Co-Captains Johnny Whitney ’08 and Ray Li ’08 close in on a Greenwich player during a tight contest agaisnt water polo powerhouse, Greenwich H.S. PHOTO/Ian Morris

Boys Varsity Water Polo, after a tough start, has made a remarkable turnaround to claim 2nd place in the New England Championship, which took place on Saturday, November 10th at Hotchkiss. In the semi-finals, Choate triumphed over Exeter 12-9 for the first time in 17 years, but lost to Deerfield in the championship 8-14. Exeter had won 10 consecutive New England titles.

In tournament’s quarterfinals match, #5 Choate and #4 Suffield played a very tight playoff match that would determine who would face #1 Exeter in the semis. With victories over Hotchkiss and Deerfield in the previous weeks, Choate was ready to taken on the Tigers. The match was a furious and riveting battle for the lead. Suffield scored the first goals, which Choate quickly countered, ending the quarter with a 3-2 lead. From then on, the teams traded the lead until Choate took control in the 3rd period. Suffield pulled ahead one last time in the beginning of the 4th, however, Choate scored three more goals in the final minutes, claiming the victory by two goals.

After losing to Exeter, the first seed of the tourney, earlier in the season, Choate managed to defeat the Big Red 12-10 during the semifinals. “We figured out how we had to play as a team to win and that’s how we turned everything round,” said Co-Captain Johnny Whitney ’08, who believed that Exeter went into the game too overconfident and that his teammates were more focused. Choate went up 6-3 in the first period, and kept the momentum through the second with a 10-7 lead with one period left in the game. With the help of goalie Matt Inglis’s ’09 record breaking 21 saves, the Boars beat Exeter 12-9. Choate’s victory broke Exeter’s streak of 10 consecutive New England titles. Only a year ago, Choate stood with a record of 8-11 and had no chance of an upset of this magnitude. This year, Choate has pulled off the biggest upset in the last ten years of NEPSAC Water Polo. Making to the Liquid Four was already a great achievement, but defeating the Big Red has marked a great moment in Choate Water Polo’s history. However, the Boars could not celebrate yet; in less then five hours, the boys would have the chance to extend their Dark House story against DA.

New England Finals

In the finals, Choate faced Deerfield for the fourth time this year. With the 2-1 season series favoring Deerfield, Choate would have to pull off another great upset to win the title. With Deerfield’s top scorer back from an injury, the Choate defense needed to step up and deny him the ball. However, Deerfield managed to build a 4-3 lead after the first period. The second was full of aggressive play from both sides; however, Deerfield proved to be too physical and extended its lead to 8-5 at halftime. With two quick goals early in the third frame, Deerfield took control of the match and went on to a 14-8 victory over Choate to win the NEPSAC Championship.

Individual efforts were vital to Choate’s postseason run. Whitney scored five goals in each contest against Suffield and Exeter, and three goals against Deerfield. Dan Fallahi ’09 was also another great contributor in Choate’s offense. Both Whitney and Fallahi were named to the All-Tournament team. However, even more impressive was Matt Inglis’ performancey. The Canadian National Team goalie made 20 saves in the cage against Suffield, 21 against Exeter, and 9 against Deerfield. He was voted into the All-Tournament team as the All-Tournament Goalie. David Lim ’09 described his keeper as, “arguably one of the best goalies that I’ve ever seen.”

Practice Routines

Several of the team members commented how the communal team effort improved throughout the season, and played a key role in the final weeks. They said that the team came together and played as a real “family.” Because of this strong linkage, Choate was able to beat teams that they lost to earlier on. “Watching us come together in these past few games has been awesome,” said Whitney. “Everyone’s got each other’s back,” agreed Ray Li. David Lim, who uses his skills as a lefty to strengthen the right wing, also commented that the cohesiveness of the team was much improved. He also mentioned that the team had received “some very talented new people, and the people that have been solid last year have gotten better.”

Coaches Todd Currie and Michael Velez started the season with strenuous swimming drills to whip the team back into shape. “I think it paid off a lot. I think our team is really fast,” said Ray Li. Every practice, the team does a warm-up, stretches, swim sets, and does passing and shooting drills, as well as half-court drills for game strategy. Once the game plan has been practiced, the full team scrimmages. Coach Carey Turnquest has been a great addition to the coaching staff this year, as he is in charge of training the two goalkeepers.

The captains have also been working to keep the team focused and motivated, by planning team dinners, encouraging hanging out in the locker room, and giving pep talks. “Intense speeches during the pre-game help motivate the kids. Our morale was always really high,” said Ray Li, as the team closed its season on a high note.