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Volume 1 Issue 2 | October 2018
SAFE HOCKEY IS NO ACCIDENT
By Jack Weinberg
Everyone has a role in making our sport of hockey safer. These first months of the season have already seen too many injuries. Causes include injury potential penalties such as Head Contact, Checking from Behind, Boarding, Slashing, Charging, and of course, Fighting. These penalties are being called by the officials this season because, they are happening. Don't complain about the call, ask why our players are not following the rules. Good coaches will not continue to put players back on the ice who will not follow the rules.

Parents and fans, support the efforts of the coaches and officials to curb dangerous play. Complaining and screaming, "Let 'em play!" when the referee makes a call enables the bad behavior and compromises the safety of all the players. Cheering when a player crumbles to the ice from a violent or otherwise illegal hit tells everyone that you think that was a good thing to do. Do you slow down at the scene of a traffic accident with bodies strewn everywhere and think, "I hope my child caused that!" Of course not. Why encourage the same behavior on the ice.
REST IN PEACE ALEX
New Trier Mourns the Loss of Assistant Coach Alex Pegler
Alex Pegler, who was a state champion player for New Trier Green and an assistant coach this season for that team, passed away Oct. 22. Pegler played New Trier hockey for four years, made a huge impact on the young men he coached and his presence will be greatly missed both on and off the ice, the New Trier Hockey Club posted on its website. “Our thoughts and condolences go out to Alex’s family, his players, and all those who knew and loved him.”
FORMAN'S TOP 20
New Trier Green is off to a 17-0 start, including a 3-2 win over arch-rival and defending state champion Loyola Gold on Saturday, Oct. 13 in Lincolnshire. The Trevians have thus vaulted to the No. 1-ranked team in the state, while the Ramblers drop to No. 2. Bobby Soudan has been the Trevians' top offensive threat, with 14 goals, 14 assists. Dylan Kochman has 9 goals and a team-leading 16 assists. JT Travis is second on the team in goals (13), followed by Ryan Gallagher (12). Goalies Owen Reger and Preston Watt have each allowed only 12 goals and boast impressive 1.67 and 1.65 goals-against averages, respectively. Green has already defeated such state powers as Glenbrook North (5-0), Glenbrook South (7-0), Saint Viator (6-3 and 6-1) and St. Ignatius (5-3), among others.

Here's a look at the Illinois High School Hockey Top 20 Rankings (as of Oct. 24):
1. New Trier Green
2. Loyola Gold
3. Stevenson
4. St. Ignatius
5. Glenbrook North
6. Saint Viator
7. Glenbrook South
8. Carmel Catholic
9. Providence Catholic
10. Wheaton West
FORMAN'S VARSITY SPOTLIGHTS
Here Comes Saint Viator, Again - Driven to Prove Last Season Was Not a One-Year Shine

Saint Viator won’t be sneaking up on anyone this season, and no one will take these Lions as a simple skate.

The roar is back from this Arlington Heights-based school that is the defending Kennedy Cup champion and certainly is a legitimate contender to play next March at the United Center, with the Illinois High School Hockey State Championship on the line.
Rob Messner Brings Lofty Goals As Rookie Coach For Loyola Girls
First-year Loyola Academy girls hockey coach Rob Messner doesn’t mince words when asked about the Ramblers’ goals for the season: “To be playing at the United Center in March. Bottom Line.” Messner, 42, who lives in Skokie, is the owner and head instructor at Messner Hockey. He has 12 years of coaching experience and this is his fourth in the high school game, though the previous three seasons he’s been an assistant coach to Jim Philbin with the Glenbrook South boys’ team.
Fox Valley Looks To Improve On Last Season's Elite 8 In State
It wasn’t the way to start the season that the Fox Valley Hawks wanted, or any team would want. They were 0-3, with two shutouts – and that was just three days into the season.

“We played some teams (to start the season) that were just better than us, and we were missing some players for various reasons, too,” said Fox Valley head coach Phil Gabrielsen.
FORMAN'S JV SPOTLIGHT
JV Spotlight: Oliver Lepinski
Oliver Lepinski, a junior defenseman for Lyons Township, wears uniform No. 0 as a nod to his first name. “It’s a nice touch to have your initial on your jersey,” said Lepinski, 16, who lives in LaGrange and skated for the LT-JV last season, too.

The right-handed shooting Lepinski started playing years ago at the house level, then played two years for the Hawks association, then the Bruins.
LEAGUE REPORTS
North Central Division
By Christopher Waters - Since it's inception in 2012, BGHW, New Trier, Loyola, and Highland Park have been the teams consistently on top. However, in this young season teams like Libertyville, Lake Forest, Latin, and Deerfield are at the top of the North Central Division with teams like PREP and Lane Tech not too far behind. Libertyville won the CLS Gator Cup Preseason Tournament and Deerfield recently won the Firestorm Tournament in Indianapolis. Can these teams hold on or will the traditional powers find their way back to the top?
Scholastic Hockey League
By Gary Larsen - Trailing defending state champion Loyola Gold 2-1 after two periods, New Trier Green sat in the locker room at Heartland Ice Arena without any sense whatsoever of panic or frustration among its players. The Trevians just wanted to keep their noses to the grindstone. “Trailing after two periods was not a big deal for this team,” New Trier assistant coach Chad Bidwill said. “It’s a very resilient group. We just told them to stay focused and stay the course, and our chances will come.” Mission accomplished.

Metro Girls Division
By Pam Flores - The tiering round in the Metro Girls High School season is well underway. Many games are yet to be played, but this season is shaping up to be highly competitive. All of the teams in the league have grown and added depth, and it is great to have added two new teams – Latin now has two teams (Orange and Blue) and the District 211-214 Rebels have joined the league. Click button below to read the full Metro Girls Update including Lake Forest, Warren and Glenbrook Girls community service projects and a little background on one of our newest teams, the D211-214 Rebels.
Illinois West Division
By Brian Meek - Our season has begun, and all 29 teams are off and running. The teams, as always, try to feel each other out early in the season. It looks like the season will include tight races in both the Varsity and Junior Varsity brackets. Check out the updated standings HERE and keep up with your favorite players. As the holidays approach, several of our clubs participate in various activities to provide holiday cheer to the less fortunate. Additionally, clubs have fund raising activities during the season to help offset the growing cost of the programs. We will highlight those activities in this column.
PARTNER IN HOCKEY
AHAI thanks IntelligGym for their sponsorship of IHSHL Snapshot