SAPPINGTON • Paul Baudendistel was at a loss.
The St. Louis University High water polo coach didn’t know what to change, what to fix or what to say. His Junior Billikens spent the first half of Friday’s game in a slugfest with host Lindbergh and found themselves trailing by a goal.
Part of that was due to Lindbergh’s defense making SLUH miserable. Part of that was due to the Junior Billikens inability to execute in the precise fashion that has made them the best team in the area this season.
“They were working harder than us in that first half,” Baudendistel said.
A perennial powerhouse with a single loss this season and the winner of four of the last five Missouri water polo championships, SLUH came out of the break and ramped up the pressure.
The Junior Billikens scored seven goals in the third period and held Lindbergh scoreless. They allowed just one goal in the fourth period and turned a nip-and-tuck match into a 12-5 victory in the second round of the Lindbergh Invitational.
Baudendistel said the difference was, simply, execution.
“In the first quarter we had zero goals and seven shots,” he said. “In the third quarter we had seven goals and zero misses.”
SLUH (21-1) got goals from eight different players including two from junior Sam Erlinger who now has a gaudy 74 on the season.
Lindbergh (8-13) got two goals each from senior Keith Fabick and junior Richard Schroell. Senior goalie Michael Nydegger also came up with the rarely seen goal from the other end of the pool.
Friday made it back-to-back games SLUH trailed at the half. Ladue held a 5-2 lead at the break the day before only to watch SLUH rally for a 9-6 win.
The Junior Billikens have spent the spring season bludgeoning most of their competition into submission. They tally goals at a rate that gives scoreboard operators cramps. Lately, though, as the regular season is coming to an end, the games have become tougher.
“The games have gotten tighter,” Baudendistel said. “I think other teams are improving faster.”
SLUH continues play in the Lindbergh Invitational today (Saturday) with an 11 a.m. match against MICDS (13-8) and a 6 p.m. match against rival DeSmet (26-5). Both games are at Lindbergh.
