On Oct. 27, New Trier Field Hockey crushed the Glenbrook South Titans 8-0 in the sectional game. With this win, the team will advance to the state final four on Oct. 27 in Oak Park.

5 of the 8 goals were scored by senior, Kate McLaughlin. As for the best goal, senior Grace Harris noted McLaughin’s first goal.

“One of the highlights would be the first goal. Kate McLaughlin tipped it in from Amy Griffin’s shot at the top of the circle,” said Harris.

The team as a whole stepped up their game due to the significance of the win. Head Coach Stephanie Nykaza, is proud of how the team performed under the pressure.

“They were great, they were ready to go, they played strong, they were relentless.”

The team’s center back Hillary Cox noticed a great difference in this game from games earlier in the season.

“During this game, we definitely stepped up our play from the last time we played GBS, since the pressure is on leading into the semi finals and state. Our passing and attacking positioning were really good in the game,” said Cox.

The playoff season can be a stressful and intense time for the team. Nykaza saw this weekend, that the girls are ready to take on state.

“At this time in the season, during playoffs, is when all cylinders need to be going, and they need to be working hard and they need to be clicking and they were. I told them they had to push everything aside and everything has to work,” said Nykaza.

The team has since begun switching gears to focus on state. State is extra competitive for the girls, since in the off season many players from the area practice together on club teams.

“Many of our players play on the same travel teams as their players, so we get extra competitive against people we know,” said Cox.

The girls have had a very successful season. According to MAX Field Hockey, the team is currently ranked 1st in the West/Midwest region and 15th in the country; and senior Kate McLaughlin is currently the 22nd-ranked player in the country.

This season consisted of many impressive wins for the team. Over the season, the girls have gotten first in the Gateway Classic, the Oak Park tournament, and finished 2-1 in the National Field Hockey Tournament.

Harris sees coming in first at the Oak Park tournament as the team’s greatest accomplishment.

“The greatest accomplishment for the team in my opinion would be winning the Oak Park Tournament. This is because we competed against Lake Forest, our biggest rival, in the championship game and we won 3-1,” said Harris.

Harris credits this win to the high energy brought by the team.

“My team was encouraging each other (tons), staying calm throughout the play, and overall trying their hardest to win. From this, I believe we played our best game in the whole season.” continued Harris.

“This team has accomplished more than all my teams over the past 30 years as far as what they have achieved,” said Nykaza.