New Trier girls water polo team escapes rival Loyola, advances to state quarters

As the clock neared single digits and the New Trier girls water polo team clung to a one-goal lead, Loyola senior Liz Kyle launched a high, arcing shot toward the Trevians’ goal.

The attempt, which came on the Ramblers’ final possession, seemed to hang in the air for an eternity. It finally came down to the left of New Trier junior goalie Keelin Frank and bounced off the bottom half of the post. Frank grabbed the ball and the Trevians sustained possession for the final 15 seconds to beat the Ramblers 7-6 and win the Glenbrook South Sectional title.

With the win, New Trier advances to the state quarterfinals at Stevenson. The Trevians are scheduled to play Stevenson at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 23.

“That last shot, when it was coming towards me, I tried to calm down and just think about stopping that ball,” Frank said. “And when it hit that post, I was so relieved — so relieved. I was like (exhales loudly).”

Loyola jumped out to a 3-1 lead when junior Julia Sajnaj scored with 6 minutes, 36 seconds remaining in the second quarter. The Trevians (18-12) fought back to tie the game before the half, however, when junior Stephanie Jodloman scored twice in the final three minutes of the second quarter.

Then, to make things worse, the Ramblers (19-13) lost sophomore Claire Voss right before halftime when she fouled out after committing her third exclusion foul. That forced Loyola coach Rich Schici to move Marta Considine, an All-American who’s been double- and triple-teamed at hole set throughout her senior season, to hole set.

“We knew their gameplan was going to be to double-team her as much as possible, so we shifted and put (Voss) at two meters,” Schici said. “Things were working well, but when she got kicked out, then we had to put Marta back in and it kind of played more into the original gameplan for them, I would say.”

Considine managed to score her 148th and 149th goals of the season in the third quarter, but the Trevians slowed Loyola’s offense in the second half. New Trier managed to score four times in the third – seniors Natalie Goldman and Shannon Kent put in one goal apiece, while senior Jacqueline Glattard scored twice – and the Trevians, with a little help from the post to Frank’s left, held on to edge the Ramblers, who eliminated New Trier in last year’s Glenbrook South Sectional final.

“Last year we lost by one goal, so I feel like we kind of redeemed ourselves in a similar way,” said New Trier senior Zoe Gottlieb, who played goalie in the first half. “I feel exhilarated. I still can’t quite believe it. It’s my senior year, so this is exactly what I wanted. I know that everyone wanted it, too.”

Loyola senior Emily Barr, like Considine, finished with two goals. Jodloman and Glattard led the Trevians with two goals apiece.