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Logan Lyons “D”riven To Lead Glenbrook North To A State Championship

By Ross Forman, 01/01/25, 1:45PM CST

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Spartan Senior Lyons Brings Playmaking Skills To All-Star Season

Logan Lyons recalls many games in past seasons when he was watching defensive teammates skating against opponent’s best forwards. He always wanted that spot, that challenge.

 

Now he has it – and is shining for Glenbrook North.

 

Lyons, 18, a Northbrook resident, is in his second season on the Spartans’ varsity. He joined GBN last season after spending seasons with the Chicago Reapers and Chicago Mission.

 

“I knew we had a really good team and many former teammates were telling me to come back,” and play for the Spartans, said Lyons, a senior. “I thought about it and wanted to win a state championship with these guys because many have been teammates for a long time.

 

“It’s turned out to be a great decision. We’re very good this year; we’re hoping to make that wish come true,” of winning the state championship.

 

The Spartans open the 2025 SHL schedule with a 13-3 record. They have only played 16 league games so far, fewest in the 11-team league, and have a .813 winning percentage, which is tops in the league. GBN has won five of their last six league games and will play 11 league games in 29 days to wrap the regular season.

 

“I think we can go all the way. I’m fully convinced and think the team is ready (for the run to state),” Lyons said. We are a younger team this year, with two freshmen, a lot of juniors and only six seniors. We are more engaged, more involved. That is really helping us this year.”

 

Logan leads the Spartans with 9 assists through 16 games. He is still waiting to celebrate his first SHL goal this season.

 

Last season as a junior, he had 10 goals and 15 assists in 53 games.

 

“I used to be the guy watching my defensive partners go out and play against the best (opponents); I’ve always wanted that to be me. Now that I have that opportunity, I take advantage of it to help the team win,” said Lyons, tasked with stopping Blake Hoffer (Glenbrook South), Jackson Steinlauf (Saint Ignatius), Luke Chiu (New Trier Green) and all the other SHL offensive stars.

 

“I love the challenge, the competition of going against the state’s best. That’s what I like, what makes hockey fun for me. I really enjoy the competition.”

 

The right-handed shooting right defenseman mostly teams with Jake Semmelhack, forming one of the best defensive tandems in the league, if not the state. Throw in goaltender Michael Reyderman and it’s no wonder the Spartans are a defensive powerhouse. Through 16 SHL games, GBN allowed only 16 goals.

 

Lyons, Semmelhack and Reyderman all were named SHL All-Stars for the 3rd annual Chicago All-Star Faceoff, when the Scholastic Hockey League battles the Chicago Catholic Hockey League on Thursday, January 2, for the Old Wooden Skate Trophy at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, starting at 1 p.m.

 

“I consider myself a two-way defenseman, (tasked with) shutting down the other team’s top forwards and I also have been working more to produce on offense and have done better this year, getting more opportunities taking the puck up (the ice) on the rush, getting shots through from the point,” Lyons said. “But, I am defensive minded at heart.

 

“Since I’m a smaller defenseman, I realize I’ve got to use my body more, and one of the main things is, having a tight gap, especially against someone like Hoffer who has a long (reach with his) stick. So, with him for instance, I’ve been more physical and (play) tight on him – and feel that’s worked. I like having an active stick as well; that helps, too.”

 

The 5-foot-9, 165-pound Lyons, one of the smallest Spartans this season, had a tough task earlier this season: a one-on-one against GBS forward Hoffer, who tried to get around Lyons. He didn’t and the Spartans cleared the zone.

 

South came from behind to defeat North 4-2 on Wednesday, November 27, in the traditional night-before-Thanksgiving cross-town classic, played in Wilmette. Lyons admitted that loss “sucked.”

 

“They run their entire system through (Hoffer) and that’s been very noticeable from watching a lot of film, which I do, seeing how he plays. Their defensemen just throw the puck to him,” Lyons said. “Getting a 2-0 lead (against GBS in November) felt good and we felt good about things. But after letting in one goal, we tanked. We weren’t forechecking; we weren’t backchecking; we were weak in the corners, losing puck battles.”

 

North did beat South 2-1 on December 14.

 

The third and deciding game in the season series is January 26 in Northbrook.

 

“Logan is a terrific skater, a shutdown defenseman who gives our team some instant offense with his rushing ability,” said GBN head coach Evan Poulakidas. “He is on the ice in every critical situation. He has a high hockey IQ and plays the game with an edge. He has been a leader on and off the ice, certainly (is) a top player in the state.”

 

Lyons often leads the Spartans attack out of the defensive zone, knowing he has the skill and creativity to create offense. He regularly dumps shots on goal from the blue line.

 

Against Stevenson in October, he had the puck in the defensive zone and skated it all the way down the ice. Forward Jackson Sturner was crashing the net, so Lyons sent a perfect stick to stick pass that Sturner one-timed into the goal. “That (play) really gave me a lot of confidence that I can get up in the rush while playing defense and make the right play. That really helped me,” Lyons said.

 

Stevenson head coach Dan Wood said Lyons is a “good overall player, so solid and he makes things look easy.” Wood added, “GBN is defensively solid, so locked in – and Logan is one of the leaders of their defensive core. Lyons and Semmelhack are a dynamic duo. Logan is not the flashiest player but is solid all around.”

 

Lyons is proud that he and Semmelhack were named to the SHL All-Star Team. “That means a lot and shows a lot, how good we are defensively as a pair,” Lyons said. “Jake is a great friend; we connect so well on defense. Seeing him selected too is special.

 

“It means a lot (to be named an SHL all-star); it proves that all my hard work is being noticed. I saw teammates (play in the SHL/CCHL all-star game) last year and saw how much fun they had. I’ve really wanted it this season.”

 

 

 

 

 

Slapshots With … Glenbrook North Defenseman Logan Lyons

Favorite NHL Team: Chicago Blackhawks

Favorite NHL Player: Duncan Keith

Favorite Sports-themed Movie: Miracle 

Favorite Pre-game Meal: Chicken and rice

Motivational Song: Fair Trade by Drake 

Favorite app: Instagram 

Celebrity You’d Like To Meet: Wayne Gretzky

Best Local Uniform (other than GBN): Saint Ignatius

Off The Ice: Plays lacrosse and works at Pure Hockey

Off Ice Training: Works with skills coaches and is devoted in the gym. He added 10 pounds of muscle which “has helped my physical game, be more confident without the puck and made a huge difference in my game,” he said.

The Quote: “We knew at the start of the season that we’d likely have the best defense in the state and that our offense was going to struggle. The offense has gotten better as the season has gone on, but that’s one of the reasons Coach Evan is giving us the green light (to play offensively), to shoot more and get pucks on net,” Lyons said.

Race For SHL Championship: “It really is wide open and that’s what I’ve been trying to tell my guys … it’s never been this way, ever, so we have to take advantage of it. We’re sitting in a good spot. We’re locked in and focused to win this thing,” Lyons said.

Homestretch: “We control our own destiny, but we have a rough schedule in January: 11 (league) games in 29 days.”

Brotherly Love: Sophomore defenseman Sully Lyons, Logan’s brother, has skated for both GBN varsity teams this season. “It’s been amazing to finally share the ice with him. I’ve never had that opportunity; it’s been a blast playing with him this year. We have similar playing styles, so it works out well when I’m on the ice with him,” Logan said.