New Trier Green has not forgotten its 5-0 loss to archrival Loyola Gold last October, with the Ramblers celebrating the dominant, running-clock home victory.

            “That was the motivation we used all season. That’s a game you don’t forget,” said New Trier forward Aidan Nolan. “We are proving ourselves after that first game.”

            Such as, Tuesday night in front of a raucous, standing-room-only crowd in Winnetka. The Trevians stopped their archrival Loyola Gold 4-2 to win the SHL Championship for the second consecutive season.

            “We’re proving why we’re the best in the state,” Nolan said. “Everyone has (that October loss) in their heads. Everyone knows what can happen if we have a bad game.”

            Ashton Freel struck early as the New Trier forward scored unassisted 1:12 into the game and the Trevians held a 1-0 lead after the opening period.

            “This was a typical Green/Gold game, with back and forth (momentum) swings for both teams … tons of emotion, huge crowd, great atmosphere,” said New Trier Green head coach Adam Cheris. “We set our sights early in the season on wanting to win the SHL, and state is next in our sights.

            “Scoring early (in the game), nothing feels better.”

            Loyola tied the game with 1:39 remaining in the second period on a Liam Finegan breakaway goal after Mack Klein sent a long pass to Finegan off the glass.

            “After they scored, it gave us something to focus on, to re-focus (heading) into the third period. And the boys came out in the third really dialed in. I thought (the third) was a really good period,” Cheris said.

            New Trier forward Luke Chiu added: “We were a little down that they were able to score that goal late in the second, but we talked about it during the ice cut and came out hot (in the third).”

            Starting with Chiu, who gave Green a 2-1 lead about 2 minutes into the third, assisted by Garrett Chong and Juhan Jaason.

            “A great shot from linemate Garrett Chung,” Chiu said of the play leading to his tally. “It was rolling in and I saw the defenseman go clear (the puck), but I just dove in there, tried to get a stick on it, and was able to put it in.

            “This was a huge team win.”

New Trier made it 3-1 at 11:32 of the third on a Nolan goal, his seventh of the playoffs, assisted by Freel and Brendan Heneghan.

“I thought it was a pretty close game, back and forth. We were able to pull away at the beginning of the third (period) with a couple of quick goals and were able to ride that momentum through the end of the game,” Chiu said.

Cheris said Chiu brings “tons of offensive talent.”

“He has amazing hands and can just find the net. He’s scored some big goals for us this season,” including Tuesday, as the Trevians have now won their last three games against the Ramblers.

Cheris said the difference was “guys being able to finish. When we had the opportunities, we took advantage of them.”

Charlie Baine cut it to a 3-2 game with 4:32 remaining, scoring :10 into a powerplay from the left boards into the right side of the net past Wyatt Schmidt, who admitted after the game, “I didn’t see it. Credit to him; it was a nice shot.”

Schmidt, playing in his first game this season against the Ramblers, added: “It was a tough game. We grinded hard and played well; I’m glad we got the win in the end.”

New Trier iced the win on a Chong goal with 2:12 remaining, assisted by Connor Hirschtritt and Chiu.

“We came out harder in the third than at any point. I thought we played fantastic in the third,” Schmidt said. “We played well; we rose to the occasion.”

Cheris said Schmidt “was outstanding.”

The dejected Ramblers spent about 45 minutes in their locker room, discussing the setback.

“We had defensive breakdowns and our forecheck wasn’t good enough,” said Loyola head coach Scott Ciraulo. “Their forecheck allowed them to generate offense that we normally don’t allow, and we allowed them to break the puck out (of their defensive end) a little too easily.”

Ciraulo told his team after the game that they must learn from their mistakes, especially with York lurking Sunday, March 3, in the elite eight round of the Illinois High School Hockey State Tournament in Bensenville. The winner of that game will then play the winner of Glenbrook South/Saint Ignatius.

“Our goal this season was to win state and that’s still very much in front of us … and we can do it,” Ciraulo said.

The Trevians face Lake Forest Sunday in Bensenville, with a semifinal matchup against the Glenbrook North/Saint Viator winner looming.

“We might see them again … and they’re not going to beat us four times in a row,” Ciraulo said.