Cimaroli delivers in overtime to give New Trier its sixth state title in seven seasons

New Trier field hockey has done it again.

And that doesn’t just mean another state championship — it means that too, as the Trevians captured their second straight title and sixth in the last seven years on Saturday.

It also means New Trier overcame injury, defeat and championship-game deficits to reaffirm their place atop Illinois high school field hockey with a 3-2 overtime victory against Glenbrook on Saturday, Nov. 1, in Northbrook.

“Honestly, it was the most special moment,” senior Lilly Cimaroli. “It was so, so cool especially with the adversity we faced during the season. It was so satisfying to finish on top.”

Cimaroli, an All-American and a Princeton-bound talent, missed time late in the season with stress fractures in her foot. The senior leader only returned in the Trevians’ state-semifinal victory against Loyola on Thursday, Oct. 30 — a 1-0 New Trier win.

In the championship, Cimaroli came through for her team, scoring the game-winner with under 3 minutes to play in overtime. The senior got her own rebound and sent a shot past Glenbrook’s goalie.

“Everything was happening so quickly,” she said. “… Junior Caroline Dellin sent the ball in to me in the circle. I trapped it and shot it and it hit the goalie or a player and I was able to get the rebound and take another shot and it went in. And that was crazy.”

New Trier salted away the last 2-plus minutes and burst into celebration mode, collecting the program’s 18th state championship. The Trevians also won a year ago, 3-1, after Lake Forest grabbed an early 1-0 lead.

Glenbrook did not make it easy on the Trevians on Saturday or during the year.

Glenbrook beat the New Trier twice in the regular season and earned the top seed in the postseason bracket.

Then in the championship, Glenbrook scored first and held a 1-0 advantage through halftime.

New Trier’s Claire Halasz tallied the equalizer early in the third quarter, but Glenbrook regained the lead, 2-1, in the final quarter.

With around 4 minutes to play, and during a scramble in front of the goal, the Trevians Eloise Breen got the ball past the goalie to knot the score and force overtime.

There, Cimaroli delivered.

“It was a tough game,” Cimaroli said. “… We weren’t leading until the last couple minutes of the game. The biggest thing we’ve reinforced all season is confidence in ourselves, to execute under pressure, to step up in those big moments.”

New Trier finished the season 24-3-1. Cimaroli said back-to-back losses in early October (3-2 to Sacred Heart out of Kentucky and 3-2 in ovetrime to Glenbrook) prepared the Trevians for the high-intensity rematch with Glebrook.

“There were times this season where we had to work things out,” she said. “Dealing with that was challenging, but those tough games gave us opportunities to learn. I think we as a team were stronger and better facing that adversity … and that set us up for success in this last game.”

The Record is a nonprofit, nonpartisan community newsroom that relies on reader support to fuel its independent local journalism.

Become a member of The Record to fund responsible news coverage for your community.

Already a member? You can make a tax-deductible donation at any time.