New Trier records 25th-straight
regional title with win over OPRF
McNally’s header delivers 1-0 victory for Trevians
By Michael Wojtychiw
OAK PARK -- Jim Burnside and his New Trier girls have done it again. The manager of the Trevians, who started the gig in the 1996-97 season, came into Friday on a 24-year regional title streak.
To get to number 25 though, the Trevians had to get past a strong Oak Park and River Forest squad playing at home and hungry for a second-consecutive regional title.
A tough opening 65 minutes ensued between the fourth- and fifth-seeded teams in the Class 3A New Trier Sectional before Trevians senior forward Teagan McNally headed in a ball with 15 minutes, 42 seconds remaining. The goal stood up to lift the Trevians past the Huskies 1-0 and continue their run.
“That was a really good match, it was intense,” Burnside said. “Our girls really did what we asked them to do. It was one of the first times this year we’ve all come together and known exactly what we’re going to do. That’s on us as coaches, but they really were locked in on this game, and they wanted it.
“(Oak Park and River Forest) is a super-athletic team, and they swarm ya and don’t give you too much time. We had to have it on and off our foot quickly, and the key was we needed to defend well.”
“This win feels really good,” McNally said. “Before it seemed like all the work we’ve been putting in wasn’t showing off, but now it’s starting to do so.”
Coming off of a 2-0 win over Jones in the regional semifinal, New Trier was hoping to not only continue its defensive intensity but also continue its offensive pressure.
And the visitors were able to do just that, consistently peppering Oak Park and River Forest goalie Lilah Gery, an Emory University basketball commit, and forcing the senior to make some tough saves to keep the home team level.
But while Gery was doing her job in goal, it was actually forward Hailey Nowak who saved the Huskies in the first half.
With just minutes before the break, a Trevians corner kick led to a Josie Noble shot that was headed out by Malik, who stood on the goal line backing up her keeper.
The chance was the best one in a scoreless first half.
The Huskies (11-8-0) needed their goalie to step up big again when Noble drew a foul in the box in the early minutes of the second half. Junior Lida Dodge stepped up to take the penalty kick, but Gery dived to her left to knock the shot away.
While the Trevians offense put pressure on its opponent, the defense stood tall and didn’t allow a team that had scored 55 goals on the year many opportunities to put a ball past keeper Caroline Hague.
“I thought our goalkeeper, Caroline Hague, had her most composed and most goalkeeper-esque game she’s had,” Burnside said. “She was in command of the back and command of the box, and it was perfect.”
“A lot of it is just confidence,” New Trier Clara Deliduka said. “We practice defense, defense is the main thing of our team, but we’re a really young team. So, for Caroline having so much confidence to come out and call the defense, the backline, especially with sophomores and juniors in the midfield, it’s all about that confidence.”
The Trevians pressure finally paid off in the 65th minute when McNally broke through into the box to head a ball off a throw-in from sophomore midfielder Deliduka.
“I saw the ball in front of me and figured I could touch this around the keeper and if I get knocked down, I can hurry and touch it in,” McNally said. “I, honestly, did not expect the ball to go in the goal after my header.
“The ball was there; and I said I was just going to go for it.”
“We talked before the game about how the keeper is super aggressive and a great keeper,” Deliduka said. “I figured I would put it in the box and see if we could get a head on it.
“None of us expected it to go in, because it was so far out. But we were so excited when we saw the ball rolling in.”
Before subbing McNally into the game just moments before the goal, Burnside said he walked over to give her a pep talk.
“I said I need a good six minutes of pure Teagan athleticism and that is exactly what she did,” he said. “She ran through that ball, took the hit from the keeper and put it into the back of the net.”
“When he said five, six minutes, just go in and give it your all, I said ‘Yeah I could do that,’” she said.
The loss ends an Oak Park and River Forest season that started 10-2-0 and put the Huskies into the Chicagland Soccer Top 25. The squad lost five straight to end the regular-season. Three of those defeats came against ranked teams.
