All-Metro Swimming

Congratulations to Jungle Cats Dan Schmidt (2nd Team) and Brett Gleason (3rd Team), who were named to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's All-Metro Swimming teams.

Coach Hayes

JCWP Black 5 - SLAP 4

Just wanted to spread out the blog posts a little bit, in the Hannukah style.

A matchup of dominating defenses or of mediocre offenses? Like the AFC North of past seasons, it was sometimes hard to tell. Both teams in this contest should be credited with a persistent press defense that forced offensive players to turn their backs on the goal for most of the shot clock. The referees were not giving away fouls on the perimeter, and few scoring opportunities were created by either team.

The JCWP defense should also be credited with excellent help from the weak side and from the goal (Dylan Jungles). Whenever the SLAP players would attempt to pass over the top of the defense, help arrived quickly and effectively. Our statisticians lost count of the number of passes stolen with good help defense, but estimates range in the low thousands.

Because yours truly cannot remember who scored the first two goals, we'll begin our scoring recap in the 3rd quarter, when Christian Bopp scored on the deep goal. Christian was handling the ball just inside the right wing, with a slight advantage toward the goal. Meanwhile, two of his teammates were driving to the goal - one to the far post and one to the near post. It appeared the perfect opportunity for a quick hole-set, and maybe even a double-post scenario. Christian recalled the situation: "I looked at the ball, and I swear it winked at me. So, since I knew the ball had eyes, I just closed mine. I gave the ball a heave towards the goal, and it guided itself the rest of the way, far side. Goal."

Entering the fourth, and shooting shallow, JCWP trailed 4-3. It was gonna take some big guns to rally, and Rob Golterman provided the initial firepower. On a late developing counter-attack, Rob found himself at the 8-meter mark and just outside the right post. Sensing that the defense was committed to players in front of him, Rob got the ball, stepped to the 6-meter and scored on a peculiar but effective shallow-end skip-halo.

Needing only a goal for the win, while maintaining a suffocating ball-side press, the Black Cats found their chance in a 6-5 situation. Coach Hayes considered calling a timeout, but then remembered his morning horoscope, which had read: "Relinquish control of a situation and allow others to find their own way. With increased freedom comes increased self-knowledge."
With the defense scrambling to protect the inside, Christian Bopp calmly stepped in from the five slot and put the ball in the upper corner. His eyes, this time, were open.

The defense shut down SLAP for the remainder of the game.

Fin.

Orange 10 - Parkway 8

Parkway was short a few players to start the game, so we lent them a quartet of P-South All-Stars for the game (Auinbaugh, Champion, Brett Gleason and Patrick Gleason). Those four have played a lot together both as Jungle Cats and as Patriots and I knew they would really give the rest of Orange a good game.

I did not take down the end of quarter scores, but the game was tight throughout. In general, our game plan was to get the ball down to a wing and get a positive set through driving, which we had been working on the last few practices. The first half was brilliant in that regard as Michael Bowers was a driving and setting machine, generating a ball side drive on nearly every possession he was in the water for. Elsewhere on offense, Zach Smith, Michael Sigman and Darrian Castro did a great job creating position and communicating when and where they wanted the ball. For the most part, I was impressed with the counter-attack as goalie Pat Archer had little trouble finding a teammate winging out on every counter. Defensively, Pat Archer did a great job communicating with 2M defenders Justin Jellinek and Michael Tanner. The perimeter defenders stayed in the passing lanes for the most part and we forced a lot of bad passes, leading to easy steals.

Points to work on would be very similar to the things Yellow needs to work on: communication and getting back to defense. EVERYONE in the pool needs to talk more and the always appropriate "if you aren't in the play, go the other way." Not only does the phrase rhyme, it's a very good lesson for the boys to learn. Too often, we watch the play instead of watching our man. We need to anticipate when the counter-attack is about to happen.

For this game I went with a 3-star system...
- 3rd Star: Michael Tanner - solid in guarding Parkway's best threat, Jake Auinbaugh, and was part of my second favorite play of the game, a give and go with Michael Bowers (who deserves honorable mention for his performance) that generated a great inside water shot for Tanner
- 2nd Star; Justin Jellinek - guarded Auinbaugh a bit tighter than Tanner did, often preventing Jake from wanting to go into set. Justin had his hips in the passing lanes often and never got beat to the goal
- 1st Star: Zach Smith - was great at both ends and was by far the best offensive player in the pool. My favorite play of the game was Zach getting a steal from the point by playing passing lanes, sprinting to the cage with two guys coming down his back, doing a pop-shot which generated a 5M penalty shot when he got clobbered and unselfishly allowing Michael Sigman to take the 5M.

Special thanks to the P-South All-Star Quartet for being good sports and playing hard for the opposing team. Thank you Jake, Kenny, Brett and Patrick!

-Coach Tom

Yellow 10 - SLAP 5

There was 24 minutes of game time for Yellow on Saturday and the guys played hard for about 20 of them. During those 20 minutes, we protected the ball well on offense, made good hole passes and created opportunities through driving. I saw some flashes of offensive brilliance from Dan Pike, Michael Hagerty and Thomas Morgan. Defensively, Jack Buelter, Joe Kabance and Nate Burgraff did a great job preventing the SLAP 2M's from getting off shots of any velocity. Goalies Jake Chisholm and Sean Sullivan did a great job saving the shots within their range, in addition to very good counter-attack passing.

4 of SLAP's 5 goals came during the first 4 minutes of the second half. Yellow stopped moving offensively, forced hole passes into a crash and gave up a counter-attack goal on nearly every SLAP possession. To me, these issues are solved by better communication, anticipation and awareness.

• Communication: I was the only one talking out there, and I was in street clothes. 2M's need to instruct their perimeter players on how to best get them the ball. They need to speak early and often. 2MD's need to constantly remind their perimeter defenders to play passing lanes. Goalies need to direct traffic on counterattack defense, so we don't end up with two guys defending the same person while an open man is cross-cage.
• Anticipation: if you aren't in the play, go the other way. If there is a dangerous pass into 2M, don't watch the ball get stolen, go play defense.
• Awareness: do not just guard the guy who guarded you. Pick your head out of the water and look to see if you need to help. Don't assume your teammates see the same thing you do.

It was a fairly well-played game but for those 4 minutes in the 3rd quarter. This group is still learning to play together, but the flashes of brilliance are encouraging. Player of the game was Dan Pike who scored 3 or 4 goals, all from creating great position at 2M and making one big strong move. Practice starts back up in 2010. Happy Holidays!

-Coach Tom

Mad Dog B-2 8, JCWP Green 6

A much improved Green team came out this weekend and gave Mad Dog a run for their money. We ended up playing them evenly through 3 quarters and taking a 5-4 lead into the final stanza before things started to fall apart a little. Our set offense was much better, and our players' shot placement was usually right on, however we saw a few more ill-advised shots than we did last week. We had balanced scoring, with 5 players netting goals, (Gardner, Kennedy, Paniello, Stelmachowicz, and Ramaciotti) and strong defense in front of the goal that gave Mad Dog a lot of trouble scoring on set offense.

I was once laughed at for explaining to the boys I was coaching that a lack of communication could be "fatal." While that word is a little extreme, that scenario sort of played out today, as our lack of eye contact and silence while controlling the ball led to turnovers and counterattacks on which Mad Dog was usually able to convert. A few other goals came from overaggressiveness outside of 5M while on defense. Remember, our goal on defense is to force bad passes, not to be heroes and collect steals. Most players want to be fouled outside of 5M so that they can shoot on a free throw. It's a lot easier to score if your defender has to give you space, so it's imperative not to foul so that we make the other team's job difficult.

Co-players of the game go to Justin Ramaciotti for his two-meter defense and his conversion of a beautiful timing RB, and to Evan Stelmachowicz for tremendous improvement in front of the cage on both ends of the pool. The coaches would like to wish you all a happy holiday season and we look forward to continuing working hard and having fun in January.

-Coach Merritt

An Alternate Take on Green's Game

A loss is only a loss if a team doesn't take anything out of a game, and that's certainly not what happened during our contest with the Flyers. As Coach Rick pointed out, we had several shortcomings, especially with communication on offense. In our players' defense, we discovered that game on short notice, and the two players we designated to direct our offense from hole had never had instruction on playing in front of the goal. In addition, we had yet to discuss front court offense, so a score of 6-10 in our first contest against a team boasting at least 3 strong varsity field players and a stong varsity goalie is very respectable.

Almost all of the Flyers' goals came off of counterattacks which stemmed from our poor showing on offense, but again, we can't fault the boys too much for a lack of ball control since we haven't discussed our offense just yet. Defensively we did very well. Chris Kennedy and Charlie Archer showed great poise protecting the goal as two meter guards, and they received excellent support from their teammates who guarded the passing lanes and collected several steals. We generated several counterattack opportunities in the second half but often failed to convert because we forgot the general rules of thumb concerning placement of shots.

