RIVER FOREST -- On a day that saw New Trier place numerous new entries in the state record book, it was a freshman that saved the day and helped her team make it back to the state’s Final Four for the first time in five seasons.

Annie Fowler, the Trevians’ freshman keeper, was in the fourth grade when the program last played at North Central College. Coincidentally, New Trier defeated Lyons, Tuesday’s Class 3A supersectional opponent, to place third in that state tournament. 

Fowler played like a senior in the Trevians’ 1-0 win at Dominican University. In a three-minute stretch from the 11 minute, 41 second mark of the first half, the freshman keeper made three huge saves, including two 1-v-1 opportunities where she had to come off her line to make stops to keep the score knotted at zero. 

“It comes down to judging the ball in the conditions,” Fowler said about her making her saves in a driving first half rain. “Knowing they were going to play through-balls and that the ball is going to go fast, glide on the turf, I had to have confidence to come off my line.

“A lot of coaches have told me you have to be ready to come out for a ball, especially in conditions where you know the ball is going to run.”

While the game didn’t go as he had hoped, the Lyons manager Bill Lanspeary was pleased with what he saw from his girls.

“Our backline played really tough against a strong front three,” he said. “Our girls worked really hard winning the ball. We settled in and played poised.

“Our girls battled. It’s what we do.”

New Trier set two new state records in the win.

Manager Jim Burnside became the winningest coach in IHSA girls soccer history with his 609th victory. 

The result was the Trevians’ 17th-consecutive shutout, which broke the previous mark of 16, which was set by the 2004 New Trier squad. 

The clean-sheet was also the 26th on the year, which put the team in a tie for second place with the most shutouts in a season all-time, two behind the record held by that same 2004 team. 

“You need someone to step up like Annie Fowler and make saves like she did, especially when you’re in high-level games,” Burnside said. 

But none of that would have been possible if it wasn’t for the foot of Charlotte Dellin, who has come into her own in the state playoffs with her now-patented powerful free kicks.

The Fairfield-bound senior has six goals in the teams’ last four postseason games, including free kick scores from similar spots on the left side of the field in three of the last four. This game-winner came from the 25-yard yard range in the 57th minute.

“Everything’s really slowed down for me,” she said. “I’ve been able to focus on attacking and keeping everything simple. As long as I do my job and everybody else does their job, good things will happen. And good things have happened so far.

“At this point, it’s all about confidence, because you know you’re not going to get many chances in a game. When we have that opportunity to make something happen on a restart, especially from a spot where I can hit that ball, I want to be able to capitalize.”

“This is her chance and she is on a tear,” her manager said. “Win or go home. 

“We’ll just keeping riding it. You love to see it as a coach.”

Based off of much of the first half, it looked like the Trevians would end up needing more than Dellin’s lone goal if they were hoping to make it back to the final weekend of soccer.

The Lions (19-4-2) put the aforementioned three shots on frame in addition to going high or wide on two other shot attempts and forcing Fowler to make a save early.

“After the first 15 minutes, we settled into the game and won a lot of balls,” Lanspeary said. “We connected, got forward, created opportunities. In the second half, we had a little trouble getting out of our own end, and that’s them stepping up and winning things.”

Lanspeary’s squad last made it to the state finals in 2021, when it took second after falling to O’Fallon 1-0. The program hadn’t won a sectional since that season, losing in a final each of the past two years.

But that’s what made this year’s Lyons squad special.

“It really was a good combination of quality seniors in terms of their leadership and ability, and a lot of younger up-and-coming players that stepped up,” Lanspeary said.

“We generated offense from a lot of different players and positions; we were dangerous in a lot of different ways. Our backline really set the tone.”

New Trier came into the match with something on its mind.

The Trevians had lost in the supersectional round in two of the past three postseasons. That weighed on them as they headed into the third, and for some final, Elite Eight of their high school careers.

For many athletes, making it to one supersectional is a dream. New Trier’s four-year varsity players are proud of that three-peat and thrilled with finally getting over the hump.

