Fenwick Tournament
Women show off speed, team
Men's results

If only Northwestern University parties could field so many good-looking women.

At the Fenwick "Officials" Tournament Jan. 31-Feb. 2, Northwestern's women's water polo team had up to 21 players. So many girls attended the tournament, some players had to sit on the pool deck because there was no more room on the two long benches.

"Overall it was a good tournament for us because it was a good tournament to get everyone in," said captain Lael Fisher. ""It didn't matter if we won or lost because it was an exhibition. For our tournament next week, our coach is not planning on bringing so many people to encourage tough practices this week."

The players and coach referred to this Fenwick Tournament as the meaningless "pre-season." Northwestern played its first tournament since last spring's Big Ten Championships. For the rest of the season, until this year's Big Ten Championships in April, Northwestern will bring a squad of 15 players to each tournament.

"Now everybody knows the basic ideas of our offense," Fisher said. "Now we know what individuals can do, and what we need individuals to work on."

Northwestern's speed does not need too much more work. Four players have 100-yard times under 1:00, and the players swam 2-hour swim sets for the first two weeks of January. At Fenwick, Northwestern's women won every sprint-off to start the quarter, a race to determine possession at the beginning of each quarter.
"This is the fastest team I've ever been on," Fisher said.

Despite winning the ball at the beginning of each quarter, Northwestern failed to win at the end of each game.

Northwestern lost all three games it played, 13-3 to Purdue, 10-6 to Wisconsin, and 15-0 to Northern Illinois Polo Club, a team made up of mostly college graduates.

The tournament at Fenwick High School in Oak Park is a referee clinic before the Illinois high school water polo season.

Men's results

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Men's "Joshtron" reunites, gets bigger
Women's results

The combined might of "Joshtron" reunited, and later formed "Super Ultimate Johstron," as the Northwestern men's water polo team began its winter "off-season."

At the Fenwick "Officials" Tournament, Northwestern suited four players named Josh. Juniors Josh Cole and Josh Shanas, the original "Joshtron," started together for the first time ever, and sophomores Josh Cherner and Josh Rogol joined the cadre.

For one two-minute duration, all four Joshes were in the water at the same time during the third-annual tournament at Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Jan. 31-Feb. 2. The tournament takes place three months after the collegiate men's club championships and is a clinic for incoming Illinois high school water polo referees.

The inspiring Transformer-based nickname was one factor in Northwestern's contented showing.

Northwestern defeated Armada 8-6, a men's team from Palatine and lost a close game to Purdue 12-9. Purdue consistently beat Northwestern by double-digits during the fall. Also, although Purdue had only two starters, Northwestern's partial team had not scrimmaged or practiced regularly since the Big Ten Championships in October. Northwestern was trying to integrate a new system and a couple of rusted players, including half of "Ultimate Joshtron," sophomore Rogol and junior Shanas.

"I was impressed by the fact we could swim up and down the pool," said Northwestern senior Dmitry Lubensky. "I was also impressed we were able to stay with Purdue."

In Northwestern's other games, Miami of Ohio won 12-6, and the Chicago Apostles drubbed the college kids 21-5. The Apostles is a men's club team that consists of national and international stars, including former NCAA players and captains.

Northwestern trailed the Apostles by only 13-5 going into the fourth quarter, having stalled the faster, stronger, more experienced, more skilled team on half-court offense, but the Apostles rolled off eight straight fast-break goals.

"I don't know what happened," Cole said. "They could have countered all game, but they chose to only during the fourth quarter. It was humiliating being out there… We knew they were going to beat us by a lot, but we played them pretty evenly on half-court."

Women's results

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