Long way back

As the lone seniors on a squad of 19 players, women's water polo captains Maddy McCarthy and Kathryn Parolin are bound to be close. The girls trace their friendship back much further than just freshman year, though. For the last 11 years they have been bedrocks of each other's lives and helped each other develop into topnotch leaders and players.

McCarthy's and Parolin's friendship began in sixth grade when they attended the same grammar school in River Forest, Ill., their hometown, where they live just five blocks apart. They hit it off from the start with a sleepover and a botched attempt to bake cookies.

"She befriended me right away," McCarthy said.

It was not all fun and games between the two, however, once they were in the water. Both played water polo for their respective high school teams in the Oak Park/River Forest area, a hotbed of water polo — by non-California standards, at least. With McCarthy in goal for the private Fenwick High School and Parolin leading the offense for the rival public Oak Park and River Forest High School, the girls' teams exchanged state championships during their high school careers. Games often came down to clashes between Parolin's offensive charges and McCarthy's wall-like defense. In the summer, though, they played on the same club team.

"In the summer I'd be playing with her, and in the season I'd be shooting on her," Parolin said.

Neither girl anticipated attending Princeton together and having the opportunity to play as teammates. Parolin had initially written off the Ivies, feeling the environment of the schools was not her cup of tea. She fell in love with the Princeton campus during her recruiting trip, though, and was accepted early, much to McCarthy's surprise.

"I was shoveling snow in my driveway, and [Kathryn] pulls up and [said] I'm going to go get ice cream . . . I just got into Princeton," McCarthy said.

McCarthy, on the other hand, didn't like Princeton after her trip even though she had an older sister who rowed for the Tigers. McCarthy was accepted regular decision, though, and in the end, she decided to attend.

In high school, McCarthy readily concedes, Parolin was by far the stronger of the two players. McCarthy, however, immediately found herself as Princeton's starting goalie freshman year, while Parolin found herself on the bench.

"[Princeton] had two upperclassmen that dominated the team, and they were her position," McCarthy said.

Parolin's and McCarthy's close relationship allowed them to build each other up even early on in their collegiate careers. With motivation from McCarthy and her own personal drive, Parolin reproved her standout status and worked her way up the team's depth chart. For the past two years she has started at center, the key play-making water polo position, akin to a center midfielder in soccer.

The girls say they have a yin-yang leadership style as captains. McCarthy is a more dramatic, emotional player, while Parolin likes to "keep it in perspective." Knowing one another so well allows the two to maintain a complementary leadership dynamic in the water.

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The dynamic changed recently, however, when head coach Luis Nicolao reworked the starting lineup and replaced McCarthy, a 2004 All-Southern second team and the AWPCA All-Academic team member, with freshman netminder Natalie Kim.

For the accomplished veteran so accustomed to her starting position, it was a difficult move. McCarthy suddenly found herself forced to lead from the bench rather than from the cage. Parolin's sisterly presence has eased McCarthy's adjustment to this new role.

With her time in the water reduced, McCarthy has turned her attention to other forms of leadership. Part of that is working to improve team chemistry, which McCarthy and Parolin say they see as the key to success.

"We're working on being able to pick each other up and get through," Parolin said. "Either we're all on . . . or we're flat."

The senior captains hope to advance to the NCAA Tournament in their final season. The three tough Eastern powerhouses of Michigan, Indiana and Hartwick will be more than ready to face off against the Tigers.

As McCarthy's and Parolin's college experiences draw to a close, neither senior is sure what next year's plans will entail. Based on precedent, though, whatever the two end up doing, chances are good that they'll be doing it together.