New Trier 4, Lane 2
THE SKINNY
Last year, Lane (19-3-2) defeated New Trier 1-0 to win the regional title. The sixth-seed Trevians (12-3-7) got some payback Friday in the same round of the playoffs, opening up a 3-0 lead and holding on for a 4-2 win on their home turf. Thanks to its victory over the third-seed Indians in Northfield, New Trier advanced to play second-seeded Wheeling at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Class 3A Evanston Sectional semifinal.
TURNING POINT
Following an own goal with 17:12 left in the second half, New Trier’s lead was cut to 3-2. But senior forward Will Belliel took a pass from senior midfielder Jack Cornelo (who also scored two goals) and chipped a shot over the Lane goalie from 25 yards out, giving New Trier a two-goal advantage with 14:50 to go.
THE STAR
In addition to his assist on Belliel’s goal, Cornelo scored on a free kick from just outside the box in the first half and then he made it 2-0 with a goal nine minutes into the second half.
BY THE NUMBERS
New Trier senior goalkeeper Andrew Gjertsen made eight saves and the two biggest came minutes after Belliel’s goal. The first was a leaping stop of a free kick, and the second was a lunging save of a header off of a free kick.
QUOTABLE
“The storyline last year was we couldn’t score in the postseason. … That wasn’t the case this year. We found our stride offensively.” — New Trier coach Wes Molyneaux
