New Trier Girls Lacrosse has started off the season with a 9-2 overall record. Currently, they are 5-0 in conference ranking them at number one in the state and 54th in the nation.

The team has high hopes for the rest of the season on and off the field. “We don’t only want to win games, we want to develop as a team and grow as individuals first and then the wins will start to come,” said head coach Peter Collins.

The team’s top scorer, Junior Katherine Gjertsen, already has an impressive 20 goals to her name, but the team’s success can’t be attributed to only one player.
Collins said, “We never know who is going to make the defining play of the game. Anyone on the roster could come up big. It is a huge advantage to have such a well rounded team.”

When the season was just starting up, Collins insisted that the faces on the team might be new but the work ethic and “never give up” mentality is the same as in past years.

“In my opinion, the successful teams we’ve had in years past are the ones that play [well] together, never-give-up, and find ways to win,” Collins said. “That is what I’ve seen out of these girls so far and I think that it will really show as the season goes on.”

The team’s goal is to constantly improve physically and mentally on and off the field.

Their hard work paid off this past weekend when the team came out of the preseason ranked 6th in the Midwest. This has put them on a course to play well into the playoffs.

But Collins remains cautiously optimistic; “ It doesn’t mean anything until we play in those games. That is when we get to show the hard work we put in and that is when it really counts.”

Collins said the leadership on the team is what sets the Trevians apart from their competition. “We have seen girls stepping up without being asked and this is a trait that will help us on the field.”

“We have many girls who help keep the team focused when something doesn’t go their way. That is one of the great qualities of this group.” Collins said.
Although the team hopes to achieve high levels of success on the field, Collins stresses that constantly winning will ensure a state win.

According to Collins, a successful season will include growth, hard work, and never giving up.

The goal is for each player to grow personally, and to bring that back to contribute positively to the team as a whole.

Collins explained that this is only achieved through working hard and never giving up during a game or practice. A player should never quit on themselves or their team.

“It’s all about growth, putting in the work, and never quitting. If we can put those pieces together then it will have been a successful season no matter if we are state champs or not. That having been said, we are putting in the work to become better to have it show on the field,” said Collins.