Sacred Heart College won the North Island Senior Secondary Schools Water Polo Championships in Auckland on Sunday night beating St. Kentigern College 10-6 in the final. Sacred Heart have won the North Island title in the following years: 2017, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2011, 1990 and 1987. National Champions Rangitoto College won the bronze medal 8-7 over 2016 champs Auckland Grammar School. Tauranga Boys’ College took out the B grade.
Sacred Heart came out of the blocks quickly, creating an early mountain for Saint Kentigern – first time North Island finalists – to climb with four goals in the early stages of the game (Ferigo, Zatko, Hermans, Paterson).
Brilliance came in flashes for St. Kentigern including a centre forward goal from Billy Simpson – the first of the second quarter. Sacred Heart was the most consistent of the two sides and at one stage was ahead by six goals.
Both teams took advantage of 21 major fouls in the match. Saint Kentigern had a burst of momentum and a chance to make the gap three in the fourth quarter but didn’t convert and Sacred’s Patrik Zatko scored down the other end. St. Kentigern only broke the four-goal buffer once will Simpson’s goal early in the second quarter.
Top goal scorers for the boys’ final were Ben Fleming (St. Kent’s) and Nick Paterson (Sacred Heart).
The scorers in the final were.
SHC: Nick Paterson (3), Louie Ferigo (2), Nick Hermans (2), Patrik Zatko (2), Josh Retter
SKC: Ben Fleming (3), Lachie Kenna, Billy Simpson, Sam Keyte
The Auckland finals are this week and the season concludes with Nationals in Wellington which run from April 18-21.
Tournament Team
Nick Paterson – MVP, Matt Dell – GK (Sacred Heart College) Rowan Brown, Matt Morris (Rangitoto College), Ben Fleming (St Kentigern), Josef Schuler (Aquinas College), Calum de Jager (Auckland Grammar).