Barrington stifles McHenry to advance in playoffs

No. 4 Barrington 11, No. 5 McHenry 7

THE SKINNY

The competitiveness of the Mundelein Sectional boys water polo match between No. 4 Barrington (23-6) and No. 5 McHenry (8-13) matched both team’s seeds. A 4-4 stalemate was broken by a Broncos goal late in the first half. Barrington’s defense was the story the final two quarters as the Broncos cruised to a 11-7 victory Wednesday.

TURNING POINT

With 4:30 remaining in the first half, McHenry led the match 4-3. A technical problem with the timer inside the Mundelein Aquatics Center forced a 15-minute delay. The Broncos emerged from the unexpected break with more energy than their opponent, scoring twice in final two minutes to lead 5-4 at halftime.

THE STAR

Theo Papadimitriou. Barrington’s senior goalie was impenetrable from the midway point of the second quarter. Whether McHenry was on a counter or running its offense from the perimeter, Papadimitriou was a constant presence. His first passes got the Broncos into their offense, allowing utility players Marshall Mathias (three second-half goals) and Chase Lesniak (two goals) to score.

BY THE NUMBERS

McHenry went almost 12 minutes between the second and third quarters without scoring.

QUOTABLE

“After the [timer problem] we really wanted to step it up. We made a point to tell them to swim hard and emphasized coming out quick after that long.” — Barrington coach Rob Emary