Don’t forget about the talent and upside of Loyola Gold. The Ramblers, who are the second-seeded team in the state tournament, dominated their opening game, beating Neuqua Valley 8-0. Seven different players scored, with forward Zachary Scholl chipping in two goals. Nicholas Bolino stopped all 14 shots to preserve the shutout.
In the girls bracket, ninth-seeded New Trier Silver pulled an upset, knocking off the eight seed, Glenbrook South. That sets up an interesting second round game, as the Trevians face… the Trevians. New Trier Silver will play the tournament’s top seed, New Trier Varsity, for the right to play in the state semifinals.
Glenbrook North coach Evan Poulakidas was named the Boys High School Coach of the Year by the AHAI. Poulakidas led the Spartans to a 20-4 conference record, good for first place in the Scholastic League. The Sun-Times No. 1 team is the third-seed in the state tournament.