Newberg fitting in nicely with IceCats

Shawn Brown wasn't sure what to expect when Charlie Newberg took over in goal for the co-op Libertyville IceCats, a mix of players from Libertyville and Vernon Hills.

The fourth-year varsity head coach didn't know anything about Newberg, who as an eighth-grader skated with the team last spring. Brown wasn't certain Newberg could handle varsity-level shots, let alone the grind of a varsity schedule, or the fact he would be the lone freshman on the team.

But Brown said Newberg played well last spring, was "phenomenal" in tryouts and has had a great season. Libertyville lost to the District 155 Predators 4-3 in Sterling Division championship game on March 1. Then Saturday night, Libertyville-Vernon Hills saw its season end with a 3-2 overtime loss to the same co-op team from Crystal Lake Central and Prairie Ridge.

Newberg carried a 1.92 goals-against average through 12 league games. He was named a North-Central Division all-star in January, one of only two freshmen selected.

"It's been a lot of fun playing varsity hockey as a freshman," Newberg said. "The competition has been a pretty big step up from Bantam (level last season), but so far I feel like I am holding my own. It started off scary (being the lone freshman on the team) because I really didn't know many of the guys. But our three captains - Jack Murphy, Brian Constable and Alex Zweiner - really took care of me and made sure I felt like an important part of the team."

Libertyville (29-14-4) was paced offensively this season by junior forward Bennett Furie (Vernon Hills), who had 56 goals and 15 assists through 43 games, including 5 hat tricks and a 4-goal game against Warren on Feb. 22, which the IceCats won 7-4. Constable (Libertyville) was second on the team with 25 goals and 41 assists, while sophomore Justin Agemura (Libertyville) had 19 goals and 29 assists. Murphy (Libertyville) and Alex Feinman (Vernon Hills) had 46 and 35 points, respectively.

Newberg even had 1 point this season, an assist in the team's 1-0 win over co-op CFHS on Jan. 19.

Newberg is a "modern-butterfly" style of goalie, he said, "with some old-school pad-stacks and (Dominik) Hasek rolls thrown in."

Newberg said he models his game after Hasek and Jonathan Quick. And his cousin - David Thoensen of Carmel Catholic.

"He was a goalie and we used to go watch him play when I was little." Newberg said. "I thought he was cool and I wanted to take after him."

Years ago, Newberg played in back-to-back Northern Illinois Hockey League championship games. That also was the first time he teamed with Furie.

Newberg has been playing travel hockey for four years, and this season he helped the IceCats defeat rival Carmel for the first time in four years. Like so many athletes, especially hockey players, Newberg said he is overly superstitious. Before every game, he taps the glass near center ice three times.

The way he played this season, don't expect that to change.