intermission on the way to a 24-6 victory.
For Swim RVA, Sev McNulty earned the win in cage with nine saves in the first, second and fourth quarters. Nathan Karluk added five stops during the second and third quarters.
Ben Berselli chipped in five goals, while Leila Maynard ripped in a trio. Sam Laser, Sam Lindsay and Tyler Kannan each slipped in solo strikes.
For Brooklyn Hustle, Joshua Gradus punched in four goals with Aaron Gershkovich depositing a pair. Skye Gallagher took the loss with seven saves.