The expectations for the New Trier Green boys hockey team are clear.
Competing for a state title is the only option.
The Trevians often meet that goal: They had won 13 state titles in coach Bob Melton’s previous 22 seasons at the helm. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy.
“I give our players a lot of credit for what they do every year because there’s always a bull’s-eye on our back,” Melton said. “There’s an annual cycle of coming off an emotional high and having to start from scratch to try and pull off the same feat.”
The Trevians (63-5-1) were poised to defend their Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois Red Varsity state title this month, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the tournament’s cancellation before the semifinals. New Trier Green was scheduled to face Barrington on Sunday in Bensenville.
New Trier Green had beaten all three of the other semifinalists by at least four goals earlier this season. The Trevians only lost twice to in-state opponents.
“There’s definitely pressure with the tradition of winning because when you make Green, you’re there for a reason. There’s nothing else to it,” senior defenseman Brian Dolby said. “We have people who just love playing hockey, and the team is run perfectly.”
This was Dolby’s third season on Green, a rare honor considering how much talent the program has. Johnny Hackett, a forward, was the lone sophomore on the team this season.
Dolby was on the 2018 team that fell in the AHAI quarterfinals, and he won the championship with the 2019 team. He hoped this team would use last year’s result as energy for a strong start.
The Trevians won their first 14 games, but Dolby sensed something wasn’t quite right.
“Everyone was trying to be rock stars,” Dolby said. “But then we started hanging out togther more often. We spend seven months with each other, so being together as one was important.”
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Talent helps, too. Dolby proudly pointed out that the Trevians’ third and fourth lines can go toe-to-toe with most teams’ first lines.
One of the most effective players was John Babnik, a junior forward who racked up 92 points. He made quite a splash in his first year playing high school hockey after previously playing on the travel hockey circuit.
Fellow junior Charlie Acri led the squad with 104 points. He and Babnik likely will be among the team’s high-scoring leaders next season.
“When I made the switch (to playing for New Trier), I knew there was a high standard to live up to,” Babnik said. “It starts with the seniors. They inspired us, and I was motivated to work my hardest every time I was on the ice.”
Dolby, whose 78 points ranked third on the team, has been around long enough to know that every team has a different blueprint for success. But one progam-wide mantra is constant.
“As time goes on, you get the feeling that you want to do it for the people who came before you,” Dolby said.
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press