When John Loiacano sent the initial e-mail in late January, he had no idea what would become of his vision to stage a reunion game between the Loyola and New Trier boys hockey teams.
It turned into a rematch between two teams that played for the 1995 state title, which the Ramblers won 1-0 on Paul Thomas’ goal with less than three minutes to go in the third period. The 20th anniversary game will take place Sunday at the United Center.
“I was just trying to get the guys back together again,” said Loiacano, a former defenseman who is now 37 and living in Northbrook with his wife and two children. “I thought it would be a fun thing to do, and we might try to rent out the Winnetka Ice Arena. I never imagined this.”
Fourteen of the 18 Ramblers from the 1995 team and 15 of the 20 from the Trevians are scheduled to skate Sunday. One of the players missing is Kyle Shellberg, who unexpectedly died in 2010. He was a junior at Loyola during the 1994-95 season. Loyola has set up a scholarship fund in his name and donations for it will be collected at the game.
D.J. LaVarre, Loyola’s coach in 1995 and still its coach, will head up the Ramblers, and Tom Gullen will coach the Trevians.
Gullen, who has worked at the Winnetka rink for more than three decades, coached several players on both Loyola and New Trier when they played in the Winnetka youth leagues. In fact 13 of the players from the 1995 title game played together in eighth grade for the Winnetka team that won a state title and placed third in the country for its age group.
“It will be a fun experience from my end to re-connect with these guys,” Gullen said. “All the guys are pushing 40, raising kids, so it will be fun for us to get back together, do some trash-talking. You don’t realize how big a part hockey was in your life until you put the skates back on.”
Danny Wirtz, a starting goalie for the 50-3-4 Loyola team that didn’t surrender a goal in the playoffs, was responsible for the game being played at the United Center. His father, Rocky Wirtz, is principal owner of the Blackhawks and co-owner of the United Center.
“It’s one of those things you discuss, but it never becomes reality,” said Danny Wirtz, 38, and one of the 13 from Gullen’s 1991 club. “When John put something down in an e-mail, we decided to try to do this. The group e-mail kept growing, and we tracked down more people.
“Then, I said if we are going to do this, let’s do it right. I got the blessing from my dad and management to have the game at the UC.”
Brian Dwyer, a 1995 Loyola graduate and one of six Ramblers from the 1991 Winnetka team, said the game that mattered already was played, but he added Sunday’s game holds its own significance.
“This game symbolizes what hockey and sports are all about, making lifelong friendships,” said the 37-year-old Dwyer, who played left wing in high school. “My favorite experience in high school was hockey. It was such a great group.”
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Most of the players from 1995 haven’t played serious hockey since high school.
Peter Martay, a 1995 New Trier graduate and one of seven Trevians on that 1991 Winnetka youth team, said he had to go out and buy new equipment, including a helmet, to be able to play in the game.
But many of the players from both teams have skated in three scrimmages — the last one was Monday night — at Winnetka Ice Arena in preparation for Sunday.
“We’ve all known each other for a long time, and we would replay that game whenever we saw each other,” said Martay, 37, and a right winger in high school. “Once the e-mails started circulating, I thought it would be fun to get everybody back together. But never in a million years did I think I would get to play at the United Center again.”
In summary
What: Rematch of 1995 boys hockey state final between Loyola and New Trier
When: 11:25 a.m. Sunday (doors open at 9:30 a.m.)
Where: United Center
Cost: Admission is free and open to the public.
Additional information: Donations will be collected at the game for the Kyle Shellberg Scholarship Fund, which will be given annually to a deserving male or female hockey player at Loyola. Shellberg, a 1996 graduate of Loyola and two-time state champion, died skiing in the Colorado Rocky Mountains in 2010. He was 32. Donations also can be made here: http://bit.ly/1BLpBMf
Twitter: @harnesspreps