Loyola Girls Lacrosse: Ramblers Nip New Trier in Title Game Rematch

Down 10-5 with 20 minutes left in the second half, New Trier didn’t panic. They had been here before.

In last year’s state finals, Loyola Academy (14-2) had roared out to a big lead against the Trevians (15-2) before New Trier made a big second-half push. The comeback came up short, but New Trier knew they could play on Loyola’s level.

True to form, New Trier responded, scoring six of the next seven goals to pull even with Loyola at 11-11 with just under two minutes remaining.

But again the Trevians’ comeback would come up short. Loyola’s Molly Hulseman scored with 1:08 to go after a New Trier turnover and the Ramblers held on for a 12-11 win at home.

“They were out there, they were not going to quit,” New Trier coach Peter Collins said. “The biggest thing was they started to be confident and believe in themselves.”

Senior attack Janie Gion scored the opening goal for New Trier, but New Trier had trouble executing its offense throughout much of the first half.

Loyola’s defense did a great job of picking up cutting attackers and New Trier’s goals mostly came off one-on-one drives to the net.

“Our defense played great,” Loyola coach John Dwyer said. “We graduated all our defenders last year. New goalie, four new defenders. To play at the level that they played tonight is very impressive.”

Loyola’s offense was rolling in the first half, spurred by a number of key draw controls that allowed the Ramblers to strike quickly.

After a foul on New Trier, Hulseman scored on a free position and put Loyola up 9-5 at halftime.  

But New Trier’s defense dug in during the second half, thanks in part to the play of junior goalie Laura Van Horn, who recorded 14 saves.

“We recognized their offense, see what they were going to do and slide better,” Collins said. “Our goalie stepped up, Laura played very well.”

New Trier held Loyola to only three goals in the second half, allowing their offense to get better possessions. Gion and Ellen Katcha scored back-to-back goals and Loyola called timeout  with 7:36 to play and its lead cut to 11-9.

Taylor McGinnis and Katcha scored the next two goals for New Trier to tie the game, but New Trier turned the ball over on the ensuing possession and Loyola scored the game-winner in transition.

“They made a great run in the second half, but we hung in there,” Dwyer said. “It was pretty much one of those titanic battles where maybe the team that had the ball last was going to win and that’s what it came down to.”

Katcha and Kelsey Murray each had three goals to lead New Trier. Meg Perkaus had four goals for Loyola.

The two rivals have become accustomed to meeting in the state finals in previous years, the new playoff format adopted by the Illinois High School Womens Lacrosse Association means Loyola and New Trier will most likely face each other in the sectional final.

“If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best,” Collins said. “[Loyola coach John Dwyer] and I, we just want a chance to play each other and the best team will win.”