Glenbard defeats Bartlett for state title
For the co-op Glenbard hockey team, the past few weeks have had an Olympic ring to it, a la 1980.
Glenbard first beat the mighty Russians, a.k.a., Rockford, the 15-time defending state champion, in the semifinals. Then Friday night at the United Center, Glenbard still had to win one more game for the gold — and did just that, in dramatic fashion no less.
Junior forward Nick Riscossa (Glenbard North) scored the game-winning goal at 6:18 of overtime as Glenbard defeated Bartlett 2-1.
“These guys, from Day One, have worked and worked and worked — and to end it like this is unbelievable,” said Glenbard coach Jason Hawkins. “I’m so happy for the guys.”
Riscossa was Glenbard’s go-to offensive star all season, tallying 55 goals and 35 assists in 55 games, but none bigger than Friday’s, assisted by Rocco Stachowiak and Mitchell Bilyk.
The overtime tally pushed Glenbard’s OT record to 9-1 over the past two seasons.
Hawkins said he was “in shock” when the puck trickled home. “I wasn’t sure it went in until I saw the ref pointed” to award the goal.
Riscossa said he tried to pull the puck to the right side and get a quick shot on net.
“It was trickling down the (goal) line; I barely saw it. As soon as I saw it cross that line, it was relief; I can’t even describe that feeling, just amazing,” he said. “Winning it for my team, at the United Center, was amazing.”
Junior forward Stachowiak smacked a backhander into the goal with 7:59 remaining in the second period, giving co-op Glenbard (34-17-7) a 1-0 lead.
But Bartlett struck with 6:14 remaining in the third to tie the game. Danny Klein scored on an assist from Charlie DeWitt.
Klein’s goal was the lone error for Glenbard goalie Chris Matza.
“That was a great game,” Matza said. “We knew we’d have to play great defensively and get pucks to the net, and we did that.”
This was Glenbard’s first Combined Division state championship.
“We tend to step it up in big games, and that goes back to last season and the season before (that),” Matza said.
Bartlett had handled Glenbard in both of the games played between the two teams this season. “Every game (between the two teams) has been tight, like tonight,” said Bartlett coach David Dyson. “They just had a little more than we did.”
Bartlett only surrendered four goals in five state tournament games, “and that’s something I’m extremely proud of,” Dyson said. “It’s very tough losing in overtime, but, if I had to pick a way to lose, it would be this way. Still, I take a lot of pride in what we did, what we accomplished this season. This was a (heck) of a show, a (heck) of a game. The guys are really devastated in the (locker) room, but they played like champions.”
Ÿ In the girls state championship game, played Friday afternoon at the United Center, New Trier defeated Lake Forest 1-0. Senior forward Eileen Harris scored the game’s lone goal, unassisted, at 7:17 of the second period. New Trier goalie Lexie Cirrincione was only forced to make 12 saves, while Lindsay Projansky stopped 21 shots for the Scouts. New Trier finishes 29-3-5.
New Trier’s Harris also was named the Cammie Granato Girls High School Player of the Year, awarded by the Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois (AHAI). She was honored during the Viator-Rita game, along with other award-winners from the season.
Sean Nelson (Naperville Central) was named the J.J. O’Connor High School Player of the Year; Mike Rohdenburg (Hinsdale Central) was given the AHAI Boys High School Coach of the Year, while Manny Ballestero earned AHAI Girls High School Coach of the Year honors. Rick Rooney (Chicago Hawks) was named the AHAI Youth Hockey Coach of the Year.