New Trier wins field hockey state again

Updated: October 29, 2011 9:28PM

Senior Erin Petry and junior Katy Weeks scored the goals in New Trier’s 2-0 defeat of Lake Forest in Saturday’s Illinois High School Field Hockey state championship game at Loyola’s athletic complex in Glenview.

The first-seeded Trevians (23-4-2) won their third straight state title and fourth in five years.

The victory Saturday avenged a 1-0 loss to LF on Oct. 4.

“Our defense was calm today,” NT coach Stephanie Nykaza. “We didn’t get frazzled. And our goalie (senior Grace Higgins) was awesome … again.”

Higgins, in games played on Illinois soil (and artificial turf) this fall, allowed only one goal – to LF (21-3-2).

Petry opened the scoring Saturday on an unassisted goal at 18:05 the first half. Weeks, with 3:50 left in the second half, gathered a corner pass from senior Virginia Pera and whacked it past Scouts senior keeper Lina Trucco.

“New Trier scored first, which was what we wanted to do,” Lake Forest coach Melanie Walsh said. “We had a lot of opportunities in front of the cage; the ball didn’t bounce our way.”

New Trier senior midfielder Dana Lewis was honored as IHSFHA player of the year after the title game.

In the third-place game Saturday morning, Loyola (16-7-1) edged Oak Park-River Forest 2-1 behind goals from seniors Adelaide Hake and Ellie Gruber and IHSFHA goalie of the year Emily Crawford. Junior midfielder Maggie Mullins scored the Huskies’ goal.

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