Our co-players of the game were newcomer Nick Koors for doing an outstanding job on both ends of the pool in his very first game and Chris Kennedy for his defensive leadership. In my opinion Charlie Archer also deserves recognition for his two way play, including (I believe) 3 goals. We can be assured that we'll be much more prepared when we take on Mad Dog in our next game.

-Coach Merritt

Orange vs. SLAP 12/12/09

On Saturday Jungle Cat Orange lost to SLAP Charizard 8 -7. Orange played strong defense throughout the game, but struggled with offensive production especially in the first half. A two-meter needed to drive in immediately and lead the offense. The perimeter players needed to get the ball from the goalie faster, and the two-meter and perimeter players needed to get the ball set quicker. Too many times the goalie held the ball for a majority of our shot clock. At the end of the first half orange was down 6-3.
With the second half came improvements. Offensive players were more willing to set, but still perimeter players were not driving through fast enough. As a whole the our half court offense looked sluggish. This being said, most of the orange players have not reviewed half court offense this year. By the middle of the forth quarter orange had taken a 7-6 led. This shows that orange not only continued to play strong defense in the second half, almost keeping them scoreless, but as well improved on offense. The “orange all stars” went in to finish the close game. SLAP was able to draw two kick outs and scored on one tying the game. In the final seconds, SLAP recovered the ball after a late shot attempt and scored on the buzzer.
Being only Orange’s first game of the season, they have a lot to look forward to. Skills that need work include: getting the ball from the goalie, getting the ball into 2meter, and driving. Be prepared to work on these skills in future practices. Drills that will benefit orange include: winging out for the ball, driving to set, and driving for shots. The player of the game was Daniel Maloney for his two goals in the first half, which kept Orange in the game. Runner up player of the game was Patrick Archer for multiple big stops in the shallow and deep.

-Coach O'Neill

Yellow's Game

Jungle Cat Yellow's Saturday game did not provide a very good barometer for the team's progress, as the Cats' counter-attack gave them an easy 5-0 lead through one quarter, and the game ceased being a contest. The Cats slowed things down from that point on, but did have some difficulty running their 2-meter offense smoothly.

Problem areas in the half-court offense involve some of the fundamental areas of the game: 1) balance and spacing in the umbrella offense, 2) awareness of the 2-meter's position and where he wants the ball, 3) passing away from from pressure.

The first two problems areas can be improved upon with better communication from the 2-meters. You guys (2-meters) have to understand that you are the "captains" of the offense whenever you take it upon yourself to be the focal point of the offense. But this does not mean that only 2-meters are allowed to communicate! It also will help to develop language that everyone will understand during the game, e.g. "reverse the ball" might mean that the 2-meter is set up on the side of the pool opposite the ball, and we need to move the ball to that side in order to get the ball into 2-meter. Using a person's name is the best way to get that person's attention, and "weak" tells a teammate that someone is open cross-goal with an opportunity to score, as opposed to "ball," which is one of five words my one year old nephew knows, because, like all of you Cats, he wants the ball for reasons all his own.

The third problem area will be improved upon if players will begin to move on offense, especially with the use of picks (2-1's and 4-5's). One of the "rules of passing" that I once learned is that you don't pass to a person who is not moving. There are, of course, obvious exceptions to this "rule," but the lesson is that a player should be moving away/releasing from pressure when he receives the pass - this makes the next pass that much easier. If your movements are coordinated - and we will go over this in future practices - we should not have to force wet passes into the corner or up against the wall, but instead will be able to move the ball freely with dry passes, and save our 2-meters a lot of wrestling time.

Final point: in the fourth quarter, when we are winning by a lot of goals, we want the game to end. This doesn't mean that we stop playing hard or that we allow ourselves to get sloppy. It just means that we use as much of the shot clock as possible, and once we are under 30 seconds in the game (or under a couple minutes, for that matter), we should be content to let the clock expire. When games drag on with multiple unnecessary goals, nothing good can come of it, from our perspective. And, as we saw on Saturday, if gives a thuggish player more opportunities to antagonize, harass and bully his opponents, and turn the game of water polo into something it isn't.

-Coach Hayes

Coach Rick's Thoughts on Black's Game

Black played just alright in the first half and dominated the second, like it should have in the 4-2 win.

First of all, use the deep end to your advantage. In most cases, it's easier to score when your team is attacking the deep end than when you're attacking the shallow end. Recognize that and put extra pressure on offense.

The shot selection needs to be better. No matter who the goalie is, anyone should be able to stop a shot from 9 meters out. Bring the ball in! Don't get in the habit of shooting lob shots from the outside. A lob needs to be set up: try a skip shot and a couple hard shots before you shoot the lob. When you're playing the better goalies, they're going to realize that you like to lob and will come to expect it. In those cases, it will only work once or twice in a game, so pick your spots well.

If the opposing team offers you open water, take it! On counter attacks, if you can't make a safe pass and you see open water, go for it. By doing so, you will put yourself in a better position to attack or you will draw a defender away from someone else. If the other team gives you space on a 6 on 5, take it! Walk the ball hard toward the goal until someone comes to knock you down. Again, this will either put you in a better spot to attack the goal or it will open someone else up with a better shot at the net.

Another note on the 6 on 5, use the clock. On the first two 6 on 5s today, we used 2.5 seconds of a possible 40 and didn't score on either chance. Slow the ball down and set up your attack. This is a good time to wear down the other team. Jungle Cats are blessed to have a bench full of good players. Take advantage of your numbers! Swim hard and if you need a break, we'll take you out for a breather. But play as hard as you can when you're in the water.

On counter attacks, when someone sets up in front of the goal as a hole man, the counter attack is effectively over. That player needs to direct his players to set up the offense. All other drivers need to realize someone is parked in front of the net and not drive through the middle. This happened several times today. When you drove through, you brought your defender with you and the middle got clogged up. Even out the offense and run it.

Finally, a note to 2 meter guys. A hole man has three jobs. Everyone knows that the hole man should either shoot the ball or distribute it to drivers. The job that everyone forgets is that he needs to DRAW A KICK OUT. So if you can't distribute the ball or shoot it, work to draw a kick out.

I was impressed with the defense for the most part. The guys did a good job of playing in the passing lanes, stealing passes, and setting up effective counter attacks. The counter attacks wore the other team down and allowed you to play your game in the second half.

Coach Rick's Thoughts on Green's Game

First of all, congrats to all the guys playing in their first game today! Keep it up! It only gets more fun!

The first thing I noticed today was the lack of communication in the pool. Everyone should be talking and helping each other out. If you're open, call for the ball. If you need help on defense, call for someone to drop and help you out. If you're not sure what to yell, yell something; the next time you get out of the pool, ask one of the coaches or one of your teammates what you should yell.

Communication on defense starts with the goalie. The goalie is the general on defense. He needs to tell his players where the ball is, which players need to be specially marked, point out any players not guarded, and he needs to tell the 2 meter defender how to guard the hole man.

On offense, the 2 meter man should be in charge of the offense when he can. Let your team know which side you want to set on. If you want someone to drive, call for them to drive through. To the drivers and wingers: if you're open, call for the ball! Everyone on the bench should be yelling, too. When the shot clock gets to 10 seconds, everyone should be yelling "YELLOW!!" and when it gets to five seconds, "RED!!!!!!!". Red means the shot clock is about to run out and the player with the ball should dump it into the corner.

On counter attacks, the ball should go down the right side of the pool, then crossed into the center. The first player down the pool should swim hard for the right goal post, when he gets between the 5 and the 2, he should swim straight to the side of the pool and call for the ball. All the other players should be driving for the goal, looking to get a pass from the wing. That being said, sometimes the best counter attack is to slowly bring the ball up and set up your offense.

On a 5 meter shot, make sure you're ready to shoot as soon as you line up. The referee's whistle means SHOOT!

Finally, if you get kicked out, you're not allowed to push off the wall to get back into the game. If the ref sees you, he will kick you out again. Remember, you can only be kicked out three times, so you don't want to waste a kick out on something silly like pushing off the wall.

Overall, 10-6 wasn't a bad outcome. It was a good game against a more experienced team. Again, congratulations to all the first timers!

Welcome Back

JCWP begins play in the winter league today, December 12. Visit again for results and analysis from our coaches.

American River 6 - JCWP 3

Well, the Cats again gave it a go at a California team (American River out of Sacramento) and though we battled to the end, we couldn't put together 4 quarters of intensity. In the end, not doing the little things led to three straight losses to end the tournament. Getting up big to pass, finishing each throwing motion, converting on scoring chances, keeping our hips up on defense, leaving early for defense/offense, winning 50-50 balls...little things that if executed properly, end up in a victory.

There isn't much to say about the game itself without repeating some of the things I said in the Santa Barbara, United and Shores games. We did have a lot more kickouts in this game because we wouldn't finish our counter defense, but the play of Sean Sullivan in the cage (11 saves), in addition to good field blocking neuatralized most of the Am River advantages. Sean was named player of the game.

