Gilman Water Polo Defeats Loyola 25-8 for Second Straight Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association Championship as the Greyhounds completed a 24-1 season at Loyola College of Maryland’s Mangione Aquatic Center. Gilman went 12-0 in league matches, winning each by double digits.
Gilman never trailed and carried a 17-goal advantage into the final quarter. The victory gave the Greyhounds their second consecutive championship and their third in four seasons.
Treve Darby Leads Gilman’s Championship Attack
Treve Darby scored a game-high nine goals and received the Greg Hallisey Award as the championship match’s Most Valuable Player for the second straight year. Gilman scored three goals in less than 45 seconds during the first quarter and led 7-1 after the opening eight minutes, with Darby scoring four goals in the period.
Brody Carr added five goals and an assist, while Jonathan Bradlee contributed four goals and an assist. Ray Yang scored three goals, and Darby reached eight goals by the time Gilman led 21-4 with 86 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Gilman’s 25 goals marked a season high. The Greyhounds scored at least 20 goals in all but one league match.
Nikhil Krishna Anchors Gilman Defense
Senior goalie Nikhil Krishna made eight saves as Gilman controlled the championship match defensively. The Greyhounds have won 24 consecutive league matches since losing in the 2024 semifinals.
“We had the mentality we’re down 1-0,” Krishna said. “We’re always just fighting for another goal.”
Gilman coach Vaughan Smith credited Krishna’s performance in goal after the victory.
“He (Krishna) might be one of the better goalies on the East Coast,” Smith said. “Having him back there makes it hard for other teams…we make the other team earn their goals.”
Gilman captured its sixth championship in the last eight seasons. The Greyhounds’ latest title continued a run that includes three championships in four seasons.
Loyola Finishes 11-6
Loyola finished 11-6 after reaching the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association championship match. Benjamin Phillips scored two goals and added an assist, while Alexander Bennett and Finley Mitchell scored two goals each.
Loyola lost to Gilman twice during the regular season, 20-7 and 22-9. Loyola coach Gordon Amato said Gilman’s defense limited his team’s offensive opportunities.
“We just kept getting swallowed up by the defense and not picking up on open guys,” Amato said. “We had to throw some different looks at them defensively. Some things didn’t break our way, but overall we just got outplayed.”
Gilman Prepares for Eastern Prep Championships
Darby said Gilman’s veteran group remained focused after winning the previous championship. “We could’ve rest on our laurels from last year, but we’ve stayed hungry and I think that allowed us not to have any lapses,” Darby said.
Darby was one of seven Gilman seniors, along with Connor Durand, Grant Wright, Vincent Wu, Bradlee and Krishna. Smith said the team’s experience helped without leading to complacency.
“Having experience helps a lot, but, on the flip side, it’s easy to get complacent and none of them have,” Smith said. “They’ve remained hungry and continue to improve throughout the season which has been inspirational.”
Gilman is scheduled to compete at the Eastern Prep Championships in Pennsylvania the following weekend.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
Gilman combined a season-high offensive performance with consistent defensive control to secure its second consecutive Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association championship. Darby’s nine goals led the attack, while Carr, Bradlee and Yang also made significant scoring contributions.
The 24-1 overall record, 12-0 league finish and 24-match league winning streak place the championship within Gilman’s sustained run of success. The Greyhounds now turn to the Eastern Prep Championships in Pennsylvania after completing an unbeaten league season.
Source: Original report
