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wilmettebeacon.com sports
the wilmette beacon | March 22, 2018 | 47
Young New Trier team anticipates rebuilding season
Megan Bernard
Contributing Editor
With only a handful of
returning players and two
seniors on its roster, New
Trier softball will undergo
a season of growth this
spring.
“We’re facing a little
uncertainty because we
have a very young team,”
coach John Cadwell said.
“This a team that’s very
young and very contingent
of the freshmen,
sophomores and juniors.”
The Trevians’ season
opened Thursday, March
15, when they faced last
year’s state champions in
Oak Park-River Forest.
New Trier fell 10-0 to the
Huskies.
On the mound for the
first time was senior
pitcher Elisa Nettesheim,
who Cadwell said has
been “outstanding” in the
preseason weeks.
“In our preseason, [Nettesheim
has] been a leader
of the team,” he said.
“She’s really been pushing
the girls and motivating
them to step up their
games and helping them
understand the challenges
of being on the varsity
team. We are really
pleased with her work.”
This is Nettesheim’s
first time in “live action”
this year, Cadwell said,
and “we are really counting
on her to really be effective
as a pitcher.”
Backing Nettesheim
up as the No. 2 pitcher is
sophomore Beth Fisher,
who will also play third
base when she’s not on the
mound.
“She is such a hard
worker and brings such
intensity to her game,”
Cadwell said of Fisher.
“She’s somebody who is
looking to improve every
time she steps onto the
field.”
Other players to look
out for this spring include
sophomore outfielder
Kayla Okninski, who will
play center field after a
successful season playing
in the infield last year.
“Kayla is one of the
best kids we’ve ever had
in the program because
she really makes things
happen offensively for
us,” Cadwell added. “This
year, we are asking her to
step into the role as center
fielder. In our practices,
she has demonstrated
great range with her speed
and an outstanding arm.
Even as a sophomore,
she’s also taken on a leadership
role.”
Cadwell also expects
2018 NEW TRIER GIRLS
SOFTBALL ROSTER
Maia Blomberg
Rebecca Brodne
Ivy Burck
Abigail Carpenter
Taylor Daniels
Elizabeth Fisher
Eleanor Knight
Isabella Mendes
Elisa Nettesheim
Kayla Okninski
Ava Reichert
Alexandra Rothstein
Claire VanDamme
Samantha Wojcik
returning players, like juniors
Abby Carpenter and
Ivy Burck, to make an impression
on the team. Carpenter
will play “any position
that we have a need
for because she’s always
ready to play,” Cadwell
said, and Burck will call
first base home.
“Ivy’s glovework
has been terrific so far
this season,” Cadwell
added.
Team selection was
held Feb. 26, leaving twoand-a-half
weeks of preseason
practice. The Trevians
have not practiced
on their home field yet at
Duke Child’s due to the
unpredictable weather.
2018 New Trier Softball Schedule
Date Opponent Time
3/22 vs. Lane Tech 4:45 p.m.
3/24 at Beecher 11 a.m./1 p.m.
3/26 at Bradley-Bourbonnais 11 a.m./1 p.m.
3/27 at Lincoln-Way East 10 a.m./noon
4/3 vs. Buffalo Grove 4:45 p.m.
4/5 host Maine East 4:45 p.m.
4/7 at St. Charles North 10 a.m./noon
4/9 at Resurrection 4:30 p.m.
4/10 host Glenbrook South 4:45 p.m.
4/12 at Niles North 5 p.m.
4/14 at Zion-Benton 10 a.m./noon
4/17 host Maine South 4:45 p.m.
4/19 at Evanston 4:45 p.m.
4/21 host Elk Grove 11 a.m./1 p.m.
4/23 at Deerfield 4:45 p.m.
4/24 host Niles West 4:45 p.m.
4/26 at Glenbrook South 5 p.m.
4/28 at Lake Zurich 10 a.m./noon
5/1 host Niles North 4:45 p.m.
5/3 host Evanston 4:45 p.m.
5/5 at Downers Grove South 10 a.m./noon
5/8 at Maine South 4:45 p.m.
5/10 at Niles West 4:45 p.m.
5/14 vs. Loyola 4:45 p.m.
5/19 host Von Steuben 11 a.m./1 p.m.
After their season opener,
the Trevs played in
a invitational Saturday,
March 17, where they
faced three of the toughest
teams they’d see all season,
Cadwell said.
“This is a chance for us
to get in a good groove,”
Cadwell said before the
games.
“It’s going to be a season
of growth. We have a
lot of players that we want
to help develop and move
into their own comfort
zone during the course
of the season. This as an
experience that will help
them develop as individuals
and grow as a team.”
stevens
From Page 50
match. But it’s all about
getting the kids to enjoy
the moment.”
Glenbrook North will
bid farewell to 11 seniors
from this year’s team in
Rubin, Crane, Koren,
Laarveld, Cole Chobak,
Evan Larson, Jake Silverman,
Justin Ho, Zach Samuelsohn,
Zach Walden, and
Henry Fitzgerald.
“The end of a year is
never easy,” Poulakidas
said. “I’m saying goodbye
to some kids that I’ve been
coaching for twelve years,
so I’ll never see them in
this light again. We spent
285 days together. That’s a
lot of days.
“They’re not ordinary
kids. Look at today’s
world and what they could
be doing instead of playing
hockey, and sacrificing, is
so much easier than what
they come out and put
themselves through. We’re
very appreciative of our
kids. We care about them.”
Rubin was named
AHAI’s player of the year
in Illinois and he’ll miss
lacing up his skates for the
Spartans.
“It’s over now and we
have to live with it,” Rubin
said, “but we won fiftysix
games, we won three
tournaments, and those are
things we can take away
from this season. It would
have been nice to play
at the United Center but
there’s nothing for us to be
ashamed of at all.”
harris
From Page 48
ris said. “We had a group
of guys that just wanted to
be successful. That’s fun
to be around and that’s a
credit to their character.”
One of Harris’ favorite
parts about the job is helping
these athletes reach
new levels of their game.
Part of the joy of the job
is watching players develop
over their careers and
over the course of the season.
However, part of the
challenge of coaching is
helping players reach the
next level of their game.
“It’s really rewarding to
see players get out of their
comfort zone, because
that’s how they grow,” he
said.
There have been concepts
that the Giants’
coaching staff will work
with players during practice
and to see that translate
on the court during a
game is another highlight
for Harris.
“To see players trust the
coaching that they’re receiving
– that feels really
good,” he said.
Editors Note: Coach of
the Year was chosen by the
Sports Department at 22nd
Century Media. The decision
was made on regular-season
play and the development of
the team from the beginning
of the regular season until
the conclusion.