Eyeing the scoreboard after the 8-5 loss to Naperville Central May 1, George Lundgren ’16 knew that the boys water polo team could’ve had a win there if they were given a second chance. That makes their state quarterfinal game against Naperville Friday May 22 the perfect opportunity for redemption.

“I think we have the ability to beat any team in the state,” Lundgren said.

After finishing the season with a 29-4 record and a fourth-in-state ranking, the boys slid through sectionals and into the state tournament. An 11-0 win over Kennedy, a 10-6 win over Stagg, and a 15-6 win over Brother Rice in the sectional quarter finals semis and finals respectively, secured their spots in state.

“We came out sluggish the first time [against Naperville],” player Adam Cardone ’16 said. “They’ve got great perimeter shooters so we’re going to try to press out. That game we beat ourselves.”

Long time rivals of LT in the pool, Fenwick look to be one of the toughest competitors for the boys. The four losses have come from Stagg and Naperville Central, as well as two from the Friars. Their high-powered offense, scoring 53 goals at sectionals, compared to the Lions’ 36 looks to be tough to take down.

Lundgren delivered six goals against Brother Rice in their victory while captain goalkeeper Jack Linden ’15 kept their opponent under 10 goals, as he did for a majority of the season. The consistent defense can be attributed to help from fellow co-captain Tommy Kaptur ’15 and Nathan Henderson ’15.

“What allows us to be so solid all around is our conditioning,” Lundgren said. “We conditioned a lot more this year which has allowed us to be able to stay in there in the bigger games.”

The depth of the team and its intensity in practice has seen results better than in years past and proved that this team has what it takes, according to coach Doug Eichstaedt, who has been coaching with LT for 13 years.

“We’ve had practices that have been more intense than the games which has pushed all the players to improve during the season,” Eichstaedt said.

The junior and senior class that has been playing together since around the age of 10 have known each other and their roles on the team since they began.

“We’ve found a way to come together and balance each other out,” Eichstaedt said. “We figured out so many different ways to be successful and hope to use that on Friday.”