But this post shouldn't be all negative as we had a great week. We had a lot of fun and bothe the boys and coaches learned a lot about the next level of water polo. We didn't come out to win (although it would have been nice), we came out here to learn and get better. For the most part, I'm thrilled with our performance and as Coach P said, we had a lot of close games, which is encouraging. Hopefully sometime soon, we can come out here to win.

I'll calculate the stats and post them later, but I think it's safe to say that the goalies were the tournament MVP's for us. The defense was designed to funnel outside shots to the goalie and Jake and Sean did a great job giving our guys a chance to win every game.

The rumor is that there will be a "wrap party" in the coming weeks. I'm crossing my fingers that the rumor is true. Stay tuned.

Until then, big thanks go to the parents for making this all happen. The parents who made the trip did a phenomenal job keeping the coolers filled and the cheers loud. Props to Mrs. Maloney, Mo and Grandma Smith, the Bowers', the Buelter's, the Savio's, the Tanner's, Mr. and Timmy Adcock and of course the Lewis girls. Wouldn't have been the same without you! Have a great rest of the summer y'all.

Santa Barbara B 4 - JCWP 3

The Cats had their best defensive effort of the tournament, allowing a tournament low 4 goals. Jake Chisholm was player of the game yet again making some really good stops.

Usually, allowing only 4 goals would get us a win, but the Cats had very little fire on the offensive end, seemingly waiting for someone else to step up. I attribute this partyl to fatigue and partly due to the loss to United when we couldn't do anything. And when the offense isn't clicking, the boys tend to press which leads to poor passing, poor shot selection and lots of turnovers.

The lesson learned is that the officials aren't going to reward our efforts unless we are high in the water, making moves to the goal. Anything less and we find ourselves over-pressed and getting beaten down.

One more game for 11th in the Gold bracket. American River at West Valley at 12:10pm. Afterwards we hop on a 4pm flight and will be back in St. Louis sometime before midnight.

The Last Practice

All Cubs, Leopards, and Lions (and JCWP alums who happen to read this) are invited to an intrasquad scrimmage Tuesday night at Chaminade from 6:45 PM to 8:30 PM. There are no more league games, so this is the final event for this summer session. Please come!

United 6 - JCWP 0

United was far and away the most physical team we have played in this tournament and we more or less backed down when they got in our face. The officials commented after the game that our boys would have been rewarded for swimming through the holds and being high in the water. The way the game is called out here is all about rewarding position and effort. We had good position most of the time, but were so low in the water that the officials allowed United to be physical.

The biggest bright spot in the game again came from the goalie position as Jake Chisholm bailed out his teammates on numerous occasions. The final score would have been a lot worse had it not b en for Jake (obviously the POTG).

Despite our worst effort of the tournament, the boys are upbeat and ready to take it to Santa Barbara at 4pm. All agree that 4-3-1 has a nice ring to it.

We are now positioned to take between 9th and 12th in the Gold bracket (33rd - 36th place).

JCWP 6 - South Valley 5

Finding themselves down again going into the 4th, the Cats found their offensive stride and netted three unanswered goals to win the game in regulation. Lewis scored left-handed when he drove to the right post and buried an Adcock pass off a foul. Smith scored off of "K-Wood" the play we designed to get him open up top. Zach drew the foul and nailed the shot right-side high. Erlinger had the game winner from 2M off a sweep shot created by a great Kabance set pass.

The win kept us alive for the top spot in the gold bracket, which would be 25th overall. Currently we can finish no worse than 36th overall, which is the best finish JCWP has ever had at JO's.

The bad news is that we got down early again and had to fight back against a weaker team (again). As Coach Dale commented, the crash defense works if all 6 defenders are committed to it. Too often we get lazy and allow the 2M to get the ball or allow a shooter to shoot without.being pressured.

But, we switched to a press in the 4th to get our counter attack going, and the change disrupted South Valley's rhythm leadin to a 4th quarter shutout.

3rd star was Sam Erlinger who knotched two goals, including the game winner.

2nd star was John Lewis for two goals and an assist, one of which was a off-hand shot to the upper corner.

1st star was Sean "Snakes" Sullivan for his 7 saves, at least three of which were game savers in the 4th quarter.

Next up is United from Washington at 11:10am at Stanford. We scrimmaged this team earlier in the week and the boys are very confident that we can beat them.

2nd Reminder for Final Week

Cubs - We will have one more practice Monday, July 27th from 5:30-6:45 PM. It will be a straight scrimmage. So come excited and ready to play.
There will be no games in the morning on that day.Leopards and Lions - You have practice Monday July 27th and Tuesday July 28th from 6:45-8:30. There will be no games for you this final week.
Any questions please contact

Coach Cutelli at ccutelli@pkwy.k12.mo.usThanksCoach Charlie

jungle cats win in shootout

Facing another californi a b team, the cats knew they had to bring intensity for four quarters. Despite two early first quarter goals by opponent sacramento b, the cats locked down defensively, allowed one goal per remaining quarter. Running their usual crash defense, the cats were very active up top, generating many steal and forcing bad outside shots.

The offense got off to a slow start as passes were errant and shots either hit the goalie and barred out, but things started to turn in the third quarter as top defenders as top defenders started going "miles"(which means leaving early for offense), leading to break away oppurtunities and odd man rushes. Down two goals in the fourth, thomas morgan and john lewis came up big out of set with strong, aggressive moves and burrying their shots for goals, tying the game.

After regulation we went into a shootout where thomas morgan, zach smithn and sam erlinger converted on their five meter shots while sacramento was stone walled by jake chisholm in three straight shots.

The third star of the game was joe kabance for his great defensive effort, including bridging the opposing two meter down the whole pool exhausting him for the possession. The second star went to aaron adcock for once again being the offensive spark and getting the "miles" ball rolling in the third quarter. First star went to jake chisholm who made eight saves, including one big save in the shootout in addition to great counter attack passing.

Next game at 7:50 at stanford.

*transcribed by sean sullivan

San Diego Shores B 11 - JCWP 7

One quarter of strong play was all Shores B needed to put the game out of reach for the Cats. That quarter was the second as a 3-2 first quarter Cats lead was erased by 5 unanswered goals on straight possessions from Shores B. Up 7-3 at halftime, all Shores had to do was match goals for the rest of the game to advance past the Cats.

The Cats showed great intensity in the first quarter and cruised to a lead behind great efforts from Joe Kabance and Sam Erlinger. But, we got too comfortable in the driver's seat and Shores came roaring back as the Cats defenders played with their hips down, allowing Shores to move the ball and get great shots off. With the short quarters (5 minutes) the four goal lead was hard to come back from.

Player of the game was Aaron Adcock who had a hat trick, displaying his explosiveness in the set. Next up is Dallas at 3:20pm.

Lamorinda 14 - JCWP 5

After a 6-0 start in favor of Lamorinda, the Cats raised their intensity level and played with the legendary local club the rest of the game. True to their reputation, Lamorinda was very fast, very aware and capitalized on most of the Jungle Cat turnovers. From the beginning, the experience and ability level of the Lamorinda boys was obvious and we appeared outmatched.

It was encouraging, however, to hear the boys comments in the postgame. Rather than saying "they were so good" or "we should have lost anyway", the boys were saying things like "we're a better team than that", "our effort should have been better" and "we need to set the tone at the beginning of the game, like they did to us." I think they recognize that even though we likely would lose to them the majority of the time, it's not winning or losing that matters, but how we play. I think they see that they need to raise their intensity level from the get-go and carry that intensity throughout the game.

Player of the game went to Thomas Morgan for his goal, assist and steal. Goalie Jake Chisholm had some nice saves along with accurate passing. John Lewis also turned in a solid performance at both ends.

It was a good first day, even though we ended up in the gold bracket. The goal going forward is to get some wins under our belt and finish in the top eight in the bottom bracket. That journey starts with a good game tomorrow morning.

San Diego Shores B tomorrow at 8:40AM at Stanford.

Final Week

Cubs - We will have one more practice Monday, July 27th from 5:30-6:45 PM. It will be a straight scrimmage. So come excited and ready to play. There will be no games in the morning on that day.

Leopards and Lions - You have practice Monday July 27th and Tuesday July 28th from 6:45-8:30. There will be no games for you this final week.

Any questions please contact Coach Cutelli at ccutelli@pkwy.k12.mo.us


Thanks

Coach Charlie

JCWP 5 - De Anza 5

The goal for the Cats was to come out hard early and put De Anza on their heels. We were ready and focused and came out blazing with three shots on our first possession. Unfortunatly, the De Anza goalie was up to the task all game and stumped the Cats early and often.

The Cats controlled the game for the most part, but we had trouble converting on our chances. We would get the ball in deep to 2M's Lewis, Morgan, Adcock and Erlinger, who would make a strong move toward the goal but would fire it into the goalie's arm.

