Melanie Walsh watched as New Trier record the first goal in the field hockey state championship game. Then she called a timeout.
She noticed the clock.
“After New Trier scored we were down 1-0, and I looked at the clock and saw there was 4 minutes, 44 seconds left,” Walsh said. “It just struck me seeing those three fours together.”
A former player and now coach of the field hockey team at Lake Forest, Walsh took the moment to underline a central point: The Scouts had been dominant in scoring 96 goals all season. A couple more were surely within reach.
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“You just need one more,” she told her team during the timeout.
Senior defender Greta Kullby responded by scoring moments later, then put the Scouts ahead with a dramatic game-winner with two minutes remaining as the Scouts beat the Trevians 2-1 on Oct. 29 at Glenbrook South to capture the state title.
The Scouts (21-2) avenged their only in-state loss and won the 12th title in the program’s history.
Libby Thompson, a Duke recruit who finished with 10 goals and 18 assists, helped break down the Trevians’ defense and enabled the first goal by creating a corner opportunity.
Kullby, a Lafayette recruit, had limited offensive opportunities throughout the year. She elevated her play at the right time.
“Greta scored the final two goals, but there was a lot of activity that happened prior to that,” Walsh said.
This year’s team featured 16 seniors, and Kullby was one of six who had played on the varsity squad as sophomores.
“Those girls had great experience,” Walsh said. “We lost in overtime in the finals their sophomore year, and last year we lost in the semifinals. They have been through the wringer, and they knew this was their last opportunity. They were a relentless group that never gave up and worked very hard together.”
Senior midfielder Grace Payne is the third scholarship player from the senior class. The Columbia recruit scored three goals in the Scouts’ 3-1 state semifinal victory against North Shore Country Day.
The state title was the fifth since Walsh took over as head coach in 2006 but the program’s first title since 2013. Walsh was a senior at Lake Forest during the first state championship in 1990.
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press