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the glenview lantern | March 16, 2017 | 43
Girls Ice Hockey
Coming through in a pinch
22nd century media file photo
1st-and-3
STARS OF THE WEEK
1. Julian DeGuzman
(above). The Loyola
senior scored 21
points during the
Titans’ 71-45 loss to
the Wildkits in the
sectional semifinal
on March 2 in
Waukegan.
2. Caitlin Schneider.
The Glenbrook
girls hockey player
scored three goals
during the team’s
7-0 win against
Fenwick on March 6
in Bensenville.
3. Gabriella Ciesla.
The Loyola utility
player stepped up
as goaltender after
the team’s All-State
goaltender left with
an injury during
the Ramblers’ 4-3
semifinal victory on
March 6.
Loyola’s Ciesla fills
in at goalie in 4-3
semifinal win
Neil Milbert
Freelance Reporter
Loyola Academy sophomore
Gabriella Ciesla,
who is normally a utility
player at forward and defense,
was called upon to
put on goaltender’s pads
in the semifinals of the Illinois
State High School
Hockey Championships.
She emerged as one of
the heroines of the 4-3
overtime victory over the
Latin School of Chicago
on Monday, March 6, at
The Edge Ice Arena in
Bensenville.
Greta Skarzynski scored
the winning goal, assisted
by Tess Dettling, with 4:45
to play in the sudden-death
session.
“We wouldn’t have
been in that situation if it
wasn’t for Gabriella,” Dettling
said. “She made great
saves.”
When Ciesla got home
from school Monday, she
got the word that she was
going to have to replace
All-State goalie Tianna
Lavalle for the defending
state champions in that
night’s pivotal game. Lavalle
was unable to practice
the previous night
because of leg and ankle
injuries, and came to game
on crutches.
With no other goalie on
his roster, Loyola coach
Mike Glass asked Ciesla
to play the most important
role she has ever played.
“She had to borrow
goalie gear,” Glass said
of Ciesla. “We only used
her in goal in six or eight
games this year and a couple
last year. She was terrified
before the game. That
was a very good team she
was facing.”
Latin (14-7-2) went into
the game ranked No. 3 in
Illinois, behind top-ranked
Glenbrook and Loyola
(19-4-4). In losing two of
their three regular-season
games to Latin, which had
representatives of five other
Chicago schools on its
roster, the Ramblers were
outscored 9-5.
“My coach calls me ‘the
utility man,’” Ciesla said.
“I was wearing Tianna’s
number and I wanted to
make her proud. People
who didn’t know she was
injured saw the number
and thought it was her.
“I was scared. I didn’t
want to let my teammates
down, especially the seniors
who will never again
have a chance to win the
tournament. It was the
most pressure I ever had
on me. I couldn’t let the
puck get through me.”
In the second minute of
the action-filled contest,
Kathryn Pohl’s goal gave
Loyola’s Greta Skarzynski shoots the game-winning shot of the Amateur Hockey
Association Illinois state semifinals March 6 in Bensenville. Carlos Alvarez/22nd
Century Media
Latin the lead, but Skarzynski
rammed in a pointblank
rebound on a power
play to tie the score as the
buzzer sounded to end the
opening period. Dettling
and Valerie Caldwell assisted
on the goal, which
was awarded only after a
few minutes of deliberation
by the referees.
In the second period,
the Ramblers took a twogoal
lead on goals by
Jenna Rekoske (assisted
by Charlotte Langill and
Caldwell) and Jayna Park,
who succeeded in scoring
after point-blank shots by
Skarzynski and Dettling
were rejected.
But late in the middle
period Pohl scored on a
power play, cutting the
lead to 3-2. Then, with
8:59 left in the third, All-
State defenseman Kendra
Nealy sent a shot from the
right point whizzing past
Ciesla to tie the score.
To send the game into
overtime, the Ramblers
had to kill a penalty with
2:31 left in regulation.
Latin attacked incessantly
but Ciesla, who finished
with 26 saves, made clutch
saves and Skarzynski excelled
as a penalty-killer
for the second time in the
contest.
The pressure intensified
in the sudden-death situation,
but then senior All-
State forwards Dettling
and Skarzynski teamed up
to send the Ramblers to the
state championship game
for the fourth time in their
careers.
“I picked up a loose
puck, made a deke or two
and then got it off to Greta,
who snapped it off quick,”
Dettling said.
Shooting from the right
circle, Skarzynski found
the net between the left
post and All-State goalie
Alexandra Rodman’s left
shoulder.
“I saw Tess pick the
puck off one of their girls
and I knew if she got it to
me I had to get it in,” Skarzynski
said.
Second in the state in
2014 and 2015 before winning
the state championship
last season, Loyola
now will meet Glenbrook
for the 2017 title on March
17 at the United Center.
The Ramblers are the only
team to defeat Glenbrook
this season, winning 3-2
on Jan. 29. In their other
encounters, the Ramblers
lost 4-2 on Nov. 20, tied
1-1 on Feb. 4 and lost 6-1
in the Scholastic Cup playoff
final on Feb. 28.
Listen Up
“Start fresh every year and see what you can
do.”
Meaghan Fastert— The Glenbrook South girls track coach on
her philosophy for the new season.
tunE in
What to watch this week
BOYS VOLLEYBALL: The Titans will compete
against the Cougars.
• GBS will play at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March
22, in Vernon Hills.
Index
38 - Coach Talk
37 - Athlete of the Week
Fastbreak is compiled by Assistant Editor
Sarah Haider. Send any questions or comments to
s.haider@22ndcenturymedia.com