De Anza scored 4 of their 5 goals in the first half, mostly from strong outside shots. There was some comlplacency from the Cats in the first half, but we locked it down in the second half, closing on outside shooters when they got into attacking position. Player of the game Joe Kabance led the defense with two steals from 2MD in addition to scoring the first goal.

Overall, we played a very good first game. We weren't intimidated by a California club and we really asserted ourselves at both ends of the pool. We were in the drivers seat most of the game and had two possessions at the end of the game that were very close to putting us over the top. Just a few more upper corner/halo shots and. That game was ours. Credit should go to De Anza's goalie for playing a tremendous games.

Lamorinda in 30 minutes. If we play like we did against De Anza, we will get second in our pool. Stay tuned...

JCWP on Twitter

If you're not following the Jungle Cat's trip out in California on Twitter, then you're not a true J. Cat. 51 updates to date, multiple pictures every day, and even some witty comments by me.

Once the tournament starts on Saturday, you can expect detailed game summaries through this blog page with continued mini-updates via Twitter.

If you're new to Twitter, it's okay! You don't need to have an account to follow. Just visit www.twitter.com/jcatpolo. If you do have an account or want to join, you can set up to receive updates when I post something.

Thanks for thinking this is cool.

Practice July 21st

We will still be having practice for the Cubs from 5-6:45 this evening. It will be a great warmup for our games later in the evening.

Coach

CHANGES IN SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK PLEASE READ

Due to problems at MICDS and LADUE next week there have been some changes to the schedule for this week. Please see below for game times and LOCATIONS.

Monday, July 20th, 2009 stay as scheduled "B" games
6:45 PM Mad Dog Red vs. Flyers
7:35 PM Kirkwood vs. Women SLAP
8:25 PM JCWP Orange vs. Flyers
9:15 PM JCWP Green vs. Parkway
9:00 PM Mad Dog Red vs. SLAP at Clayton Shaw Park

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009 (These would be the "B" games that are scheduled for Monday July 27, 2009)
6:45 PM Mad Dog Red vs. Kirkwood
7:35 PM Flyers vs. Parkway
8:25 PM Kirkwood vs. JCWP Green
9:15 PM SLAP vs. JCWP Orange

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009 (Previous "A" league schedule changes already announced)
6:45 PM Mad Dog vs. Jungle Cat Black
7:35 PM Mad Dog vs. Daisy 1
8:25 PM SLAP vs. Daisy 2
9:15 PM Jungle Cat Yellow vs. Daisy 1

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009 At MICDS "A" level games
6:45 PM Mad Dog vs. JCWP Yellow
7:35 PM JCWP Black vs. Mad Dog
8:25 PM JCWP Black vs. Daisy 1
9:15 PM SLAP vs. Daisy 2

JCWP coaches look to stay afloat at Clayton Tournament

Jungle Cat Water Polo will once again be participating in the country's longest continuous outdoor tournament this weekend, the Clayton Senior Open. This year's squad will have a new twist from previous editions: nearly all of the club's coaches will be playing, along with some of the Black team and a few special alumni. If nothing else, it will be a great time but with a deep roster, the team is hoping to stay competitive throughout. The team kicks off the tournament tonight (Friday) at 6:50 vs. Clayton 'Tremors' and continues bracket play on Saturday at noon versus the legendary New York Athletic Club.

Roster

Kids - Dan "The Goezzel" Goeddel, Rob Golterman, Michael Hagerty, Daniel Pike, Marty Ruzicka, Nick Keao

Distinguished Alumni - Matt Hohenberger, Michael O'Neill, John Heafner (in spirit)

Coaches - John Penilla, Tom Milford, Charlie Cutelli, Tim Dale, Jake Meyer, Max Wurm, Conner Keefe, Danny Faust, Steve Sigman

Updates to be posted via our Twitter feed at twitter.com/jcatpolo.

16’s go 2-0 on the evening

First Game: 16’s 14 – SLAP 10
Player of the game Jake Chisholm made a ton of saves when his team needed him, plus his passing was the best it’s been all summer. In general, the offense is looking very good. We are aggressive and we are getting really good at moving the ball down to the wing and generating ball-side drives. SLAP had some strong players (read: older) and the youthful Cats went in fearless and did a good job not letting their best players beat us.

Second Game: 16’s 10 – Mad Dog 9 (OT)
The second game of the evening was a little sloppier as we generally outplayed Mad Dog the entire game, but too often gave up bad goals by making what Coach Baud calls the “wrong mistake”. Mistakes are okay, but we need to a better job in making the less costly mistake (such as overplaying the 2M in a crash rather than the perimeter players, or staying on the guy closest to the goal rather than press the ball, or driving the wrong way instead of not driving at all, or missing low on 6-on-5 passes rather than missing high). Making mistakes is part of polo (and life) we just need to figure out how to minimize the impact of making a mistake by being in the right position.

Also, hips starting dropping and there was a lot of bouncing on the ground in this game. A lot of fatigue is mental and we need to force ourselves to reinforce good habits when we are tired (As Joe Kabance pointed out, rest on your stomach, not your back, because at least you are resting in good position).

Three important plays of note in the 4th quarter: down two, our 7th goal was scored by Thomas Morgan off of a hole pass created by a great wing out and shrug move by Aaron Adcock, our 8th goal was scored near-side low by Zach Smith off an aggressive drive, and our 9th goal (and go-ahead goal at the time) was scored by Sam Erlinger on an aggressive move in the hole. Those three plays wouldn’t have happened a month ago, we’re really improving.

Two POTGs…the first being Thomas Morgan for being the offensive catalyst in the 4th quarter when we were down 3 goals, and for scoring the game winner in overtime…the second being Sean Sullivan for repeating Jake’s performance in the first game, making the saves he needed to make (plus some ones that maybe he shouldn’t have) on top of really good passing.

Being down 8-5 going into the fourth, we scored 4 unanswered and almost shut out Mad Dog for the win but for one defensive lapse at the end of the 4th quarter. This team has shown the ability to completely shut teams down, but has yet shown the focus and the intensity to do so for 4 quarters. We need to do that in California if we want to be successful.

Flyers outlast Jungle Cat Green

Heading into the game Jungle Cat Green did not know what to expect. Challenging a bigger and definitely older Flyers team Jungle Cat Green had a lot in store for these Goliaths. After a quick pep talk from their coaches they took it right at the giants. Leading 3-2 after the first quarter with only one sub Jungle Cat Green looked great. It was a back and forth struggle and was 8-6 with about 4 minutes left in the 4th quarter in favor of the Flyers. Green scored one more goal as Justin swam in on a breakaway, picked the ball up with his off hand, faked and scored. Fatigue set in and the final score was 12-7 Flyers. It was a great game by Green. They played great defense anchored by 2 meter defender Chris "I played 4 quarters and I'm not even winded" Kennedy and on the offensive front by double trouble....Michael Sigman and Darrian Castro. There were a couple of miscues in our movement of the ball down the pool. The first rule of passing is eye contact and on 7-8 occassions we threw the ball away because no one was looking for a pass even though they were open and should have been. Both coaches were very happy with the way their crew played. Keep up the good work.

Coach Cutelli

More Scheduling & Clayton

Beginning Tuesday, July 21, the Lions and remaining Leopards will practice during the Leopards practice time, 6:45 PM to 8:30 PM, through the rest of the summer. (Thus, there will be no practice from 8:30 PM to 10:15 PM.) The dates are July 21, 23, 27, and 28. The last games for the A league are July 29, although the times have yet to be determined and the location may not be MICDS. Check here for more information.

The last games for the B league are July 27. The games are scheduled, but again the location may not be MICDS. The last Cubs practice is next Thursday, July 23.

Clayton Sr. Open Schedule -- Friday @ 6:50, Saturday @ Noon; further games TBA

Special Schedule for Thursday, July 16 (posted again)

All of this will take place at Chaminade. Please arrive at the time listed to warm up.
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Orange vs. Green (If the Kittens do not have a game that night, they should plan to play in this game.)
6:00 PM - 6:30 PM 16U practice
6:30 PM - 7:30 PM 16U vs. Yellow
7:30 PM - 8:30 PM 16U / John's All-Stars scrimmage
8:30 PM - 9:30 PM John's All-Stars vs. Black
Black may have additional practice after the game.

Jungle Cats 18 and Unders Finish Strong in Chicago

The older cats continued their domination of the Lyons Township Invitational Tournament, winning their last game 14-4. Once again they got off to a sluggish start but began pressing which created plenty of turnovers. In front of a racous home crowd, the Cats ran away with the game against Lyons.
All in all, the tournament was a great success. The first club we played had ended up 8th in Illinois this past season, the club from Michigan contained multiple members from the state championship team of last year, and the final club we played ended up 4th in Illinois this past season. The coach I spoke with was most impressed with our ability to press. He said his team was used to a press but that ours overwhelmed them and they could not do anything. Coming away from the tournament I concluded that we are not a flashy group of water polo players. We play hard-nosed, fundamentally sound water polo. We work hard to get kick outs and score goals. It is evident that our style of polo is successful as we continue to win. A special thanks to the parents that chaperoned the trip and congratulate the group that represented Jungle Cats well.

