The Upper Perkiomen girls water polo team displayed flashes of brilliance in its final game of the Indian Invite Tournament over the weekend, according to head coach Brien Kalnoski. He said the team nearly defeated Wissahickon on Saturday, Sept. 13.

            "The girls are playing very well," the coach said.

            The Indians girls and boys teams were swept in three games during the six-team

Abby Moreland, left, takes a shot against Springfield (MontCo) during the Indian Invite Tournament on Saturday.

event. The girls lost 10-2 to Springfield (Montco), 16-5 to Souderton and 6-4 to Wissahickon. The boys also fell to Springfield (10-2), Souderton (14-3), and Wissahickon (13-2).

           According to Kalnoski, the Tribe girls nearly knocked off the Trojans in their final game.

            "It all came down to the final seven minutes," the coach said.

            Kalnoski described the match as its most complete performance of the season, noting its 13-11 loss to Perkiomen Valley on Sept. 3 as equally impressive.

            "That's the closest we've gotten to beating [Perkiomen Valley] in four years," the coach said.

            The Indians are led by seven experienced seniors: Katie Kovalenko, Abby Moreland, Maggie Izzi, Beatriz Santos, Alex Heffner, Madison Harward and Emily Foreman. Their key contributors include junior goalkeeper Leighton Keith, classmate Elli Smith and ninth grader Amelia Romano.

            "The seniors are playing great," Kalnoski said.

            Against Springfield, the Tribe played lights-out defense, according to the coach. He described Keith's performance as "on fire."

            Kalnoski said he could not predict how deep the girls might advance in the playoffs. However, he didn't rule out the possibility of reaching the second round.

            "We're doing very well," the coach said. "If we continue to progress, we might be able to surprise a few people."

            Despite being swept last weekend, the Tribe boys were not outworked, according to Kalnoski. He said a referee complimented the team's effort.

            "Our players may not have the necessary awareness, but we play extremely hard," Kalnoski said. "No one is going to outswim us. We can keep up with everyone."

            The team's top returning players include seniors Brayden Favre and goalkeeper Aden Riggleman. They are joined by juniors Zach Csekitz, Matt Drunkenmiller, Michael Michalek and Brennan Rooney, who leads the team in scoring despite still learning the game, as well as sophomore Andrew Izzi. Csekitz and Michalek have excelled on defense, according to the coach.

            "When Brennan's shot is on, it's on," Kalnoski said.

            Several newcomers are making key contributions, including sophomores Nate Wessner and Jackson Kelly, along with ninth grader Tiernan Anderson. According to the coach, the inexperienced players are eager to improve.

            The team goes over each game, examining its successes and struggles. Kalnoski said he asks the players to identify one or two specific items to focus on improving in the next game.

            The coach described the invitational, that also included boys and girls teams from Upper and Lower Merion, as a success. He said the stands in the natatorium were 80 percent full for most of the event, which started at 8 a.m. and ended more than 12 hours later.

            The boys dropped a match last week. The team lost 21-11 to Upper Merion on Wednesday, Sept. 10.