Coming off of a big win against Glenbrook South, the boys water polo team was looking to keep the hot streak going against Brother Rice. Coming into the game, the Ramblers were sitting at just 3-5, and a win against the Crusaders would greatly help in their push for the playoffs. 

 “We know we’re better than them, so we’re going to come out aggressive, and play our regular game,” said coach Mike Cashman.

Actions speak louder than words, and oh boy was his game plan put into use. Just 25 seconds into the game, senior star Joe Gonnella whipped the ball into the Crusaders goal, and followed it up once again with another goal just 30 seconds later, giving Loyola an early 2-0 lead.

Brother Rice goalie Bobby Gilligan wasn’t able to stop the Rambler attack, as Loyola found themselves up 7-2 at the end of the first period. 

Looking to gain some momentum, Brother Rice junior Hunter Temple scored a quick goal, which was followed up with another goal from the Crusaders, making it a 7-4 game.

Loyola wasn’t ready to let them back into the game, as they responded with a quick four goals, scored once again by Joe Gonnella and other senior Joseph Holecek. From there, the Ramblers never looked back, scoring anytime they wanted.

The final tally was 17-4, with Joe Gonnella and junior Nathan Locke each scoring six goals, Joseph Holecek adding on three, and senior Stetson Atwood scoring two of his own. Loyola’s star goalie Jonas Brock’s effort and performance deserves to be spotlighted, as he allowed a season low four goals, and was a brick wall in front of the goal.

This win was big for the team. They’ve been underperforming for a good part of the season, and this win will hopefully put them on the right track. 

“To be honest, we expected this outcome,” Stetson Atwood said. “They were an inferior opponent, and we knew that, and we proved that. We just need to play like this against our stronger opponents,” he added.

Joe Gonnella chimed in with his own opinion. “It’s true that we were very confident we would win this, and maybe we were a little cocky. But this win is big for us. We had fun, everyone contributed, and we dominated as a team. I’m proud of us and our effort today.” 

There’s no doubt in my mind that this team has the talent to compete against anyone, they just need to play together as one, which they demonstrated they could do.

The Ramblers look to extend this win streak more, with a game against Curie on April 23.