Coach C

Chicago Cats Hold on for Victory Against Michigan

In the toughest challenge of the day the Cats won their second game of the day 10 to 7. Ann Arbor befuddled the Cats with some different offensive schemes. The Cats settled as the game was back and forth with a lot grabbing from the opponent. In the end good fundamental water polo won out.

Chicago Cats Win Big

It was a tense first three minutes as the Jungle Cats battled with Lakeshore and were tied one to one. They couldn't get anything going until they shook off the car rust and took over. The final score was 15 to 4. It was a great defensive effort that turned into turnover after turnover. We drew two five meters and 5 kickouts. The opposing coach was very impressed with our press. That was the gameplan and it worked out well we play again at 1.

Chicago

The 18 and unders made it safely to Chicago. Our first game is in 30 minutes.

Special Schedule for Thursday, July 16

All of this will take place at Chaminade. Please arrive at the time listed to warm up.

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Orange vs. Green (If the Kittens do not have a game that night, they should plan to play in this game.)

6:00 PM - 6:30 PM 16U practice

6:30 PM - 7:30 PM 16U vs. Yellow

7:30 PM - 8:30 PM 16U / John's All-Stars scrimmage

8:30 PM - 9:30 PM John's All-Stars vs. Black

Black may have additional practice after the game.

Black team remains undefeated, squeaks by Daisy

The Jungle Cat Black team continued its strong play in the summer league with an 8-5 victory over Daisy. This was by far the closest game so far for the Cats, but they responded well to the competition. Despite some confusion early in the game matching up with 2M's, the team was able to build a lead thanks to strong play by Player of the Game Marty "Big Game, No Practice" Ruzicka and Michael Hagerty. Coach Tim remarked after the game, though, that the team seemed to play with spurts of apathy and excitement. He left the huddle challenging the team to keep its focus for an entire game.

Recent Schedule Changes

14 and under league for this Thursday July 09:
6 PM JCWP Kittens vs. Mad Dog at Ladue

B league changes for Monday July 13:
6:45 PM Kirkwood vs. JCWP Orange at MICDS
9:15 PM JCWP Green vs. Flyers at MICDS

A League changes for Wednesday July 15:
6:45 PM SLAP vs. Jungle Cat 16
7:35 PM Jungle Cat Yellow vs. Daisy 2
8:25 PM Mad Dog vs. Jungle Cat 16
9:15 PM Jungle Cat Black vs. Daisy 1

A League changes for Wednesday July 22:
6:45 PM Mad Dog vs. Jungle Cat Black
9:15 PM Jungle Cat Yellow vs. Daisy 1

The last week of July 27th we will need to move to another pool for the A and B leagues. More information to follow.

JCWP Green Victorious over Mad Dog Red

WOW!! The JCWP Green team improved their record to 3-1. They defeated the Mad Dog Red team 9-2 last night. It was by far the best game the team has played all year. They were in true championship form. The highlight was the defensive effort. Players were press blocking and playing in the passing lanes, true to form. This lead to turnover after turnover, which in turn lead to counterattack goals. If Green can play like they did the rest of the summer the sky is the limit.

Coach C

Chicago Tournament

Lyons Township Water Polo Tournament July 11th, 2009 Information:

BEFORE WE LEAVE FOR CHICAGO, PLEASE COMPLETE A RELEASE FORM. YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO TRAVEL TO CHICAGO WITOUT COMPLETING & TURNING IN THIS FORM.

YOU CAN FIND THIS FORM AT – http://www.geocities.com/junglecatpolo/release.pdf

You may either email it to me (ccutelli@pkwy.k12.mo.us) or print it out and hand it in.

Please meet at St. James the Greater Parish (1360 Tamm Ave, 63139) at 5:30 am on Saturday morning. We will plan on being on the road by 5:45 am. You should bring breakfast, snacks, drinks, etc as we want to minimize our stops on the way up there. Our game schedule is below. We plan on leaving the pool immediately after the final game and will either eat prior to getting on the road or will stop for a quick bite.
The coach going on the trip is Charlie Cutelli (314.541.4704). He will be driving along with the Meyer family. If you need to get a hold of me please feel free to call my cell phone.

I am looking for another parent driver to drive three more athletes. If you can help out I would appreciate it.

Lakeshore vs. Jungle Cats 11:20 AM

Ann Arbor vs. Jungle Cats 1:00 PM

Lyons vs. Jungle Cats 4:20 PM

Cost of the trip per athlete: $55.00 (Please make check payable to Charlie Cutelli). Lunch, dinner, etc. are not included in this fee.

There IS practice tonight!

I have received some emails wondering about practice...all three groups have practice tonight at the regular time!

JCWP 16's 11 - Daisy 8

The 16's got off to a rough start allowing two goals early in the first quarter, but one strong characteristic of this team is that they never quit. We started to clamp down defensively, forcing outside shots and creating steals off hole passes. Shot-clock awareness was good as we were not getting beat on counter-attack and we ourselves created some counter-attack opportunities by leaving early. Both goalies were solid, especially Sean Sullivan in the passing department, and only two more goals were allowed in the second and third quarters, giving the 16's a 8-4 lead going into the 4th.

The 4th quarter was not our best effort as we are prone to letting teams back into games. Daisy came out firing with three goals early to bring the score to 8-7. Two of the goals came on counter-attacks as the 16's lost the shot-clock awareness they displayed in the first three quarters. Two more goals were traded and the 16's were looking at a 9-8 lead when Sam Erlinger decided that enough was enough. I believe Sam scored the last three goals by being aggressive, winging out to get the ball, turning his defender and attacking the goal. Sam was named POTG and we expect him to bring his 4th quarter aggressiveness to every game from now on.

The offense looked it's best last night because we had many more members of the "wing-out club". Daniel Maloney and Zach Smith were joined by Michael Savio, Sam Erlinger, Michael Bowers and Thomas Morgan. I believe we will be performing at our highest level when all 12 field players have joined the club. When we get the ball out of the goalie's hands early and move it down to the wing, good things happen.

Black team -- 1 game only at 6:45

Surprise, surprise. The schedule has changed for the Black team tonight (W, 7/1/09).

We only have 1 game tonight, and it is at 6:45 against SLAP. Should be a good game. PLEASE COME!

League Schedules Finally Posted

The Summer League schedules have finally been released for both the A and B leagues! Athletes and parents can connect through the junglecatpolo.com website on the 'Schedule' link, or by visiting the Missouri Water Polo site.

New Trier 11 - JCWP 9

In the final game of the tournament, the Cats came out flat against host New Trier, going to halftime down 9-4, the most goals the Cats allowed in any two quarters all tournament. Afterwards, the boys all felt like they were not focused before the game, having just played eventual champion Loyola very close. New Trier came out blazing and it took until halftime for the Cats to finally bring their intensity around to match New Trier's.

The second half was won by the Cats 5-2, but it was too little, too late as New Trier held off a late surge to claim the victory and second place in the tournament. Your Jungle Cats took third with a 2-2-1 record.

Thomas Morgan was named offensive player of the game for his strong offensive effort and best defensive effort so far this summer.

The boys learned a lot this weekend. We improved each game (except for the 1st quarter of the last game) and we came together as a team. The boys got to know each other and their coaches a lot better and the "deer in headlights" look in their eyes were gone by haltime of the first game (as observed by Mr. Savio). The crash defense has come a long way in just a few short weeks and we are starting to figure out when to stay and when to go. Offensively, we have also made leaps and bounds by moving the ball down to the wing and generating ball-side drives. 6-on-5 needs a lot of work as we had over 20 chances and only one or two conversions. But, you don't draw 20+ ejections without doing a lot of things right.

Tidbits:
- One field block makes you part of the "Swat Team". Five field blocks is a "Block Party", although Michael Slaughter may just call out "Yahtzee"
- The "wing-out club" is still stuck at two members
- Michael Bowers was apparently born with a beard
- Peter Buelter looks good in sunglasses, even indoors or in the middle of the night
- Savio, Sullivan and Slaughter are the worst morning people and cannot be in the same rooms in California
- Most people walk away from a group when they get a phone call, Aaron Adcock stand in the middle of the group and just talks louder
- We hit a major thunderstorm on the drive back. In our car, we popped on the radio because we weren't sure if we were about to run into a tornado. The emergency broadcast system warned us of 60 MPH winds and to seek shelter immediately. The storm was described the storm as full of "dangerous winds, damaging hail and deadly lightning". We experienced these things for about 90 seconds of terror driving 30 MPH through the chaos, but then the storm dissipated and we just kept driving. Quite exhilarating.
- In my car, we listened to a rap CD put out by Macho Man Randy Savage. It's hilarious. The title track "Be a Man" might have to be the theme song for the team.