“You have no idea. It’s awesome,” Dellin said after the win. “In my career, this is the third time we’ve been in the supersectional and the first time we’ve gone to state. Earlier today I was saying to Josie (Noble), Sybil (Evans) and Annie (Paden) ‘Third time’s a charm.’ And the third time was a charm.”

“It makes me very happy and very proud that it happened for this group,” Burnside said. “You say to people ‘Put in the hard work, put in the hard work.’ And sometimes hard work doesn’t pay off. This game could have gone either way.

“But they have put in every piece of hard work -- crossed t’s, dotted i’s, put in the extra time.

“They set themselves up for it to pay off.”

Lyons first half pressure looked as if it would carry over into the second half when Josie Pochocki’s shot went just high in the 41st minute.

But it was a lot of New Trier after that.

Lyons struggled to get any real pressure for much of the first portion of the second half. New Trier pushed forward and forced Lions keeper Nora Ezike to make three of her seven saves in the second half.

“We had to play to width. We had to be better at playing to width,” Burnside said of the difference between the halves. “They’re very talented, and I think we gave them a little too much space in the first half. So, we got a little tighter.”

“We talked about being able to keep our possession,” Dellin said. “That’s something that we weren’t able to do as well in the first half.

“The whole game was a game about winning the first and second balls. We made it a point of emphasis at halftime that we really want to win those second balls.

“The game is a game of inches. Every inch you get is one inch closer to getting the goal. Every inch you get tips the scale in your favor.”

While Lanspeary’s squad was one of the most senior-heavy he’s had in a long time, he’s excited for what’s to come.

“We saw our younger players, and the ability they have. They’ve learned from the leadership of this group and the one before them,” he said. “They’ve seen what it takes to get to this level and are excited to take the baton.”

The Lions do lose many of their starters but bring back Ezike and forwards Caroline Mortonson and Zibby Michaelson, each of whom started Tuesday. Keeper Anna Bigenwald often rotated with Ezike in net, giving the Lyons two experienced keepers next season.

All season, New Trier has preached playing team defense, knowing that it takes a village.

For the team to break the state record the way it did, against a stacked schedule and starting a freshman in goal for much of the streak has been a sterling achievement.

“Our game against Columbia (a 1-0 road loss March 29) was the first goal we had scored against us. I know that feeling of letting down all my teammates,” Fowler said. “I can’t come in with the mindset that something might get past me. 

“I know my abilities; we practice for this. We know that we’re going to make mistakes, but always cover for each other and lift each other up.”

“It’s a mentality that we live by that defense wins championships, period,” Burnside said. “We talk often about ‘Defend as a team.’ We do everything as a team. If our 11 defenders come together, it’s almost as if we’re playing as 12, 13.”

New Trier will have a chance to tie the 2004 team’s state record of 28 shutouts this weekend when it takes the field at North Central College in Naperville. The trip is Burnside’s 14th visit to the state finals, also a state record. 

And should the Trevians win another title, it would make seven for Burnside, which would add to another state record.

“Burnside’s so amazing, he absolutely deserves it,” Dellin said. “There’s nobody else in the state, in my opinion, that will ever be able to reach him in any capacity.”

Starting lineups

Lyons
GK: Nora Ezike
D: Jillian Herchenroether
D: Caroline McKenna
D: Brennan Israel
D: Abby Brown
MF: Leahla Frazier
MF: Izzi Wirtz
MF: Josie Pochocki
F: Zibby Michaelson
F: Caroline Mortonson
F: Peyton Israel

New Trier
GK: Annie Fowler
D: Kennedy Cosegrove
D: Clara Deliduka
D: Basie Shannon
D: Honor Dold
MF: Annie Paden
MF: Addy Randall
MF: Sybil Evans
F: Charlotte Dellin
F: Josie Noble
F: Jaime Elias

Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Annie Fowler, freshman, GK, New Trier

Scoring summary

First half
No scoring

Second half
New Trier - Charlotte Dellin (free kick), 57th minute