In hockey's Red Division, everyone's seeing Green
It's a seemingly simple question, but no team in Illinois has been able to come up with a winning answer this season:
How do you defeat New Trier Green?
The Trevians aren't just perched to repeat; they are positioned to be, arguably, the best team in school history and maybe even state history. And New Trier is, without question, the No. 1 high school hockey program in Illinois. Coach Bob Melton is in his 20th season, and he already has 11 state championship banners.
The Trevians have been the No. 1-ranked team all season and have not lost to an Illinois high school team all season. Their only setbacks have been against midget-level and elite teams, plus once to Carmel High School of Indiana.
Green has 47 wins over Illinois high school teams this season and is riding a 30-game winning streak. The Trevians defeated Lake Forest 7-0, then Stevenson 4-0 in their first two state tournament games. Green next faces No. 5-seed Benet Academy on Monday at The Edge Ice Arena in Bensenville in the second semifinal of the night, starting at 8:45 p.m. No. 2 Loyola Gold battles No. 3 Providence Catholic at 6:40 p.m. on Monday at The Edge.
Winners skate for the Red Division state title on Friday, March 17, at the United Center.
"Green is the most complete high school team in maybe the last 10 (to) 12 years," said Glenbrook North head coach Evan Poulakidas, who was in his 17th season coaching locally in the high school ranks. "(All four Green forward lines) can score; their defense manages the puck better than people give them credit for and their goaltending is very good and does not get enough credit at that position.
"They are big, fast and play angry. Throw in a great coaching staff and you have one of the great teams in many, many years."
The Trevians handled Benet 10-2 in the only meeting between the teams this season.
Green's explosive offense features three forwards who each have accumulated 100 or more points this season, led by Tommy Cahill (61 goals, 59 assists). Jack Raith, who tallied 4 goals in the 2016 state championship game win over Providence Catholic, has 55 goals, 62 assists. Charlie Burton has 38 goals along with 62 assists and was named the JJ O'Connor Male High School Player of the Year by the Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois.
The Redwings (29-17-1) have won four in a row, including a 4-3 victory March 8 over Glenbrook North in the elite eight round, and feature all-state forward Matt Ernsting. Benet coach Jon Grzbek was a coach in the annual All-State Game, played in mid-February in Bensenville.
Benet also features three others, alongside Ernsting, who will skate for Team Illinois in the annual, prestigious America's Showcase national tournament, held April 20-24 in Pittburgh. Defenseman William Golden and forwards Nicholas Feldman and Liam O'Reilly also are on the Showcase roster.
"I do not see this game being close; Green has too much of everything," Poulakidas said.
Meanwhile, the Loyola-Providence semifinal likely will be a 1-goal game, with the Ramblers holding a slight edge, thanks to their defense and goaltending. And Rambler forwards Austin Eng and John Purcell were named to the Showcase roster.
• The girls state championship will be a battle between co-op Glenbrook South and Loyola after the Rambers edged Latin School of Chicago 4-3 in the semifinals, while GBS coasted past Fenwick 7-0.
Glenbrook is led by three standout forwards - Lily Cataldo, Katerina Poulos and Hannah Jensen. And the team has two talented goalies: Viola Chobak and Rachel Lugo.
• BG/H/W, with a mix of players from Buffalo Grove, Hersey and Wheeling, also is looking to repeat as the boys Combined Division state champion and is now 2 wins away from another trophy skate around the United Center. The Stampede (40-14-3) is 9-0-1 in its last 10 games and hasn't lost since Jan. 8, a 2-0 home victory for Crystal Lake South.
BG/H/W defeated D155 Prairie Ridge 6-4 on March 9 in the Elite Eight and now preps for a semifinal battle on Tuesday at The Edge (6:40 p.m.) against Glenbard, 5-3 winners over PREP on March 10.
The BG/H/W-Glenbard game is a rematch of last season's Combined Division title game, won 3-2 in overtime.
Seventh-seeded Latin School of Chicago faces AWF in Tuesday's second semifinal, after the Romans slipped past No. 2 seed Maine Township, 2-1. AWF, a mix of players from Addison Trail, Fenton, Montini and Willowbrook, coasted past Waubonsie, 12-1.
Hockey state championship Friday
All games will be played at the United Center
Girls, 3:30 p.mGlenbrook South vs. Loyola
Defending state champion: Loyola
Red Division (boys), 7 p.m.Defending state champion: New Trier Green
(Broadcast on March 19 at 4 p.m., on Comcast SportsNet)
Combined Division (boys), 9:15 p.m.Defending state champion: BG/H/W
• Tickets ($5) to the finals are available at: