One team was looking to reach the state semifinals for the first time in program history, while the other was looking to reserve its spot in the final four of the IHSWLA playoffs for the 16th time in the 17 years the school has had a girls lacrosse team.

In the end, New Trier, the experienced team, was able to overcome a slow start to blowout visiting St. Charles Co-Op 23-14 Thursday, May 26, in Northfield.

“We all had to get back together and recollect ourselves and remind us we deserve to be in this game,” New Trier’s Katherine Gjerstsen said. “All of us can look at that adversity and overcome it. We know that we can work together as a team and we know how well we can work together and we were able to find that.”

St. Charles, a team comprised of students from both St. Charles East and St. Charles North, came off the bus looking like the more experienced team and one on a mission.

The Stars got off to a fast 4-1 start in the first five minutes of the game, leading New Trier coach Pete Collins to call a timeout and calm his team down. The Trevians (18-4) got it down to 6-4 and then things started to unravel for the visitors.

New Trier took an 8-7 lead late in the half on a pretty goal by Gjertsen on an assist from Sophia King. It was the Trevians’ first lead of the game and came with 6:24 to play.

The Stars went into halftime only down 9-8, but that’s when things started to unravel for the visiting squad.

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