"I think we played a hard fought, physical game on Friday against a talented New Trier team," said coach Christine Johnston. "Unfortunately, we just weren't able to execute when we were in our attacking third.
"Our strong defensive line helped us stay in the game with some incredible plays. Defender Hailey Nowak had a huge header defending the back post, and it saved us from getting scored on. Goalkeeper Lilah Gery had an outstanding save on a PK, which gave us a lot of momentum and energy.
"We left everything out on the field, and we just couldn't find the back of the net. I'm proud of how hard the girls worked all season and look forward next year."
With the win, the 23rd-ranked Trevians (12-7-5) earned a rematch with rival Evanston, which took down the Trevians 3-1 in a conference match May 5. The top-seeded and fifth-ranked Wildkits advanced with a forfeit win over Lincoln Park and are aiming beyond a second-consecutive appearance in a sectional final. The two teams met in the sectional final last season, a 2-0 New Trier win.
New Trier knows what it’s up against.
“We’re battle-tested,” Burnside said. “And we’re still learning. Every game we’re learning. This was heart. We know we’re going to throw everything we’ve got, win or lose. It’s been a bit of a journey.”
Starting lineups
New Trier
GK: Caroline Hague
D: Ava Shah
D: Charlotte Dellin
D: Kiley Urban
D: Honor Dold
MF: Sybil Evans
MF: Annie Paden
MF: Clara Deliduka
MF: Lida Dodge
F: Kendall Sierens
F: Josie Noble
Oak Park and River Forest
GK: Lilah Gery
D: Tess Wright
D: Hailey Nowak
D: Sophia Henry
MF: Gweny Lopez
MF: Addison Bliss
MF: Katherine Hoffman
MF: Shane Colpoys
MF: Josie Humbert
F: Lilah Malik
F: Julia Daun
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match:
Teagan McNally, sr., F, New Trier
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
NT: Teagan McNally (Clara Deliduka), 65th minute
regional title with win over OPRF
McNally’s header delivers 1-0 victory for Trevians
By Michael Wojtychiw
OAK PARK -- Jim Burnside and his New Trier girls have done it again. The manager of the Trevians, who started the gig in the 1996-97 season, came into Friday on a 24-year regional title streak.
To get to number 25 though, the Trevians had to get past a strong Oak Park and River Forest squad playing at home and hungry for a second-consecutive regional title.
A tough opening 65 minutes ensued between the fourth- and fifth-seeded teams in the Class 3A New Trier Sectional before Trevians senior forward Teagan McNally headed in a ball with 15 minutes, 42 seconds remaining. The goal stood up to lift the Trevians past the Huskies 1-0 and continue their run.
“That was a really good match, it was intense,” Burnside said. “Our girls really did what we asked them to do. It was one of the first times this year we’ve all come together and known exactly what we’re going to do. That’s on us as coaches, but they really were locked in on this game, and they wanted it.
“(Oak Park and River Forest) is a super-athletic team, and they swarm ya and don’t give you too much time. We had to have it on and off our foot quickly, and the key was we needed to defend well.”
“This win feels really good,” McNally said. “Before it seemed like all the work we’ve been putting in wasn’t showing off, but now it’s starting to do so.”
Coming off of a 2-0 win over Jones in the regional semifinal, New Trier was hoping to not only continue its defensive intensity but also continue its offensive pressure.
And the visitors were able to do just that, consistently peppering Oak Park and River Forest goalie Lilah Gery, an Emory University basketball commit, and forcing the senior to make some tough saves to keep the home team level.
But while Gery was doing her job in goal, it was actually forward Hailey Nowak who saved the Huskies in the first half.
With just minutes before the break, a Trevians corner kick led to a Josie Noble shot that was headed out by Malik, who stood on the goal line backing up her keeper.
The chance was the best one in a scoreless first half.
