As Loyola Gold celebrated its 5-2 quarterfinal win over Glenbrook South on Saturday in the Illinois High School Hockey State Tournament, the Ramblers immediately went into flashback mode. To this past November.

Specifically, November 30, 2024, an early-afternoon game in Lincolnwood, in their own O’Grady Thanksgiving Hockey Tournament. The Ramblers were facing the Benet Academy Redwings and after a scoreless first period, Benet broke away with three in the second period, then pushed it to a 4-0 lead with a shorthanded goal about five minutes into the third period.

Benet ultimately celebrated a 5-1 thrashing of the host Ramblers.

After beating GBS, the Ramblers head into the state semifinals on March 8 and guess who they will face …. you got it, Benet Academy, after the Redwings stopped Glenbrook North 4-3 in double overtime.

“We took them lightly (last November); we won’t this time,” said Loyola’s Julian Gabal, who scored twice against GBS in the second period, including the game-winner at 6:28, assisted by Jack Blazejowski and Ramblers goalie Charley Trapp.

The Titans grabbed a 1-0 lead about seven minutes into the game on a Blake Hoffer goal assisted by Ben Pajerski. 

The Ramblers countered with four unanswered to bring a 4-1 edge into the third period.

“It was a great game; we came prepared,” Gabal said. “We’ve been watching film all week, working hard in practice, then just did what we had to do today.”

The difference, he said, was forechecking. “We got the puck deep and forechecked. We didn’t play selfish hockey. We played for the boys,” Gabal said. “I got my opportunities and capitalized. I was in the right spot at the right time.”

Pearson Daverman tied the game 1-1 late in the first, assisted by Nicholas Thomas.

Thomas then fed Peter Lochnicki less than two minutes into the second period to give Loyola a 2-1 lead. Gabel scored his first at 14:42 of the second, assisted by Maxxim Kading and Blazejowski, to give the Ramblers a 3-1 lead. “I got a pass from behind the net, quick shot, went 5-hole and it went in,” Gabal said.

Pajerski gave South life about a minute into the third, beating netminder Trapp off an assist from Hoffer. But the Titans couldn’t crack Trapp again.

“(Trapp) played great, made the stops he had to,” Gabal said.

Trapp stopped 22 of 24 shots. GBS goalie Thomas Preston faced 27 shots.

“I thought we had a good first period, but then had some blown coverage in the second period and they buried them,” said GBS head coach Jim Philbin. “We had to shorten our bench because our injured guys couldn’t go anymore. Going with only two lines really affected us in the third period.

“Still, we gave it our best effort.”