The Green team completed its season sweep of Loyola on Feb. 9 in a testy game at Soldier Field.
As the second period wounddown, both teams could feel the intensity. They combined for 27 penalties and 3 ejections, but it would be New Trier who responded.
The Trevians scored two goals and managed to hold on to win 2-1 in the third period despite a myriad of penalties going against them.
Coming in with a record of 50-12-1, head coach Bob Melton has been pleased with his team’s success, saying, “We are playing extremely well and I believe we are playing our best hockey at the right time of year.”
Kyle Melton, a senior center, added, “We played well at both ends of the ice. We not only pressured them offensively but we played good defense too. Also, we capitalized on our special teams.”
The decisive point of the game came with 3:07 remaining in the second period. Jesse Arnold, a senior center, alongside Charlie Shehan, a senior right wing, came charging at the goal on a two-on-one odd man rush. Arnold tripped with the puck, but delivered a crisp pass to Shehan, who put it in the back of the net to give New Trier a 2-1 lead.
New Trier also set the tone of the game by scoring the first goal.
“Scoring first is huge when it comes to an emotional game against a team like Loyola, who is a big rival, and we have been able to do that in our four games against them,” said Arnold
Zev Glass, a senior left wing, sparked New Trier early to that early 1-0 lead with a shorthanded goal coming in the first period. Loyola answered to tie the game with forward Hayes Williams scoring on a power play.
The game turned soon when Loyola goalie Tommy Lyman picked a fight just three minutes after he entered the game with Glass. The two dropped the gloves and started throwing punches. Lyman walked away with a game misconduct, while Glass and two other players were given minor penalties.
Loyola in the end emerged the loser, and they certainly did not take the loss all too well. The referees told both teams to go home without the routine post-game handshake. The two teams could potentially meet again in the league playoffs or State Championship Game, certainly setting up for another chippy matchup that New Trier so far has dominated through exhibition games.
With the Loyola game behind them, the Trevians reflected on a positive and unique experience at Soldier Field.
“Playing at Soldier Field was a great experience. Not every day do you get to play in a game like that. Being on such a big stage was good enough to get our team fired up and ready to play,” said Arnold.
Coach Melton also was excited about playing at Soldier Field, saying, “Being outdoors was a very fun experience for the team.
The ice conditions were poor but the atmosphere was great. Walking out onto Soldier Field and looking up and seeing how enormous the stadium was very cool.”
As of late, the Green team defeated St. Viator two games to none in the Scholastic Hockey League Playoffs. In that particular tournament, they will move on to the quarterfinals to play Stevenson in a best-of-three series on Wednesday Feb. 20th. In a different tournament, the Trevians defeated Naperville Central in a high school invitational quarterfinal (HIT) for their 50th win of the season. They will face Providence in the HIT semifinals later in February.
Danny Spitz, a senior right wing, gave a synopsis of what the team has been up to lately and the road ahead: “We recently came back from a tournament hosted by St. Andrews College in Toronto, Ontario. Many teams that we played had guys who were as old as 20 and all the schools valued hockey as their main sport.”
“That being said,” continued Spitz, “we went 2-2 on the weekend, and it’s good to face strong competition this late in the season to get us ready for playoffs in the end of February and into March.”