Loyola 8 - JCWP 4

6 first half goals by Loyola proved too much to overcome. Goalie and player of the game Sean Sullivan counted only two counter-attack goals, the rest were half-court, three of which came in the first 3 minutes of the first quarter.
Loyola had bigger and stronger players than even Mundelein, so it would have been hard to execute a press. After the first three outside bullets by the two studs on Loyola, the Cats really clamped down defensively. Goals came more from Loyola's good plays than Cat errors. Most impressive was the shutout in the third quarter with Loyola shooting deep.

The Jungle Cat offense was the best it had been all summer as our spacing was tremendous as we moved the ball down to the wing. Drivers found themselves either ball-side with a man on their back or open weak-side after picks and we had many open looks. I think the fatigue of the 4th game in 24 hours caught up to us as open shot went wide or at the goalie, mostly due to lack of kicking up.

The biggest weakness of this team right now is 6-on-5 as we had mutliple oppportunities (as well as two 6-on-4 chances) with zero conversions.

All-around a very good game and we head into the game against New Trier with a chance for second place.

JCWP 12 - Brother Rice 5

Brother Rice had some issues fielding a team and only 4 guys could make it, so New Trier pitched in 8 guys off their bench so we'd have a game.

Our crash defense really came together has we carried a shutout into the second half. The goalies split time and both were solid. We had a little trouble getting our offense rolling as not many Cats squared out early to get the ball from the goalie and we refused to get the ball in deep to the wing. However, Zach Smith joined Daniel Maloney as sole members of the "wing out club". Our lefties, Erlinger and Bowers are doing great getting to the right wing and being passer. Thomas Morgan and Michael Slaughter are creating lots of counter opportunities. Player of the game was John Lewis who was dominant in the 2M and was a vocal leader at both ends of the pool.

We have Loyola in 20 minutes essentially for the championship.

JCWP 12 - Mundelein 12

Mundelein brought a very good team, and the game was back and forth the whole game. Down 6-4 at half, the Cats played a great third quarter shooting deep and took another lead into the 4th quarter, up 9-8 defending the deep.

The Cats learned from the experience of letting up late against Walrus and fought hard in the 4th despite being at a disadvantage of defending deep against a big and physical team. Mundelein had two big shooters who took advantage of our crash defense with accurate outside shots. We adjusted by playing man-up on those two while continuing our crash. We held those guys at bay and survived a last second play to hold on for the tie.

Maloney was again the king of winging out. Sam Erlinger had a solid two goal performance on top of a few assists. Sean Sullivan had a great game, with great passing, aggressive stealing and some key blocks. Zach Smith was again an obvious choice for POTG for creating his own offense nearly every time down the pool, resulting in a hat trick and numerous assists.

We ended the long day with a giant meal at Maggiano's. Peter Buelter made his case for inheriting John Heafner's title as "human garbage disposal".

Nothing meaner than a wet Cat.

After a 6 hour drive, we arrived on Friday just in time for our 5:30 match against Walrus. On the ride up, Coach Hayes enlightened us with a slogan he saw used by Villanova, which I am going to suggest as the JCWP slogan when we rework the shirts in 9 years: there's nothin meaner than a wet cat. Classic.

Walrus had a couple athletes on their team who were pretty physical. One player in particular made a point to grab and hold anyone who came near. The Cats rose above the physical play and played solid defense to the tune of a 5-2 halftime lead.

Goalie Jake Chisholm played very well at both ends, making some key stops and making good passes. Daniel Maloney filled a crucial role in squaring out early and often to get the counter attack started, which resulted in many counter attack goals, a couple by Aaron Adcock and one by Michael Slaughter.

The solid play, especially in the crash defense, countinued and after three quarters the Cats led 9-5. The Cats let their guard down in the 4th as hips started dropping on defense and passes started getting sloppier. Walrus raged back with 5 goals in the 4th, but the Cats held on for a 11-10 victory.

Player of the game went to Zach Smith for his goal and handful of assists, in addition to his good defensive play.

Wednesday's Games

Yellow plays at 7:35 PM, Black at 8:25 PM, and 16U at 9:15 PM. The rest of the schedule eventually will be posted at mowaterpolo.com.

e-mail Change and Monday's Games

Coach Baud's e-mail address is now "pbaudendistel@sluh.org".

Tonight's game times are the same as last week: Orange plays at 6:45 pm, Green at 7:35 pm. For future game times, please visit http://www.mowaterpolo.com/Schedules/Leagues/09SuBLeague.html.

Black team off to a strong start

The Black team came out firing in their first game of the Summer '09 league with several fresh faces helping to find a familiar result. The Cats got off to a very quick 3-0 lead and continued to pour on the defensive and offensive pressure throughout, ending up on the right side of a 10-5 final. JCWP's signature press defense was on display all evening and the team's five straight practices of counter-attack paid off. In the midst of several strong performances, Jack "Blue 'Stang" Buelter's effort stood out from the crowd, earning him the coveted Player of the Game award.

Wednesday Change

The Black team now has only one game on Wednesday, at 9:15 PM. 16U and Yellow game times have not changed.

Orange Leopards

Just a reminder: if you have been practicing with the Leopards and are listed on the Orange team, you are to continue practicing with the Leopards on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and you are to practice with the Cubs on Wednesdays.

Summer Games

Games begin this week. All high school league games are at MICDS. Please be on deck ready to get in 20 minutes before game time. A schedule for future games should be available at mowaterpolo.com. Rosters follow.

On Monday, Orange plays at 6:45 PM and Green plays at 7:35 PM.
On Wednesday, 16U plays at 6:45 PM, Black plays at 7:35 PM and 9:15 PM, and Yellow plays at 8:25 PM.

JCWP Green (Coaches Cutelli and Steve)
Berger, Jeffrey
Castro, Darrian
Castro, Victor
Critchfield, Tom
Gleason, Bradley
Jellinek, Justin
Kennedy, Chris
Masucci, Matt
Mayer, Richie
Myers, Peter
Paniello, Andrew
Sigman, Michael
Smith, Drew
Stelmachowicz, Evan

JCWP Orange (Coaches Conner and Jake)
Allen, Luke
Archer, Charlie
D'Alessandro, Dave
Dell'Orco, Tom
Gleason, Patrick
Harris, Eddie
Highsmith, Max
Mayer, Rob
Moorkamp, Sam
Petralia, Anthony
Pilas, Brandon
Ramacciotti, Justin
Schneider, Chris
Seiff, Tom

JCWP 16U (Coaches Milford and Max)
*Chisholm, Jake
*Sullivan, Sean
Adcock, Aaron
Bowers, Michael
Buelter, Peter
Erlinger, Sam
Kabance, Joe
Lewis, John
Maloney, Daniel
Morgan, Thomas
Savio, Michael
Slaughter, Michael
Smith, Zach
Tanner, Michael

JCWP Yellow (Coaches Hayes and Tim)
*Jungels, Dylan
Auinbauh, Jake
Castro, Ben
Champion, Kenny
Derdeyn, Pieter
Faddis, Colby
Gleason, Brett
Helling, John
Kimbrough, Ben
Meyer, Mitch
Piening, Nick
Schiller, Bob
Schmidt, Dan
Stolwyk, Matt
Vierod, Alistair

JCWP Black (Coaches Penilla and Tim)
*Archer, Pat
Buelter, Jack
Burggraf, Nate
Goeddel, Dan
Golterman, Robert
Hagerty, Michael
Kaufmann, Nick
Keao, Nick
Kramer, Mitch
Luhmann, Bill
Maurer, John
Neuberger, Travis
Pike, Daniel
Ruzicka, Marty

Team Suits

The following boys who ordered suits should bring $30 to practice as soon as possible. Cash or a check (made out to JOHN PENILLA) is fine.

Cubs: Matt Masucci

Leopards: Luke Allen, Peter Buelter, Dave D'Alessandro, Pieter Derdeyn, Justin Jellinek, Rob Mayer, Sam Moorkamp

Lions: Pat Archer, Colby Faddis, Brett Gleason, Nick Kaufmann, Daniel Pike

All other athletes who ordered/were interested in a suit should order theirs individually through Agonswim.com. Click here for the direct link.

Note: Junior Olympic athletes not listed above should wait for Coach Milford's instructions before ordering a team suit on their own.

JO's Reminder

Reminder: next week Jungle Cat Water Polo will be holding open tryouts for our 16-under Junior Olympic team. There will be three tryouts on Monday June 8th, Tuesday June 9th and Thursday June 11th. The tryouts will start at 6:30pm and Chaminade and end at 8:15pm. Anyone born in 1993 or later is welcome to try out for free, although each athlete is required to be registered with USA Water Polo (http://usawaterpolo.org). Athletes are encouraged to attend all three tryouts.

The Junior Olympics are being held this year in Stanford California. The tournament starts July 25th and runs through July 28th. We will going out to California early to scrimmage with clubs out there, as well as take a trip to Chicago in mid-July to play in a tournament.

