Boys Water Polo (8-4) traveled to Loomis Chaffee (Loomis) for a doubleheader against Loomis and Brunswick on October 11. Following a tough defeat to Brunswick, the team rebounded with a decisive win over Loomis. A strong defensive effort gave the team confidence heading into the game against Suffield Academy (Suffield) on Wednesday, where they emerged victorious again.
Lincoln Tomlinson ’27 reflected on the practices leading up to the doubleheader. The team targeted specific training strategies to prepare for playing in smaller pools at other schools.
“We spent the week before spending a lot of time practicing our 6-on-5, where we try to convert a 6-on-5 advantage into a point. We also spent a lot of time swimming up and down in a more cramped space, because Brunswick and Loomis have a smaller pool,” said Tomlinson.
With Brunswick being a notoriously competitive opponent, energy levels were high. Tomlinson described the team’s focus and emotions building up prior to the game, which it expected to be a fierce matchup.
“Some of us were looking forward to this game. We knew that was Brunswick’s second game. Some of us dreading it, hoping there’d be a little bit more time before we played them but we knew it was going to come. We were excited, though. We were on deck, we were ready,” said Tomlinson.
Leading up to the game against Brunswick, the team also worked to develop tactics to defend against and minimize the impact of Brunswick’s experienced players. Andrew Cai ’27 shared insights into a practice.
“There were two players on the Brunswick team who were particularly experienced, so we thought about how to play a drop defense effectively, which is basically guarding the center player more. Some of their other players just weren’t as confident [in] shooting and such,” said Cai.
Victor Hillier ’28 praised his teammates during the games. He highlighted Tomlinson’s defense against Brunswick.
“In both games [on Saturday], we really tried to have good defensive matchups. We put our best defensive players on theirs. Lincoln [Tomlinson ’27] was outstanding, especially against Loomis, shutting down their best player throughout the entire game,” said Hillier.
During Wednesday’s matchup against Suffield, the team’s offensive chemistry was on full display, with quick passes and confident finishes driving a strong game. Tomlinson shouted out how Co-Captain Oliver Stabach ’26 bypassed their opponents’ defense.
“One really memorable moment was when the ball was lobbed to our captain, Oliver Stabach. He made a gorgeous pick, spun around a defender to get closer, and ended up one-on-one with the goalie. And he made it happen,” said Tomlinson.
After a packed week of games against several tough opponents, the team emerged victorious and energized. Fueled by the momentum built throughout this week, Tomlinson expressed that the team now set its sights on securing a playoff spot.
“This makes our record 7 and 4 going forward. It improves our playoff hopes, and we’re definitely looking forward to it because there were some teams that we launched over. Today was a big win for both Varsity and JV, and I know we’re going to have a lot more energy, especially going into the St. John’s [Prep] game,” said Tomlinson.
The team will continue its season at home against St. John’s Prep on Friday, October 17.
