New Trier Hockey’s Green Team heads into the league playoffs on fire after winning the fourth annual Hoosier Cup tournament on Feb. 3.
Senior Tommy Kempf scored on the power play late in the first period in the championship game against Demantha, and NTG never looked back.
They capped off a 5-0 tournament with a 4-0 victory, led by a shutout from goalie Preston Watt.
“Our goalies only let in 4 goals the whole tournament and they had to make some great saves,” noted senior Patrick Chang. Watt and Owen Reger have been dominant all season.
Mark Ashmore was another star of the tournament, scoring twice in an 8-1 win against Bethel Park.
“Ashy is an all-state talent and the boys couldn’t be more proud of him. The combination of his mobility for a 6 foot 5 winger, his hands, and his ability to rip shots from anywhere with power is incredible to watch and play with,” said Kempf.
The win against Dematha came after two straight double-headers, or four games in two days. Goals in that game were also scored by junior Brian Dolby, junior Spencer Lifvendahl, and junior Ryan Gallagher.
The team had confidence going into the tournament because they had defeated one of the competing teams before.
“We have played against York who was in the tournament and we beat them 9-0 and 5-0,” said Chang. NTG beat York again this weekend 10-1.
Senior captain and leading scorer Bobby Soudan recognized his team’s hard work and accomplishments by saying, “Our team is playing better than ever and is hitting its peak at the right time.”
Junior Spencer Lifvendahl explained the team’s preparation for the tournament by saying, “We prepared with a game and practice before the road trip to help fix the little things before we played better opponents.”
Chang said that “the hardest challenge of the tournament would be playing two games in one day. It’s never easy to play twice in a day and your legs get pretty tired by the end of the second.”
Lifvendahl explained how he overcame the challenges on the ice by saying, “The hardest challenge of the tournament was keeping your body right by getting good sleep and eating well because you are playing a lot of games in a short amount of time.”
The win gives hope for more victories adding onto their record of 55-5, especially with playoffs beginning this weekend.
Senior and Captain Bobby Soudan said, “The tournament win this past weekend was huge for our team and our momentum heading into playoffs.”
Kempf gave credit for the tournament championship to his team’s strong bond by saying, “The bond between all 23 of these young men is something out of a fable. Some of these guys I barely knew before the season started, and ever since puck dropped opening night, the boys have gotten closer and closer with every team event.”
The big win means a lot to the team and continues to give them hope for a victory at state. “Our regular season just finished the boys are absolutely flying coming off this huge tournament win in South Bend. We have SHL league playoffs starting this Friday vs New Trier Blue. If we win the SHL it would give us the confidence we need to achieve our final goal of winning the state tournament,” said senior and Captain Gavin Randle.
The Hoosier Cup win gives NTG momentum for the weeks leading up to the state championship game. The team is working to continue their winning streak to accomplish their ultimate goal of bringing home a final win at state this year.
“We only have league playoffs and state playoffs left,” said Chang, “so we are trying to maintain the success we have had this season going into these upcoming games.”