The New Trier High School girls field hockey team won the state championship on Nov. 2, beating Lake Forest High School 3-1. While the team had been down 1-0 in the first quarter, it ended up scoring one goal in each of the three subsequent quarters. That came after getting second place the previous season.

“It was a phenomenal game,” head coach Brittany Romano said. “This was pretty much one of the biggest tests that the team had gone through,  but the nice thing was, we had been there before. We actually had had two games prior in the season where we had been down early and had come back.”

Romano said for the past 10 to 15 years, Lake Forest has been New Trier’s biggest rival. New Trier currently holds the most state titles in field hockey, with Lake Forest coming in second. Glenbrook High School has also had strong performances these past few years, with New Trier losing to them in last year’s championship.  

Senior Kennedy Glinn, a co-captain and goalkeeper, said one of the biggest challenges the team faced during the season was a tie with John Burroughs High school in St. Louis.

“It was a tough game—our last of the tournament, and the heat made it even harder,” Glinn said. “There was some frustration and blame, and our team chemistry wasn’t where it needed to be. However, on the bus ride home, we took the time to work through it.” 

Despite the setbacks, though, the team stayed focused, incorporating fun games into their practices to boost morale and making sure to balance the fun with hard work.  

“We won a lot of games this year,” senior Julia Soriano, a co-captain, said. “We’re very competitive, but we also support each other, and I thought that made for a very successful outcome.”

The first goal was scored by sophomore Eloise Breen, the second by junior Lilly Cimarolli, and the third by senior Caitlyn Latimer.“Losing last year’s state championship left a lot of frustration for the returners,” Glinn said. “It made winning this year even more meaningful because it proved our resilience and ability to come together as a new, stronger team.”