Travel costs for both Chicago and California are estimated to be $1,800. Athletes selected to be on the Junior Olympic team must register with Jungle Cat Water Polo and submit a non-refundable $500 deposit in order to purchase airfare to California.

Please pass along this message if you know of anyone who is of age and would like to try out for the team.

Thanks,
The JCWP Staff

Junior Olympics

Athletes and Parents-
This summer, Jungle Cat Water Polo is planning to enter a 16 & under team into the National Junior Olympics, the largest age group water polo tournament in the country. The tournament will take place July 25th-28th in Stanford, California.

JCWP is committed to the development of our players and we want to provide opportunities to play the best possible competition in the Midwest and across the country. Three out of the last four years, our club has taken an 18 & under team to Junior Olympics, with each trip being more successful than the last. Last summer was our best team and best finish ever, and we are looking to build on that success by bringing a 16 & under team this coming summer. The current field of eligible players is strong and the JCWP coaches believe we can be competitive this summer, while having a fun experience. Every player we’ve taken on a trip has had a wonderful time and they always say they want to go back the next year.

This summer, we will enter the 16 & under team into two tournaments, an age group tournament in Chicago and the National Junior Olympics in Stanford, CA. The Chicago clubs haven’t set their dates yet, but the tournament will likely be between July 4th and when we leave for California. Athletes on the JO’s team will be required to go to Chicago as well. We will also be leaving for California a week before the tournament begins (probably on Monday) in order to practice and scrimmage with California clubs. The purpose of travelling to Chicago and going out to California early is twofold. First, it allows the team to play together in a tournament setting, where they travel together and learn to play together, as we imagine many different schools will be represented on this team. Secondly, to be successful at Junior Olympics, the team needs to play competition that cannot be found in St. Louis. To avoid being surprised and having to adjust mid-tournament, the team will have a better understanding of the challenges they will face once the tournament begins.

Historically, JO trips have cost each athlete about $1,000. That amount included hotel, airfare, rental car and general team costs (tournament entry fee, team activities, tolls, etc.). With the extra time in California and the Chicago tournament, we imagine the total cost for this team to be about $1,800. Since the cost of the trip is usually the most prohibitive factor for athletes and their families, we would like to organize some sort of fundraising to help defray these costs. If you have an idea, please contact one of the JCWP coaches (info below).

Anyone who is birth year 1993 or later is welcome to try out for the team, regardless of school or club affiliation. All athletes wishing to try out must be registered with USA Water Polo. The tryouts will begin Monday June 8th from 7PM – 9PM at Chaminade, and will continue Tuesday-Thursday of that week. We recommend potential athletes attend each practice, as we want to be comfortable with what each athlete can and cannot do and will hesitate to select players we have only seen once or twice. Athletes will be chosen by the JCWP coaches based not only on water polo skills, but also on their ability to learn new concepts from the coaches and play with their teammates. Athletes who are selected will be required to attend 90% of the JCWP practices for the remainder of the summer (last practice is right before we leave for California) and must register with JCWP and pay JCWP dues. Athletes not selected may elect to continue playing for JCWP or register for another club. Once selected for the team, we will require a $500 non-refundable deposit from each athlete in order to purchase airfare to California.

If you, your son or one of your players is planning on trying out, please contact Tom Milford a tlmilford@gmail.com so we can get an idea of how large of a group will be in attendance. The coaching staff for the 16 & under team has not, as of yet, been selected, but one or more of the JCWP coaches will be on both trips. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Thanks,
The JCWP Coaching Staff

Tom Milford
Charlie Cutelli
John Penilla
Paul Baudendistel

Kuppa Results, and Thank You

Congratulations to Jungle Cat Water Polo! Despite splitting into balanced teams, JCWP managed four quarterfinal spots and two semifinal spots. The five teams finished third and fourth and about sixth, seventh, and tenth out of seventeen teams.

On behalf of the coaching staff, thank you to all players for sharing your passion for water polo with us, and thank you to all parents for sharing your sons and daughters this winter.

A fond farewell to the seniors who are finished with JCWP, with their numbers of seasons played with us in parentheses:

Debandt, Nick (9)
Derdeyn, Will (8)
Faust, Danny (2)
Gerber, Charles (5)
Hohenberger, Matt (parts of 8)
Maloney, Patrick (8)
Meara, Jack (3)
Morrissey, Bob (4)
Murphy, Erin (4)
*Page, William (9)
Savio, John (8)
*Sigman, Steve (8)
Tucker, Jim (3)

In the 11-year, 22-season history of Jungle Cat Water Polo, three players have played with us during 11 of those seasons. (No other players have played with us as many as 10 seasons.) A very special Thank You to the standard-bearers:

*Trent Going
John Heafner
Michael O'Neill

*We hope Trent, William, and Steve continue playing with us this summer on our Junior Olympic team.

Kuppa Pool Play Finished

Here is the updated schedule for tomorrow. Teams 1, 3, 4 & 5 have all advanced to the quarterfinals.

As a reminder, here is the full schedule for tomorrow's action:

Quarterfinals
7:20 - Team 4 vs. Team 5
8:10 - Team 1 vs. SLAP 1-A
9:00 - Team 3 vs. Daisy B

Semifinals
10:30 - Winner of the 7:20 game
11:30 - Winner of the 8:10 game vs. Winner of the 9:00 game

3rd Place & Championship
2:00 - Loser of 10:30 vs. Loser of 11:30
3:00 - Championship game: Winner of the 10:30 vs. Winner of the 11:30

GO CATS!

Kuppa Update

Pool play is almost complete, and four of the five teams are in line to make the quarterfinals!

Team 1 plays Saturday, February 14 at 8:10 PM. If they win, they finish second in Group D and play Sunday, February 15 at 8:10 AM against SLAP A-1.

Team 2 finished third in Group D and has no more games.

Team 3 plays Saturday, February 14 at 7:20 PM. If they win, they finish second in Group C and play Sunday, February 15 at 9:00 AM against Daisy B.

Team 4 tied with two other teams for first place in Group B. Although it was announced that they finished third, the tiebreaker was reconsidered, and now Team 4 is considered to have finished first in Group B. Team 4 plays Sunday, February 15 at 7:20 AM against Team 5.

Team 5 finished second in Group A and plays Sunday, February 15 at 7:20 AM against Team 4.

Polo on.

Kuppa: Day 1 Late Results

Team 3 lost to SLAP A-1 6-12. The coach writing this was not in attendance and can provide no details.

Team 2 beat up on SLAP B to the tune of 15-0 or so. Jack Meara and John Lewis stood out, William Page was a man among boys (and girls), and the Lauber brothers combined for the shutout.

Team 1 pummeled Flyers C about 13-0. Matt Stipanovich was unstoppable, Ed Rose converted two of four breakaways, Pieter Derdeyn played more than half of the game in goal, and Matt Hohenberger scored one of the more meaningless goals in water polo history from the field.

In the nightcap, Team 5 triumphed 9-2 over the very physical St. Charles Storm. Jack Buelter, Trent Going, and Steve Sigman led the way in and out of the pool.

There are two changes to tomorrow's schedule. Team 5 now plays at 12:20 PM rather than 2:00 PM, and Teams 1 and 2 play at 2:00 PM rather than 11:30 AM.

Good night.

Kuppa da Daisy: Day 1 Early Results

Team 2
Daisy B defeated Team 2, despite William Page & Jack Meara's best efforts. Page scored a 3/4 length goal and Meara played great defense. Page was the POTG (in my opinion).

Team 5
Daisy A squeaked out a win against Team 5 in a hard fought game, falling 6-4. Trent Going & Jack Buelter worked defensive magic while Steve Sigman showed his offensive skills and kept their team in the game, though their comeback attempt ultimately ran out of time. Sigman was the POTG (in my opinion).

Team 4
Team 4 pulled the upset of the day, taking down the always-tough Flyers A team 9-8 in OT. John Savio was an offensive machine and Michael O'Neill played his typical stout defense. Dylan Jungles overcame some shaky early moments to have an absolutely dominant 4th quarter against a team with 2 of the best shooters in the tournament. Savio & O'Neill teamed up to finish off the game in OT with Savio putting the ball in the back of the cage. Jungels was the POTG for the 4th quarter and first minute of OT; Savio was POTG for the other 3 quarters and the waining moments of OT.

Kuppa Schedule

There is no practice tonight, February 5. Next week is the final week of practices, all at regular times. THANK YOU for playing with us this winter!

All Kuppa games are at MICDS. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before your game starts. There will be games for most teams on Sunday, February 15, but the times depend on the results of the preliminary games. I plan to update the website late in the evening on Saturday, February 14 with game times for Sunday, February 15.

