Girls Water Polo: L-Way Central edges H-F to punch ticket to state
By Tony Baranek tbaranek@southtownstar.com May 12, 2012 9:30PM
Lincoln-Way Central girls display their sectional title plaque. | TONY BARANEK
Updated: June 14, 2012 8:33AM
Crazy plays are a part of Lincoln-Way Central’s game plan.
One of them was supposed to occur Saturday, with just over two minutes remaining in the Lincoln-Way Central Sectional final against Homewood-Flossmoor.
Tied at 4-4 coming out of a timeout, Knights goalkeeper Caroline Foglton was instructed not to pass the ball up to junior Danijela Jackovich, who was instructed to draw attention from as many H-F defenders as possible to give a teammate a chance at an open shot.
As it turned out, Jackovich was the most open. So Foglton threw her the pass. Jackovich caught the ball, pump faked a couple of times and fired the ball into the net.
Two minutes later, everyone in a Knights uniform was going crazy.
The 5-4 victory was a history-maker, sending Lincoln-Way Central to the state finals for the first time.
Jackovich finished with four goals, Elizabeth Senese one, and Foglton made seven saves for the Knights (22-9), who are to meet Stevenson in the state quarterfinals at Stevens High School at 8:15 p.m. Friday.
Homewood-Flossmoor (21-11) received one goal each from Tess Adamonis, Claire Duncan, Rebecca Mathews and Maddy Morris.
“This feels great,” Jackovich said. “Three years I’ve been trying, and it’s finally here.”
The Knights twice had two-goal leads, only to see H-F push back into ties. What would be the Vikings’ last goal was scored with 6:41 remaining in the fourth period when Morris converted from the left side on a pass from Mathews to tie the game at 4-4.
Tough defense by Central, including two steals by Jackovich, denied H-F on nine consecutive possessions. But the Vikings had one golden opportunity shortly after Jackovich’s late goal, when H-F goaltender Anna Shirer lobbed perfectly to Mathews for a breakaway.
Foglton, standing her ground, blocked Mathews on a point-blank shot.
“Oh my gosh,” Foglton said. “I knew it was going to be a lob, and I knew that I had to do what coach tells me, to go up there and get it. It’s just a natural instinct to block for me. I just needed to do it, get it done.”
