After trailing 9-4, the Trevs fought back against a tough Hinsdale Central team, erasing a five goal deficit and going to overtime with the score tied 11-11. That's when Brooke Ross won the most crucial draw of the season, which eventually led to Ross passing to Grace Curry, who scored the game winner in sudden victory.
The game defined the mindset that the coaches shared the first day of practice. Assistant Carli Harpel said that "preparation breeds confidence" and assistant Charlotte McGuire shared "we need to be all in and play for each other" and the team embodied these words as they never stopped believing in themselves.
The Trevs opened up the game going up 2-0 as Ross won the two opening draws and on New Trier's first possession, Claire Ratke fed to Grace Curry to take the lead at 24:21. On the next possession, Kennedy Meier drove and was fouled and then converted a free position goal. Audrey Rudolph won the following draw but freshman goalie Makenna Shutlz made a nice low save on a shot from Curry and Emily Brankin scored for the Red Devils to make it 2-1. Hinsdale won the next draw and slowed the pace of the game with a very patient and poised offense, and Annette Ciupek scored on a dodge at 15:40 to tie the game.
New Trier had a couple of possessions, but were not able to convert and Hinsdale again controlled the tempo and after some solid defense by the Trevs, Reese Napier scored at 13:31 to take the lead. The Red Devils built on their momentum and capitalized on some Trevian turnovers to score three more unanswered goals, including two more by Ciupek to take the lead 6-2 with 4:38 left in the half.
Hinsdale's scouting and game plan paid off, taking smart shots off of a well designed motion offense, and then face guarding Addie Shevtiz on defense. After a save by Kate Keller, the Trevs came down on attack and Ratke again made a beautiful feed to Shevitz, who was streaking down the field into the eight meter to beat Shultz and score with 1:45 left to make it 6-3 at half.
At halftime, assistant coach Carli Harpel challenged the team to "dig deep and play with the heart they have shown all year." After Ciupek had a hat trick, the Trevs put a faceguard with Izzy Resnick on her, and moved Ross from defense to midfield. Unfortunately, Resnick was called for a pushing foul on Ciupek, who scored on a free position goal to make it 7-3 at 23:59. But the Trevs answered right back, with Meier winning the draw and Rudolph scoring at 23:01. After trading possessions, Hinsdale's Ella Beargie scored at 18:33 to go back up four. The Trevs had a couple of possessions, but weren't able to score and the Red Devil's Brankin scored to extend their lead to 9-4.
That's when the Trevs started to dig deep, and on the ensuing draw, Meier grabbed the draw and the Trevs set up their offense, and Ross took the ball and made a stutter dodge to beat her defender and ripped a shot top shelf to score at 15:29. Meier won the next draw this time, Grace Curry drove and feed inside to her sister Emma, who turned and found the back of the net at 14:46. The defense stepped up big on the Red Devils next possession and Rudolph made a huge interception and raced down the field and passed to Emma Curry on the fast break, but Shultz stepped up and stuffed her shot, leading to Hinsdale racing down and scoring at 12:32 to go up 10-6 to stop the Trevian's momentum.
But even as Hinsdale was celebrating, Lily Wallace ran up from the defense yelling "we got this" and Meier ran up to the draw circle hitting everyone's stick and lined up ready for the draw. On the whistle, Meier picked up where she left off grabbing another draw and again getting the ball to Ross, who made another dodge 1v1 and scored at 11:37 to make it 10-7. New Trier grabbed the next draw, but turned the ball over on a deflected pass. But on the ride Ross knocked down a pass and Ellie Bornhoeft grabbed the ground ball and raced behind the cage, finding Shevitz open, who spun around and scored at 11:05 to make it 10-8.
Rudolph won the next draw and was pushed in the back, drawing a yellow card, which led to Ross scoring her third goal of the game at 10:37 to cut the lead to one. On the next draw, Meier was called for a yellow card going for the ball in the air, and both teams were at even strength. But it was Ross again with some stellar defense, causing a turnover and then on offense, Shevitz broke free to get the ball and the offense set up and Shevitz handled a double team pressure and drove and scored at 9:21 to tie the game 10-10. Bornhoeft won the next draw and the Trevs set up their offense and showed the poise they have demonstrated all year, when Meier cut for a pass at the elbow and her teammates cleared space and allowed her to drive and score to take the first lead for the Trevs in almost 40 minutes.
Both teams stiffened on defense, and the Trevs had multiple scoring opportunities, but Shultz made a big save for Hinsdale and then Rudolph draw a yellow card with 4:16 left in the game. The defense held off Hinsdale on several scoring attempts, but Napier finally scored to tie the game 11-11 on a cut off the elbow at 3:43. On the next draw, Meier got the ball and passed to Ross, who was knocked to the ground to draw a yellow card for Hinsdale and again the teams were at even strength. The Trevs held the ball to run out the time on their card and got the man advantage back. However, a feed inside got knocked down and the Red Devils came down looking to take the lead. As Hinsdale ran down the clock for a last shot, Wallace pressured out on the ball, forcing her girl to turn and look to pass, when Rudolph made a huge defensive play, putting her stick up and knocking down the pass, and Ross grabbed the ball and passed back to Rudolph, who sprinted down the field and ran around the crease with under 15 seconds left in the game, getting a shot off that went wide and forcing overtime.
On the biggest stage, big time players make big plays. As the draw was set up and the whistle blew, Meier and Hinsdale's Tessa Howe both pushed up and the ball flew toward the Red Devils goal, where Ross boxed out, extended her stick and caught the ball in full stride. Ross took it down and the Trevians set up their offense. Assistant Charlotte McGuire had put in a play for the end of the game that the attack worked on for several weeks, and even asked Grace Curry what they wanted to run at the end of regulation. As Meier handled the ball up top and looked to the sideline, the Trevians set up their motion, and it wasn't the crease drive, or feed, or high drive, or backside crease roll, but the patience of a senior captain coming around the crease, unselfish teammates clearing space, and a senior captain popping out for a pass and then turning and making the biggest shot of her career to win the game. As Grace Curry sat on the ground with her arms raised staring at Ross jumping in the air with her arms raised, the team stormed the field to celebrate.
"Hinsdale had a great game plan, scouted us and were extremely disciplined and well coached, it is an honor to play them and we know it took everything we had to be in a position to win this game," said head coach Pete Collins.
Ross finished with three goals, four draw controls, an assist and two caused turnovers. Meier finished with nine draw controls and two goals. Shevitz finished with three goals. Grace Curry had two goals, a caused turnover and two ground balls. Rudolph finished with three caused turnovers and a goal. Ratke had two assists. Bornhoeft had an assist, ground ball and draw control. Emma Curry had a goal.
In a tale of two halves, the draws were even in the first half 5-5 and the Trevs won 10 of 14 in the second half and held the Red Devils scoreless for almost ten minutes in the second half and went on a five goal run.
It was the second state championship in three years for New Trier. Both against Hinsdale Central at Hinsdale Central. The Trevians tied a school record of 24 wins in a season, set in 2008.
