Ever since she started playing water polo as a youngster, Mother McAuley freshman Maggie Mulcrone displayed a knack for scoring at just the right time.
Although she’s now a veteran of the sport, Mulcrone is always working to add new layers to her game, especially as a facilitator.
She feels that scoring a goal is good, but a teammate scoring one is even better.
Mulcrone scored 6 goals and passed for 6 assists on May 16 as Mother McAuley defeated Richards 22-9 in a Lyons Township sectional semifinal, and her assists were evidence of her mature outlook.
“I definitely wanted to give other people a chance to shoot,” Mulcrone said. “I wanted to make sure everyone got a goal today. I like passing for an assist. I like giving teammates the opportunity to shoot. A good goal is a good thing.”
With a bid to the state quarterfinals on the line, the season ended as Mother McAuley lost to top-seed Lyons Township 12-4 on May 17 in the sectional championship.
Sophomores Ryann Moriarity (4 goals), Stephanie Villada-Garcia (2 goals, assist) and Molly Parks (2 goals, 2 assists), junior Wyndel Ellis (3 goals, assist) and senior McKenna Kirchman (3 goals, assist) led a balanced attack in the semifinal game.
Sophomore Carol Michelle Ramoz and senior Mary Sheerin chipped in with a goal and an assist apiece.
Senior Amar Tadros (2 saves) and freshman Grace Pearson (8 saves) anchored the defensive effort.
Mulcrone grew up playing water polo. Her grandfather, James “Moose” Mulcrone, was a standout coach at Br. Rice and is also a member of the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame.
Basically, Maggie’s always been in the pool, including playing on co-ed teams with the Chicago Aquatic and Polo Club.
The experience of playing co-ed games has proven valuable, especially competing in the Junior Olympics.
“It’s definitely a lot harder playing with the guys. There’s less suit to grab,” Mulcrone said with a laugh. “I liked it and had a really good time playing with both teams. It makes you see how different boys and girls play. We did really well as a team.”
Mulcrone said she learned to develop that pass-first mentality while playing with the co-ed teams. With the guys, she looks to pass more. With the girls, she looks to score more.
Sheerin, a team captain, is impressed with the freshman’s performance.
“Maggie has been amazing,” Sheerin said. “The coaches always tell us the goal when you get in the pool is to make your teammates look good. Maggie has taken that to heart. She scores a lot, and that’s amazing. But, she’s always looking out for other people. If they have an opportunity to score, she’ll give up hers and give it to them.”
The Mother McAuley roster this spring included numerous underclassmen, and a talented class of freshmen is expected to join the team next year.
Mulcrone said the returning players will continue to work on their game through the offseason.
“We’ve been working on our defense a lot, and it’s been going good,” Mulcrone said. “We need to work on everyone’s shooting and confidence, not being afraid to shoot. We can’t be afraid to shoot or talk. We’ll work on our offense and have a good vibe going in.”
The young Mighty Macs struggled in the second half of the season as the team squared off with numerous top-10 teams in Illinois.
Sheerin said the tough losses will pay dividends in the future.
“It was a lot of good experience,” Sheerin said. “It’s a lot of believing in each other and ourselves. Those losses aren’t fun, but it’s good for the girls to see players of that caliber play and what they should be aiming for. We knew it’s not easy competition.”
McAuley Coach Maggie Bax said she was impressed by how the Mighty Macs continued to battle through the rough stretches.
“There were ups and downs with the schedule we play. We play top-10 teams no matter what,” Bax said. “As much as losing is hard, the work we’re putting in is helping them grow. No matter what the score is, we never give up.”
