NT_121318

46 | December 13, 2018 | The Northbrook tower Sports
northbrooktower.com
Boys Hockey
North seeking perfection after win
Michal Dwojak, Sports Editor
Players and coaches
working to become champions
never stop seeking
improvement, something
Glenbrook North looks
for even after games
where it seems like everything
went right.
So while the Spartans
enjoyed their 4-1 win
over Maine on Dec. 5 in
Niles, coaches and players
echoed the need for
improvement after and
during the win. Spartans
yelled during the game
during the bench, questioning
whether some decisions
would help in a
championship setting.
That’s what the Spartans
are aspiring for:
a championship. After
champion Loyola Academy
Gold knocked GBN
out of the playoffs in last
season’s semifinals, that’s
all the team can focus on,
even after a game where
the top line produced and
the defense looked solid.
But head coach Evan
Poulakidas found a flaw
that could keep his team
from reaching its goal.
“We have to find some
secondary scoring for us
to be the elite team I think
we can be,” Poulakidas
said.
The Spartans started the
game strong after a few
minutes of puck exchanges
in their own and Maine’s
zone. GBN started to create
chances and Charlie
Slovis capitalized early on,
scoring on a wristshot with
12 minutes, 41 seconds
left in the first period.
GBN’s defense created
an opportunity when Matt
Dahlke ended up on a
breakaway and scored on
the Maine goaltender with
Glenbrook North boys hockey player Charlie Slovis looks to move the puck against Maine on Dec. 5 in Niles.
Michal Dwojak/22nd Century Media
9:42 left in the first period,
helping the Spartans
get off to a quick start,
something they know will
be the key to success.
“One of our goals is
to start fast, whether we
score or not, we want to
dictate the play at the beginning,
we don’t want it
to be dictated against us,”
Poulakidas said.
The top line of Slovis,
Dahlke and Mikey Day
continued to produce, as
Slovis added his second
goal in the second period
and Day scored in the third
Online content
For the photo gallery
and video from this
game, visit Northbrook
Tower.com.
period to give the Spartans
a 4-0 lead. The line
has worked well together
throughout the season and
created different opportunities
for each other, sometime
inadvertently.
“My first line was
grinding the entire time
and honestly I did no
work,” Slovis said. “My
guys were feeding it to me
and I was right there.”
But besides the top
line, both Slovis and Poulakidas
admitted there’s
still room for growth.
The Spartans know if
they want to compete
for a state championship
against teams like Loyola
Gold and New Trier
Green, they’ll need to add
on to their depth. The top
line can’t play for the entire
game, and if they do,
things will turn bad fast.
Poulakidas is challenging
his players to compete
even after games like
the win against Maine.
While it’s nice to win a
game at the beginning of
December, the players
and coaches know they’ll
need a bigger, more-complete
performance from
all line in order to achieve
their dreams.
“If we can get help
from our third and fourth
lines, and I think they’re
talented enough, it’s not
like they’re not capable
to do it,” Poulakidas said.
“They just have to have
the will to do it.”
The Varsity: North
Shore Podcast
Guys talk
gymnastics,
basketball hall
of fame
Staff Report
In this week’s episode of
The Varsity: North Shore,
hosts Michal Dwojak and
Michael Wojtychiw recap
a good start to the season
for some of the area girls
gymnastics teams, hear
from Glenbrook North
boys basketball head
coach David Weber on Jon
Scheyer being inducted
into the Illinois Basketball
Coaches Association Hall
of Fame, play Way/No
Way with boys swimming
and preview some fun basketball
in the area.
First Quarter
Michal Dwojak and Michael
Wojtychiw recap a
fun start to the girls gymnastics
season at the Spartan
Classic.
Second Quarter
The guys hear from
Glenbrook North boys
basketball head coach David
Weber on Jon Scheyer
being inducted into the Illinois
Basketball Coaches
Association Hall of Fame.
Third Quarter
Way/No Way is back,
with Wojtychiw predicting
what’s going to happen
in the boys swim and dive
season.
Fourth Quarter
To finish things, the guys
talk some area basketball,
including some discussion
about hall of famers.