New Trier’s Jackie Kingdom motivates girls hockey teammates

WINNETKA — With six and a half minutes left in the final period, the Loyola girls hockey team tied the game against New Trier. It was at this point that Trevians senior forward Jackie Kingdom took over the game.

In the span of two minutes and one second, she scored a goal and recorded two assists in the Trevians’ 5-2 win on Dec. 14.

“I feel the first and second were solid periods, but the third period you could feel like we really wanted to win,” Kingdom said.

After Kingdom assisted on the third goal, a shot by fellow senior Mia Solberg, the two celebrated so much that Solberg was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Kingdom was more excited about being able to do her celebration than disappointed about the penalty: “We’ve been practicing our cellies, our celebration for when we score. … it was really exciting for me and [Solberg] to get to do that.”

When not in the game, Kingdom is constantly working to make the team better.

“She motivates all of us on the ice,” sophomore forward Johanna Glaaser said.

Senior goalie Nicole Diesing echoed these sentiments, saying that Kingdom is always, “saying ‘great game’ to me, ‘good job, keep on going.’ ”

Kingdom also plays field hockey and New Trier finished second in the state this year.

The New Trier girls hockey team, which started the season 12-2-2, also is striving to win a state title, which is something it hasn’t done since 2012.

According to Kingdom, if the team is to reach its goal, it needs to stay grounded.

“I know it’s easy after a win like this [against Loyola], to get pretty excited and confident,” Kingdom said. “But at the same time, we need to remember things we need to work on.”