New Trier Girls Soccer: Early Goal Stuns Trevians in Sectional Final Loss

New Trier coach Jim Burnside knew the importance of seizing the momentum early on. Against Loyola Academy -- whose defense had 23 shutouts coming in to the sectional final -- getting the first goal was going to be critical.

So when Loyola’s Carrie Schoeneberger put the Ramblers up 1-0 with an 18-yard strike less than five minutes into the first half, Burnside knew the Trevians were going to fight an uphill battle.

Loyola added another goal near the end of the first half and the New Trier offense never generated a consistent attack as the Ramblers finally found some redemption, winning the IHSA Class 3A Evanston Sectional, 2-0, on Friday night.

“We call them big-five goals. First five minutes of the game or half and the last five minutes of the game or half and that’s what they were,” Burnside said. “There’s a reason you identify them because that’s when the goals are scored and that puts you on your heels.”

After a handball just past midfield, Loyola played a ball into the center at the top of the box. It bounded out to Schoeneberger who volleyed it from 18 yards into the upper-right corner, possibly off a deflection.

Later in the half New Trier started to get a little offensive push. Rachel Shellenback sent a ball across the box, but Loyola goalie Carly Stevens was there to corral it easily. A minute later Jessie Berman played a ball across, but it was cleared away by a Loyola defender.

New Trier’s best scoring opportunity of the game occurred when Emily Miller found Haley Rosen with a through ball near the top of the penalty box, but Stevens got to the ball before Rosen could put a touch on it.

“We got rolling a little bit once we started to connect some passes,” Burnside said. “Once we calmed down, we moved the ball pretty well the last 20 minutes of the first half.”

But just when it looked like the Trevians had Loyola on its heels defensively; the Ramblers’ Meeghan Smith dribbled down the right sideline and chipped a shot on goal from about 25 yards out. The junior forward caught goalkeeper Laura Martorana off her line and the ball bounded off Martorana’s finger tips, barely crossing the goal line for a 2-0 Loyola lead.

“That changes the whole complexion of the game because we’re looking at a one-goal lead, they come out hard and anything can happen,” Loyola coach Craig Snower said. “We tighten up with a one-goal lead, but you’ve got a goalie like Carly who has given up three goals all year…getting two is really impossible.”

Down two goals and playing without senior midfielder Zoe Hawks during the second half, New Trier made some adjustments, sending more people forward.

Martorana made a number of saves to keep the Trevians within two goals during the second half, but New Trier failed to generate many offensive opportunities in the final 40 minutes.

“We could score so much easier last year. That’s wasn’t our strength this year,” senior Haley Rosen said. “We got into their third [of the field] not as often as we usually do.”

Even with the loss to Loyola in this year’s sectional final, New Trier’s 12 seniors accomplished a lot during their four years, including back-to-back sectional championships the last two seasons.

The Trevians will return five starters from the sectional final to next year’s squad, but the impact of this year’s class won’t be forgotten.

“The relationships with all the girls and the coaches are what I’m going to miss the most,” Rosen said. “Soccer’s a great part, but it’s more the relationships you gain with the people and coaches.”