Gabel gets boys back on track

Brian Siegel
Staff Reporter

Glenbrook South’s boys lacrosse program has returned to prowess, with this year’s squad boasting an impressive 9-1 record as of Tuesday*.

Back on April 9, the Loyola Ramblers came into John Davis Stadium and gave the boys their first loss of the season.

On Tuesday, the Titans got their chance at redemption.

The Ramblers came out fast on their home field, going up 2-0 in the first two minutes.

Head coach Mike Gabel was wary of South’s slow start after they came out flat against both Glenbrook North and Benet Academy.

“I don’t want it to be a trend,” he said. “No matter what the score is, our team has confidence and so far we have found ways to win the second half.”

After a first quarter on the defensive, the offense turned it on in the second and put the score at 4-2 Titans by halftime.

Captains Evan Ling and Lance Yapor kept the team motivated during the break.

“We knew we had them on their heels at halftime,” Ling said. “We told the guys to keep their composure and stay physical.”

South struck first in the second half, scoring in the very first minute. But the Ramblers were able to keep it close as Titan penalties had them playing a man down for a while.

With a two-goal lead locked up going into the fourth, the defense took control. Thanks to clutch saves by junior goalie Matt Trygg and Ling laying the wood on Loyola’s attackmen, South held on to win 8-5, the same score the Ramblers beat them by in their first meeting.

The victory has the Titans tied for 1st in the CSL with Loyola and New Trier.

After two years of varied success and shaky coaching, their one-loss season has the players motivated once again. Among others, Ling is very impressed with the coaching this year.

“Last year we weren’t very good, it was more of a rebuilding year,” Ling said. “With the new coaches we have been picking it up and playing under their style. So far we have really turned it around.”

The Titans’ next game is at Highland Park tomorrow at noon.

*This issue was sent to press before Thursday’s game against Deerfield.

Senior leaders spark success for girls

Nolan Hart
Staff Reporter

In the first half of the season, the girls lacrosse team has posted an overall record of 7-4*. The Titans sit at 2nd in the CSL conference behind a strong New Trier team.
The early success has largely been due to senior leadership. With 10 returning seniors from last season, the cohesiveness of the team has been beneficial.
“I think having the experience of just playing together for so long helps because the seniors this year have been on varsity for three years basically,” senior Jenna Jeffrey said. “We’ve been able to get to know how each other plays and we’ve learned to really play well with each other.”
Senior captains Jayne Jablonski, Claire Ridge, and Jeffrey spearhead the Titans’ veteran crew and lead the offense, while seniors Clare Hubbard and Nikki Rizzo are a force on the defensive end.
“We definitely have leaders this year but what makes our team so strong is our depth and different roles each player on the team plays,” head coach Annie Lesch explained.
In a conference that includes top-ten teams like Evanston and New Trier, a deep team is essential. Though the majority of their starters are seniors, it is juniors like Elise Burchard, Kerri Kofod, and Liz Higley that lead them in scoring. This wide range of talent enabled them to beat talented Barrington and Highland Park teams.
“Our biggest game of the year so far was last Thursday versus Barrington,” Lesch said. “They are also ranked in the top 10 and they were very psyched to be giving us a game this year. Nikki Rizzo played awesome in goal and Clare Hubbard had the game of her career.”
With a group of experienced athletes that has been playing together for three years, the girls have relied on team chemistry and togetherness to get them through games. This has led to the development of their team motto: “Play as One.”
“We’re really trying to play as one whole team instead of as just individual players,” Ridge commented. “We want to reach the goal of winning State together.”
The girls will need to continue their success as the playoff push begins. The latter part of their season contains easier matchups, and they hope to use momentum from those wins for the playoffs in late May.
*This issue was sent to press before Wednesday’s game against Evanston.