NAPERVILLE — New Trier likes playing in Naperville but doesn’t like giving up goals.

The Trevians earned a Class 3A state title-match ticket after topping Edwardsville 2-1 in the final semifinal match Friday at North Central College.

New Trier (24-2-4) will battle St. Charles North (18-2-5) at 6:30 p.m. Saturday with the hope of claiming the seventh state title in program history.

“There was a lot going on, and it was end to end,” New Trier coach Jim Burnside said. “We had some good individual play, but I think our team stepped up and played good defense and came out in the second half and did what we needed to do. 

“We created some chances. That was our goal in the second half, because they’re athletic, and they’re fast, and they come out of the midfield flying at you. As entertaining as it was for the fans, that’s probably how stressful it was for the coaches, because there were a lot of chances and a lot of athletic play.”

New Trier, which won the prestigious Naperville Invitational earlier this spring, entered the game with an IHSA single-season record of 17-consecutive shutouts. 

Edwardsville (17-4-1) became the first team to score against the Trevians since Naperville North defeated them 2-1 on April 11, which was more than seven weeks ago.

“They are a great team, and I would love to play them again,” Edwardsville junior midfielder Mea Hook said. “Good competition is always a fun game to play. We’re a team that likes to compete. That’s what we do.”

After a first half that ended with a 0-0 scoreline, there seemed to be a feeling that a single goal would be enough. Instead, the teams combined for three goals in about a nine-minute stretch midway through the second half. 

Junior Kennedy Colegrove put the Trevians ahead in the 53rd minute. Working off the knowledge she’d gained in countless practices, Colegrove seized possession off a corner kick opportunity that appeared to have dissipated and turned it into a 1-0 lead.

“I just saw the opening on the space in the wide, and I saw the ball come out,” Colegrove said. “And we practice this in training all the time. I’ll clip a ball in. So I just clipped a ball in, and it went in.”

The ball floated about 30 yards and dropped in behind Edwardsville keeper Genny Burroughs, who started the play about three yards off her line. 

Colegrove, undoubtably, will never forget her first goal of the season.

While limiting Edwardsville to a single corner kick, the Trevians earned five of them and used one to add what turned out to be some very necessary insurance just three minutes after breaking the scoreless tie.

Once again under pressure from a corner kick and clearing the ball out of the box, the Tigers couldn’t defend Basie Shannon’s header. The senior defender was able to get on the end of a cross from senior Sybil Evans, who got the ball back after her corner and served the ball back into the box.

“I give Basie credit,” Burnside said. “The corner came in and popped right back out. It was put back in, and she’s right there. She was able to get on top of it and put it on frame. That’s what she does.”

You can never underestimate the possibilities of restart chances.

“We always talk about restarts and corner kicks being a big part of our game and scoring opportunities,” Evans said. “I took a deep breath. We always run our runs perfectly, so I knew I just had to hit it in. I’m glad I found Basie’s head.”

Just like that New Trier was up 2-0.

“That really helped our momentum,” Shannon said. “I’m just trying to work hard for the team, and that just helped get us up and keep us up.”

Edwardsville kept on battling and finally was rewarded in the 62nd minute. Kylie Peel drove the ball forward for considerable yardage on the left side before blasting a right-footed missile into the right upper-corner of the net to make it 2-1 with 18:01 left to play.

“She worked her butt off to work around a girl,” Hook said. “She had a really good shot and found the back of the net.”

Edwardsville worked hard to find the equalizer. The Tigers got as close as you can come with about 90 seconds remaining.

Peel got the ball into the box where Ellie Neath secured possession amongst a scrum and took a close-in shot that caromed off the cross bar.

New Trier took possession after the sequence and let out a loud sigh of relief.

“Our coaches always stress to do it for the team, do it for each other,” Evans said. “We have a strong backline, and our goalie Annie Fowler is really strong in keeping goals out and not letting people come in and own the box.

“We didn’t know a lot going into the game about (Edwardsville). We had some game film, but since they’re a downstate team we didn’t know much. I’m really happy with how we matched up with individual players. I’m glad we came out on top. Both teams were great.”

The goal was to play on the last day of the season for both teams. Both have achieved that. Regardless of what happens when Edwardsville plays Fremd for third place, the Tigers will earn the first state trophy in school history after making their first state appearance in 20 years. 

“We’re a really good team and being able to end with a win, which I have no doubt that we’ll be able to do, is really important to us,” Hook said. “It stinks that we didn’t get the first place one, but we’re going to go home with a trophy. We did make history so there’s pride in that.”

New Trier is looking to win its first state title since 2016.

“What’s really nice about this team is they’ve achieved many of the benchmark goals along the way,” Burnside said. “We weren’t talking about a state championship in March. We were talking about coming together as a team and bam, check that off. And then how to play together, and bam, check that one off. Looking for conference, and we didn’t get that. 

“This was one goal and the next one in line. I’m really happy and proud of these kids.”

Starting lineups

Edwardsville
GK: Genny Burroughs
D: Kelley Flannery
D: Blakely Hockett
D: Ayla Homann
D Ava Leitschnur
MF: Kylie Peel
MF: Mea Hook
MF: Thea Dimitroff
MF: Anna Maxim
F: Maggie Young
F: Ellie Neath

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

Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Mea Hook, Edwardsville, jr., MF; Basie Shannon, New Trier, sr., D

Scoring summary

First half
No scoring

Second half
NT: Kennedy Colegrove (unassisted), 53’
NT: Basie Shannon (Sybil Evans), 56’
E: Kylie Peel (unassisted), 62’