It’s the final day of the IHSA Water Polo season as Naperville North girls jump in the pool for the third-place game of the state series. The Huskies are eager to take out their anger after a semifinal loss to Stevenson. St. Ignatius is the next opponent, who is coming off a high-scoring 13-12 semifinal loss to York. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Both teams are even at one, but Natalie Brown changes that by fighting off her defender and scoring for the Huskies.
Molly Depies with a Hail Mary at the buzzer
The Wolfpack looks to answer, but they are denied by Rugi Stackevicius, who makes the save. Time is winding down in the first quarter when Stackevicus finds Molly Depies, who heaves up a high lob and connects on the buzzer beater. What a shot by Depies, and the Huskies lead 3-1 after one.
St. Ignatius quickly climbs back into it with Regina Torres, who receives the pass and gets the goal.
Next time around, it’s Isabella Curiel targeting the back of the net, and this game is tied again, this time at 3-3.
Let the shootout begin. Ava Podkasik gets the pass from Cate Czochara and throws a bullet in the goal to give the Huskies the lead back.
Pack of Dogs trading goals
Then Podkasik passes to Jane Freeman, who battles two defenders and still slots it in. Freeman makes it a two-goal game at 5-3.
St. Ignatius leading scorer Isabelle Hobson hopes to erase the two-goal lead, and now it’s one as Hobson hits the right corner. North still holds a 5-4 lead at the break.
The Pack starts the second half off on the right foot with Delaney Mulcrone getting a goal, and this game is tied back up at five.
Molly Depies comes to the rescue with, you guessed it, a goal. Her second of the game puts North back ahead at 6-5.
They’re back on the attack, looking to add more insurance. Kat Pavlovich answers the call as the Huskies increase the lead to 7-5.
Another Wolfpack goal makes it 7-6, so Pavlovich continues to make her presence felt as she nails in the goal. The game of “Kat” and mouse strikes again with Kat Pavlovich giving the Huskies an 8-6 lead with over three minutes to go.
Don’t count out St. Ignatius just yet. Mulcrone puts up a high lob that finds the goal. An unbelievable shot by Mulcrone keeps the Wolfpack alive, trailing 8-7 with under forty seconds left in the game.
Naperville North wins the girls’ water polo third-place trophy
From there, the Huskies activate their game of keepaway. They milk the rest of the clock, and this game is over. Naperville North ends the girls’ water polo season by capturing the third-place trophy with an 8-7 win over St. Ignatius. Head Coach Andy Bax finishes his first season as the Huskies head coach with a final record of 31-2 , with both losses coming to eventual state champion, Stevenson.
For more prep sports highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page.
