Tremendous team effort leads Trevs to sectional title

It took a total team effort for New Trier to hold on to a 8-7 lead and defeat one of the best teams in the Midwest, neighborhood rival Loyola. The defense shut out a high powered Rambler attack for a 20 minute stretch and made 16 stops on defense, while the offense ran out the last two and a half minutes to secure the victory.

Loyola's Emma Burke gave the Ramblers the lead with an iso drive to score 49 seconds into the game. The Trevians responded after Kate Keller made a save and Addie Shevitz drew a foul and ripped a free position shot to tie the game 1-1 at 22:32. Brooke Ross grabbed the ensuing draw and passed off to Claire Ratke, who threaded a beautiful feed to Emma Curry off the elbow for a goal with 21:29 left. The Rambler's Eileen Dooley converted a free position at 20:19 to tie the game 2-2. Erin Keating then drove and scored for Loyola to give them the lead 3-2 at 15:46. 

After possessions by both teams, Grace Mawicke intercepted a pass for New Trier on defense, which led to the Trevs setting up their attack, and on a 2v2 look, Shevitz drove and drew a double team and dumped the ball to Emma Curry to put the ball in the top corner to make it 3-3. But Loyola answered back when Burke fed to Adrienne Leone on a slow break to take back the lead at 13:26. 

That's when the defense stepped up and held the Ramblers scoreless the rest of the half, keyed by caused turnovers by Audrey Rudolph, Mawicke and Lily Wallace. After Rudoph knocked down a pass, Shevitz had a great dodge and drive to score at 12:09 to tie the game. The Trevs also ran out a yellow card with a save by Keller and the attack holding the ball for almost two minutes.  It wasn't until just over five minutes left in the half when Mawicke had her second interception and Grace Curry raced to the goal to score and make it 5-4. Loyola had several possessions the last few minutes of the half, but Kennedy Meier and Keller in the goal held off the Ramblers.

In the second half, Keller again made a big save and then after Loyola had a yellow card, Shevitz again made a feed inside the 8 meter to Emma Curry for a goal at 22:06. After over twenty minutes of shutting out the Loyola attack, Catherine Holcomb scored at 18:12 to make it 6-5. Both teams traded possessions, and then after a missed pass, Meier stepped in front a Loyola pass on the ride for an interception and passed to Grace Curry who ran down the field and faked and finished for a fast break goal at 15:32 to make it 7-5. Again the defense settled in with saves by Keller and big plays by Anna Seftenberg and Allie Trukenbrod to get big ground balls to control the tempo. Loyola called a timeout at 13:16, but after the timeout, Wallace knocked down a feed to get the ball back for the Trevs. 

Possession after possession, the Trevs turned away Loyola, and then after another defensive stop forced a bad pass and the ball bounced past the 30, Mia Shane ran through a scrum of players to come out with the ball and give the Trevians possession, which led to Shevitz rolling the crease to score and make it 8-5 with 5:37 left. But the Ramblers answered back and showed why they are one of the elite programs in the Midwest. Loyola won the draw and Holcomb scored quickly to make it 8-6. On the next draw, Grace Curry came up with the ball and the Trevs came down and had a great look, but Loyola made the save and came down and Holcomb fed to Keating and the Ramblers scored to cut the lead to one, 8-7.

On the next draw, it was senior Grace Curry again, who grabbed the loose ball and was fouled. Loyola drew a yellow card and the Trevs attack stalled out the clock to preserve the win.

Keller finished with a career high 12 saves. New Trier won 10 of the 17 draws, three each by Ross and Meier. The defense forced 10 turnovers, Wallace and Rudolph had three, Mawicke had two. Shevitz had three goals and two assists, Emma Curry had three goals and Grace Curry had two goals.