Team 1: Saturday, February 7 at 7:20 PM; Sunday, February 8 at 9:50 AM and 11:30 AM; Saturday, February 14 at 8:10 PM
Team 2: Saturday, February 7 at 10:30 AM and 6:30 PM; Sunday, February 8 at 10:40 AM and 11:30 AM
Team 3: Saturday, February 7 at 3:30 PM; Sunday, February 8 at 9:00 AM; Saturday, February 14 at 7:20 PM
Team 4: Saturday, February 7 at 1:50 PM; Sunday, February 8 at 7:20 AM and 3:40 PM
Team 5: Saturday, February 7 at 1:00 PM and 9:00 PM; Sunday, February 8 at 2:00 PM

Here's hoping I read the schedule correctly. It should be on mowaterpolo.com, but I do not see it there yet.

Black Ties, Yellow Wins in Regular League Finales

Black Game
The Black team, coming off an OT loss to the Yellow team, tied Daisy A 8-8 in a hard fought game. The team came out in a crash defense with mostly good success, although there were a few lapses that led to some Daisy goals, especially late. The crash tightened up later on, and the team was also able to run an effective press defense. Offensively, the team was a little stagnant especially with 2M's being indecisive about going to set. In OT, the Cats gave up several chances but POTG Matt Hohenberger, returning from his volleyball exile, kept the team in the game. Black had few offensive chances in OT and were probably fortunate to hang on for the tie.

Yellow Game
The Yellow team finished out the season with a convincing 8-3 victory over Mad Dog. The Yellow crash defense was too much for MD and offense from Stipo, Lou, and the usually defensive-minded Michael O'Neill were enough to carry the team to victory. Dylan Jungels & Pat Archer were solid in goal. Stipo was named POTG.


The teams split up for the Kuppa Tournament, which begins on Thursday at MICDS. Teams are listed on this blog.


-Coach P

No Practice on January 28

Chaminade's campus is closed on Wednesday, January 28. There is no practice tonight.

No Practice on January 27

Chaminade's campus is closed on Tuesday, January 27. There is no practice tonight.

Special Schedule for February 4

Instead of practicing on February 4 and 5, we will play games as our Kuppa teams against each other on Wednesday, February 4, and there will be no practice on Thursday, February 5. (See the below post for your Kuppa team.) The schedule of games is as follows.

1 vs. 2 = 7:00 PM - 7:35 PM (Please arrive by 6:45 PM.)
1 vs. 3 = 7:40 PM - 8:15 PM
2 vs. 4 = 8:20 PM - 8:55 PM
3 vs. 5 = 9:00 PM - 9:35 PM
4 vs. 5 = 9:40 PM - 10:15 PM

2009 Kuppa Teams

Teams for the 2009 Kuppa Tournament (February 5-8) are below.

JCWP 1
*Hohenberger, Matt
Allen, Luke
Derdeyn, Pieter
Derdeyn, Will
Erlinger, Sam
Gerber, Charles
Gleason, Brett
Golterman, Robert
Hagerty, Michael
Kennedy, Chris
Moorkamp, Sam
Murphy, Erin
Neuberger, Travis
Rose, Ed
Schmidt, Dan
Slaughter, Michael
Stipanovich, Matt

JCWP 2
*Lauber, Chris
*Lauber, John
Bowers, Michael
Castro, Ben
Castro, Darrian
Debandt, Nick
Dell'Orco, Tom
Garlock, Robert
Harris, Eddie
Lewis, John
Meara, Jack
Milburn, Joe
Morrissey, Bob
Page, William
Stolwyk, Matt
Tanner, Michael
Tucker, Jim
Wall, Patrick

JCWP 3
*Archer, Pat
Archer, Charlie
Auinbauh, Jake
Brockgreitens, John
Faust, Danny
Gleason, Patrick
Goeddel, Dan
Heafner, John
Kaufmann, Nick
Kimbrough, Ben
Ladd, Elliot
Morgan, Thomas
Myers, Peter
Paniello, Andrew
Ruzicka, Marty
Seiff, Tom
Vierod, Alistair

JCWP 4
*Jungels, Dylan
Burggraf, Nate
Digman, Misha
Dodds, Nick
Emnett, Ben
Faddis, Colby
Gresick, Joseph
Helling, John
Heutel, Grant
Keao, Nick
Luhmann, Bill
Maloney, Daniel
Maloney, Patrick
Mayer, Rob
O'Neill, Michael
Panchot, Shane
Savio, John
Savio, Michael

JCWP 5
*Chisholm, Jake
*Wahl, Max
Buelter, Jack
Champion, Kenny
Chisholm, Robert
D'Alessandro, Dave
Going, Trent
Kabance, Joe
Kramer, Mitch
Maurer, John
Meyer, Mitch
Piening, Nick
Pike, Daniel
Sigman, Michael
Sigman, Steve
Smith, Zach
Tucci, Scott
Wilson, Evan

Monday, January 26

As of 2:00 PM, practice is still on for tonight. Please check back here before you leave for Chaminade, though.

Yellow Trumps Black 8-7 in OT

The Yellow and Black teams met in a showdown of Jungle Cat teams and proved to be worth adversaries for each other. The game was a see-saw battle of Titans that ultimately needed extra time to be decided.

Black jumped out to an early 2-0 lead after the first quarter, utilizing a drop/crash defense effectively against the strong Yellow offense. However, the Yellows climbed back into the game and took control of the 2nd, 3rd and most of the 4th quarters, riding some strong offensive output from Matt Stipanovich, John Heafner, and John Maurer. However, Yellow let Black back into the game, getting sloppy and Black team members Ed Rose and William Page made them pay. Each team had a few good looks with the score at 7-7 and time winding down, but neither team capitalized.

In OT, Steve Sigman of Black got an early scoring chance but it sailed just over the goal. After some back-and-forth, Yellow earned a 2-on-1 counter-attack advantage. Trent Going did the hard work, drawing the defense and locking down the goalie before passing to a wide-open Heafner who sealed the game for Yellow at 8-7.

William Page was named POTG for the Black team for his strong play. Trent Going took home the Yellow honors for strong defense and his game-winning assist.

Brown Team Game Time

According to the schedule posted at mowaterpolo.com, this Saturday, January 24, the Brown team plays at 4:45 PM. Players should be ready to get in the pool by 4:25 PM.

Coach Baud

Yellow Team Falls to SLAP-A1, Moves to 3-1

The previously undeated Jungle Cat Yellow team hit a speedbump in their fourth game of the Winter League, coming up just short in a 8-7 loss to SLAP's A team. Offensively, the Yellow Cats were held in check all day thanks to SLAP's drop defense. The team's reluctance to shoot from the perimeter led to several turnovers and far too many possessions that ended without a shot on goal. The Cats were held scoreless through the first quarter and didn't get on the board until Matt Stipanovich's cross-goal-low shot cut the SLAP lead to 3-1. The game went back-and-forth, and ultimately the Cats were down only 2 goals going into the 4th quarter. Despite several goals, the team had one too many defensive lapses, allowing SLAP to beat them to the goal despite playing goal-side defense. The Cats had one final possession to push the game to overtime but couldn't capitalize. The team is looking forward to next week's battle against JCWP Black; it should be a great game!

Stipanovich and John Heafner were the offensive leaders, and Marty Ruzicka won his 2nd POTG award in 3 weeks with his strong overall game.


-Coach P


PS - This is the 100th entry in the JCWP Blog. THANKS FOR ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN READING ABOUT OUR TEAM, AND FOR MAKING THE BLOG A SUCCESS!

Jungle Cat Orange Plays Stifeling Defense In First Win

The stars were aligned as Jungle Cat Orange posted their first win of the season. Their coach stressed defense and they came up big winning against SLAP B 10-5. Three of SLAP B's goals came off of 6-5 in which Jungle Cat Orange had not prepared for. Joe K. and Ben K. played stellar 2-meter defense. The play of the game was a cross goal pass from rookie Michael Tanner to Nick Piening. Dan S. took charge and dominated the 2 meter position. All in all, coach was happy and expects this intensity and style of defensive effort next week.

Coach Cutelli

Yellow Continues Winning Ways, Moves to 3-0

The Yellow team pushed their record to 3-0 in the Winter League today with a convincing 13-4 victory over SLAP's 'B' team. The team was left without a goalie as regular Dylan Jungles was allocated to the Brown team this week and fellow netminder Pat Archer was MIA. In their absence, the dynamic duo of Ben Castro (shallow) and Bob Morrissey (deep) shut out the SLAP team in the first half. They were helped greatly by the team defense in front of them, archored as always by Michael O'Neill and Trent Going. Offensively, John Heafner made his Yellow debut and team with Matt Stipanovich to create a formidable tandem. O'Neill also got into the action, drawing two 5M penalty shots against the SLAP goalie. Despite still having problems playing a press defense always & everywhere, and having some difficulting scoring out of a half-court offense, ultimately the team's counter-attack, half-court defense, and depth were too much for SLAP to overcome. Michael O'Neill was named POTG for his offensive & defensive efforts, which earned him a piece of Pumpkin Loaf. See you next week...

- Coach P.