The Cinderella Season continues for Lake Forest as the Scouts on Sunday, October 5, defeated Loyola Gold 3-2 in overtime.

Lake Forest has also defeated Saint Viator and New Trier Green – with all three wins coming in a three-week span.

The Scouts move to 3-3 in SHL action; the Ramblers fall to 1-1.

“It was a great team win,” said Lake Forest goalie Logan Marsch, who stopped Ramblers’ Pearson Daverman, Jack Blazejowski and Chris Gall in the shootout.

Lake Forest’s Tommy Esplin was the lone goal-scorer in the shootout.

“We knew we were going to win it,” Marsch said.

The Scouts never failed as Grady Strothman scored on the powerplay at 5:07 of the first period, giving Lake Forest a 1-0 edge that lasted five minutes. Loyola’s Peter Lochnicki scored in the finals seconds of the period to tie the game, 1-1, assisted by Julian Gabal and Patrick Dine.

“We’re here to show that we are for real, that we are not going to be a bottom-feeder team this season. We are going to be competing for the state championship,” said Marsch, a junior in his second varsity season.

Added Lake Forest head coach Steve Sarauer: “If we can stay healthy and commit to the plan and the system, and everyone does their job, we can compete – and we’ve shown that. The difference came in the third (period) when we started winning battles on the half-wall in the defensive zone, get pucks out of the zone, and winning neutral zone battles.”

Lake Forest’s Ezio Berrettini tapped home a go-ahead goal on the right side with 5:02 remaining in the third period – and that seemed it may be the game-winner. But the Ramblers struck in the final minute as Daverman drilled home the tying goal with :48.5 remaining in the final period after Loyola pulled its goalie for a six-on-five man-advantage.

Marsch didn’t even see Daverman’s shot, he admitted.

Marsch wasn’t nervous in the extra period: “When we went into overtime, I had confidence (in my teammates) and myself to get the job done.”

Marsch was aided in the shootout by the ice condition. “I knew the ice was kind of bad, so I thought they might mess up on their stickhandling,” he said.

Esplin, who leads Lake Forest with 9 points (3 goals, 6 assists) in the team’s first six game, tallied the game-winner.

“It’s unfortunate to give up a goal in the last minute, but the boys battled – and they really controlled the three-on-three overtime (period),” Sarauer said.

Next up for the Scouts is a Wednesday night rematch against the Trevians.

“New Trier is going to come out firing; I’m sure they’re mad. They’re not used to losing,” Sarauer said. “We have to stick to our gameplan. We have to come out with the same intensity that we had in the first game against Green.”

Gametime Wednesday in Winnetka is 9:10 p.m.

The Ramblers resume SHL play on Saturday, October 11, when Loyola plays host to Glenbrook North in Lincolnwood.

“We didn’t play a bad game; there are just a couple of things we have to work on,” said Loyola goalie Charlie Trapp. “Personally, I had a good effort, but there are still things I need to improve on.”