Michael Nydegger does his best work in a cage.
He wears a mouth guard.
He’s not averse to mixing it up, getting physical and occasionally he gets hit in the face.
Did we mention he does all of this in the pool.
Wait, what?
You read that right. Nydegger,18, is one of the area’s top water polo goalies.
Nydegger, a senior at Lindbergh, might don a swimsuit and cap as a uniform for every match, but he’s always wearing his intensity on his face.
“He’s very active in goal,” Lindbergh coach Andy Butler said. “He’s a tough kid who likes to mix it up.”
The 6-foot, 160-pound Nydegger began his career between the pipes as freshman. Butler, who was the JV skipper back then, had an open tryout after the previous goalie was pulled up to the varsity.
Nydegger, who got a taste for water polo after watching his older brother play, thought he could be an effective goalie.
He was right. He just didn’t know it after the first day of tryouts.
“The first day was a struggle,” Nydegger said. “The second day, something clicked.”
Nydegger won the job in short order and started every game for the Flyers in goal. As a sophomore he was voted a JV captain. He was so impressive on the lower level that he was eventually grabbed by the varsity and became its starting goalie.
In just over a year he’d gone from never having played the position to starting for the varsity.
He’s been in the cage, as they say, ever since.
Butler, who took over as varsity head coach this season, says there are certain qualities you want your goalie to have. Nydegger fits them to a T.
“The first thing you look for is leg strength. You want someone who can tread water and get high out of the water,” Butler said. “You have to find a kid who’s willing to take a shot off the face.”
Nydegger is that guy. He’s got strong legs and isn’t averse to sacrificing his body to make the save.
“If a ball hits me in the face it gets my adrenaline going,” Nydegger said.
Nydegger, who was voted by his teammates a captain this season, has been one of the linchpins for the Flyers in the pool.
On the season, Lindbergh is 7-11 overall and 3-3 in the Suburban West Conference.
Starting Thursday, the Flyers will host the Lindberg Water Polo Invitational, and it will bring out some of the area’s heavy hitters.
Among them is St. Louis University High. SLUH is the biggest fish in the pond. The Junior Billikens are an impressive 19-1, and that lone loss came to a team from Chicago. Only Parkway West has not been devoured by the great white shark that is SLUH.
Lindbergh draws SLUH Friday at 5 p.m. Nydegger is hopeful the Flyers can give SLUH a game.
“When we lose it’s not because of our physical ability, it’s because of our mental toughness,” he said.
When SLUH comes calling Nydegger feels the pressure will be lifted. No one except the guys in green swimsuits and caps expect the Flyers to do much of anything against SLUH. That can often be refreshing for a team like Lindbergh.
“It definitely does take the pressure off,” Nydegger said. “With no pressure, no fears and no regrets, that’s when I play my best.”
