In a packed barn at Winnetka Ice Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 18, New Trier Green Hockey (NTG) bested Loyola Academy Gold (LAG) in a 7-4 victory during game three of the Scholastic Hockey League (SHL) semifinal. As a result, the Trevs advanced to the SHL Championship, where they will face St. Viator High School in a single winner-takes-all-game at Mount Prospect Ice Arena on Feb. 22.
In the series’ first game on Feb. 14, the Trevs cruised to a 4-1 victory, but the Ramblers quickly knotted the series just a day later after a 2-0 shutout in game two after a slow start from NTG.
“In game two we didn’t really come out with a jump,” senior captain Nolan Naggatz said. “We didn’t have much energy. Our coach was saying before the game that he saw some guys yawning, and that’s not how we want to come out against Loyola.”
In game three, the Trevs came out firing with senior forward Isaac Solomon crossing through two Rambler defenders to open up the scoring halfway through the first period.
The NT student section roared after Solomon’s goal. With the home ice advantage giving the Trevs a small leg up, senior forward Jack Woleben crediting the crowd for boosting team morale.
“That monstrous crowd brings us together as a group,” Woleben said.“We start to understand that people are in our corner, people support us, and that gives us good energy going into the game.”
During the beginning of the second period, the teams traded goals, putting the Trevs up 2-1. But, a few shifts later and after some antics by the Loyola student section, Woleben dished the puck to senior captain Jack Hirschtritt, who made a diving desperation pass for another NTG goal.
“They had all the momentum then,” Hirschtritt said. “Loyola students had just thrown a squid on the ice and all this funny stuff was going on… Our heads weren’t in the game, and I knew we needed to tilt the ice. So I dove for that puck, slid it over, and it was amazing. A surreal feeling.”
After that highlight-reel goal, the Trevs erupted on offense, scoring three straight goals, making the score 6-1.
Yet, the Ramblers responded right back, scoring a set of three goals themselves, bringing the margin to two goals with only two minutes left in the game.
However, that wasn’t enough for the Ramblers, as junior forward Dane Lohmeier sealed the deal with an empty-netter in the final minute of the third period, sending the Ramblers home.
Now, the Trevs have a date with St. Viator, which will be their fourth matchup of the year. The Trevs currently hold a 2-1 series’ lead so far, but none of the games have been decided by more than two goals.
“Our consistency is a big thing that we need to work on [against St. Viator],” Woleben said. “We can’t get too high. We can’t get too low. It seems like when we go up, we let off the gas, but when we’re down, we lose hope. So staying consistently motivated throughout the game is gonna be huge for us against Viator.”
Senior forward Charlie Cannon also mentioned the attitude of the team on and off the ice.
“Positivity on the bench [is important],” Cannon said. “We have a new motto–“party on the bench”–that coach Cheris brought up during one of our playoff games versus St. Ignatius. It means to have high spirits the entire game.”
However, whether the Trevs win or lose against St. Viator, NTG will still be in the fight for state playoffs and ultimately the state championship. After their win against Fenwick on Friday Feb. 20, the Trevs will face St. Ignatius in the Elite Eight and then a possible rematch with Loyola in the semifinal. Then, a high-stakes rematch with St. Viator is on the table for the state championship.
Despite a lot of high-pressure games ahead of them, the team nevertheless remains confident.
“When we have something on the line, this team does whatever it takes to win the game,” Woleben said.