Scouts Girls, Hockey Coach Keep Each Other On Track to State Title Game

Keeping the Lake Forest girls’ hockey team focused is a major part of job. 

The Scouts returned the favor Thursday night after upending New Trier, 4-3, in their Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois semifinal contest Bensenville to move into Sunday's 1 p.m. State title game against Loyola at the United Center.

During a more than eight-minute stretch in the second period with Lake Forest holding a 3-1 lead, the Trevians held at least a one player advantage. Ryan’s mental lapse with 3:28 left to play in the second period gave New Trier a two-player edge for 1:10. When Anderson was making substitutions, he had an extra player on the ice for a moment and a penalty was called on him. 

“I got mixed up sending players in between the right door and the left door,” Anderson said, referring to the penalty he caused giving New Trier two extra players for more than a minute late in the second period. “They (the players) backed me up when I made a mistake.” 

Lake Forest displayed stellar defense behind eight penalty killers — Caroline Knop, Katie Sullivan, Bridget Roche, Haley Conroy, , Anna Bleck, Madison Pfalzer and Kelsey Patten — while made five of her 24 saves during that stretch. 

“The defense made it easy for me. That’s what we’re about,” Redden said. “They dove; they fished it (the puck) out.” 

Soukop, who scored two of the Scouts goals, and Anderson gave much of the credit to their senior captain. 

“For her (Redden) to make that happen was awesome,” Soukop said. “She wouldn’t let it (four penalties called within six minutes) get to us. We just played defense. We knew we had to stop them.” 

Anderson put it more simply. “Our goalie is our No. 1 penalty killer. She has an average of .86 goals against,” Anderson said. “She kept us in the game.” 

Anderson could not remember a time when a shorthanded team he coached held an opponent scoreless for more than eight minutes. 

Lake Forest took control early as Roche took a pass from Conroy and slipped the puck in the net before the game was a minute old for a 1-0 lead. Less than two minutes later, Conroy put the Scouts ahead 2-0 with an assist from Bleck. 

Later in the first period, Soukop scored her first goal and Anderson knew his team had the game won. 

“They came out raring to go. They fought for every puck and won most of the battles,” Anderson said. “I just needed to keep them focused for the next two periods. I knew we had them (New Trier), but I told the girls to get more goals.” 

On a breakaway with 5:31 to play, Soukop scored the Scouts' final goal and turned out to provide the margin of victory. 

only to fall in the State championship game to NaperValley, 5-1. When the puck drops Sunday, Lake Forest (21-8-2) will use the 2010 experience as the final step in its goal of a State title.

“Last year we settled for making the finals,” Anderson said. “This year we feel we should be No. 1.”

Redden acknowledged the 2010 Scouts “just wanted to play where the Blackhawks play.” Now that she and her team are a year older, they are focused on what eluded them last season. 

“This is our time,” Redden said. “They (New Trier) were the team. Now we feel we are No. 1.” 

Soukop, who had her first multiple goal game of the season, echoed Redden’s determination. She and her teammates celebrated their victory over the Trevians briefly on the ice Thursday before retreating to the locker room to begin preparation for the title game. 

“We know what we want this year,” Soukop said. “We’ll come out committed (Sunday).”