Even before Bob Melton inherited one of the perennial hockey powers this season, New Trier Green had something to prove.
Marquee events have been anything but kind to the Trevians the last couple of years. And while Melton acknowledges that New Trier’s current 23-0-3 mark is nice, he knows nothing says happiness like hardware for the trophy case.
The Trevians had their coming-out party at Fenwick’s expense Saturday afternoon at the Chicago Blackhawk Charities Holiday Tournament at the Northbrook Sports Complex. Thanks to Bobby Skalla’s three-goal effort, New Trier defeated Fenwick 8-1.
The victory also served notice to Mt. Carmel, which barely got past Glenbrook South Friday and is one up on New Trier Green this season in tournament titles.
Forty seconds into the game, Skalla tallied the Trevians’ first goal on a rebound after goalie John Breskey’s initial save of a Kevin Morgan blast. Putbacks by Parker Millard (two goals) and John Wilson (two goals, one assist) staked Green to a 3-0 lead 8 1/2 minutes into the opening period.
Eventually New Trier outshot Fenwick 17-2 en route to a 5-0 lead at the break (the games are being played in halves rather than three periods). Not a bad effort offensively for a team that needed a goal from a reserve player to beat Glenbrook North 1-0 a day earlier.
“That’s how we should be playing,” said Skalla, who redeemed himself for a 4-minute stretch in the penalty box by scoring the Trevians’ final two goals.
New Trier secured a spot in Sunday’s quarterfinals against Express Silver, the tournament’s lone midget club. Glenbrook North, which shut out Waubonsie Valley 3-0, will square off against Pekin in its quarterfinal.
Mt. Carmel, which beat Rockford Guilford 3-0, will take on Niles West in a quarterfinal, and St. Laurence will face Glenbrook South.
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