The Huskies (11-8-0) needed their goalie to step up big again when Noble drew a foul in the box in the early minutes of the second half. Junior Lida Dodge stepped up to take the penalty kick, but Gery dived to her left to knock the shot away.
While the Trevians offense put pressure on its opponent, the defense stood tall and didn’t allow a team that had scored 55 goals on the year many opportunities to put a ball past keeper Caroline Hague.
“I thought our goalkeeper, Caroline Hague, had her most composed and most goalkeeper-esque game she’s had,” Burnside said. “She was in command of the back and command of the box, and it was perfect.”
“A lot of it is just confidence,” New Trier Clara Deliduka said. “We practice defense, defense is the main thing of our team, but we’re a really young team. So, for Caroline having so much confidence to come out and call the defense, the backline, especially with sophomores and juniors in the midfield, it’s all about that confidence.”
The Trevians pressure finally paid off in the 65th minute when McNally broke through into the box to head a ball off a throw-in from sophomore midfielder Deliduka.
“I saw the ball in front of me and figured I could touch this around the keeper and if I get knocked down, I can hurry and touch it in,” McNally said. “I, honestly, did not expect the ball to go in the goal after my header.
“The ball was there; and I said I was just going to go for it.”
“We talked before the game about how the keeper is super aggressive and a great keeper,” Deliduka said. “I figured I would put it in the box and see if we could get a head on it.
“None of us expected it to go in, because it was so far out. But we were so excited when we saw the ball rolling in.”
Before subbing McNally into the game just moments before the goal, Burnside said he walked over to give her a pep talk.
“I said I need a good six minutes of pure Teagan athleticism and that is exactly what she did,” he said. “She ran through that ball, took the hit from the keeper and put it into the back of the net.”
“When he said five, six minutes, just go in and give it your all, I said ‘Yeah I could do that,’” she said.
The loss ends an Oak Park and River Forest season that started 10-2-0 and put the Huskies into the Chicagland Soccer Top 25. The squad lost five straight to end the regular-season. Three of those defeats came against ranked teams.
"I think we played a hard fought, physical game on Friday against a talented New Trier team," said coach Christine Johnston. "Unfortunately, we just weren't able to execute when we were in our attacking third.
"Our strong defensive line helped us stay in the game with some incredible plays. Defender Hailey Nowak had a huge header defending the back post, and it saved us from getting scored on. Goalkeeper Lilah Gery had an outstanding save on a PK, which gave us a lot of momentum and energy.
"We left everything out on the field, and we just couldn't find the back of the net. I'm proud of how hard the girls worked all season and look forward next year."
With the win, the 23rd-ranked Trevians (12-7-5) earned a rematch with rival Evanston, which took down the Trevians 3-1 in a conference match May 5. The top-seeded and fifth-ranked Wildkits advanced with a forfeit win over Lincoln Park and are aiming beyond a second-consecutive appearance in a sectional final. The two teams met in the sectional final last season, a 2-0 New Trier win.
New Trier knows what it’s up against.
“We’re battle-tested,” Burnside said. “And we’re still learning. Every game we’re learning. This was heart. We know we’re going to throw everything we’ve got, win or lose. It’s been a bit of a journey.”
Starting lineups
New Trier
GK: Caroline Hague
D: Ava Shah
D: Charlotte Dellin
D: Kiley Urban
D: Honor Dold
MF: Sybil Evans
MF: Annie Paden
MF: Clara Deliduka
MF: Lida Dodge
F: Kendall Sierens
F: Josie Noble
Oak Park and River Forest
GK: Lilah Gery
D: Tess Wright
D: Hailey Nowak
D: Sophia Henry
MF: Gweny Lopez
MF: Addison Bliss
MF: Katherine Hoffman
MF: Shane Colpoys
MF: Josie Humbert
F: Lilah Malik
F: Julia Daun
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match:
Teagan McNally, sr., F, New Trier
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
NT: Teagan McNally (Clara Deliduka), 65th minute