By Michael Wojtychiw
GLENVIEW — The 2021 boys spring season is one that nobody has ever seen before. Many schools will primarily play only conference games and there are no state playoffs for the boys.
The importance of winning conference becomes just as important, if not more so, than in previous seasons.
By Michael Wojtychiw
PARK RIDGE – Maine South did something in the first week of the season against Maine East that it did only three times last season: score four or more goals in a single game.
Unlike the 2019 season when it took the Hawks to their 10th game to accomplish the feat, they were able to do it in their second game, when they took down their crosstown rivals 4-1 at home March 11.
Continue readingNew Trier and North Shore Country Day.
One team has won 10 field hockey state championships, including two of the last three; the other just had its best finish in 20 years, with a fourth-place finish in last year’s state tournament.
Continue readingThe Atlantic Coast Conference is the pinnacle of women’s collegiate lacrosse. An ACC program has played for the national title in each of the last eight seasons and last year’s final Inside Lacrosse national rankings had five ACC teams among the top-10 at the end of the season.
So to get a chance to play in the nation’s top conference is an opportunity that would be to say no to. Loyola Academy junior Ellie Lazzaretto couldn’t pass it up, which is why on Jan. 22, the Lake Forest resident announced her commitment to play at Duke University starting in the fall of 2021.
Continue readingFour years ago, the New Trier boys lacrosse program saw one if its best players, Ben Connelly, graduate and head east to play at Tufts University. That following season, a
new No. 32 (Connelly’s New Trier jersey number) arrived on campus — freshman Henry Scherb. Fast forward four years and Scherb will once again be following in Connelly’s footsteps, as he goes to Massachusetts to play for the Jumbos starting in the fall.
Loyola’s Mia McGrath came into the 2019 girls volleyball season knowing she was going to have some big shoes to fill in her first year on varsity.
Continue readingComing off its best finish at the state meet since 2015, the New Trier boys cross country team was ready to show that last season’s 10th-place showing wasn’t a fluke.
The coronavirus pandemic prompted the Illinois High School Association to cancel all of the state’s spring sports. For much of the summer, it looked like the IHSA was going to do the same with fall sports.
And then, uncertainty hit.
Continue readingEvery baseball player’s dream is to be part of a big game that goes down to the last strike, the last out, in the bottom of the last inning with his team up by one. In a perfect world, said player comes through in the clutch and the team celebrates its victory.
There would be no celebrating June 6 as New Trier lost a 4-3 heartbreaker in its supersectional matchup with St. Charles North at Schaumburg Boomers Stadium in Schaumburg.
“We weren’t even supposed to be here, right?,” New Trier coach Mike Napoleon said. “We were never ranked. These guys were ranked, Oak Park was ranked. We got here with solid pitching and solid defense.”
For the rest of the story click here
New Trier works off of momentum.
“Once we get it going we’re unstoppable, but if we lose the momentum it works the opposite way too,” New Trier pitcher Ben Brecht said.
Brecht rode his own wave of momentum Thursday, June 2. After pitching six innings of two-hit, 10-strikeout ball in a regional title game win over Niles North May 28, the senior took the mound in the second semifinal game of the Loyola Sectional.
All Brecht did was pitch a complete game, in which he allowed only four hits and one earned run, and struck out 11 as New Trier defeated Notre Dame 2-1.
For the rest of the story click here
New Trier has been a model of consistency in the high school baseball world. Coming into the May 28 regional final against Niles North, the Trevians had won 11 regionals since the turn of the century. Continue reading
Michael Wojtychiw 