League champs now turn attention to playoffs

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1/8/2012 Winnetka Glenbrook North's Daniel Goldblatt (23) pass the puck up ice during the game against Loyola at the Winnetka Ice Rink on Sunday, January 8, 2012. Loyola shutout Glenbrook North 2-0. | michael jarecki ~ for Sun-Times Media

Updated: May 9, 2012 10:11AM

By clinching the Metro North title last week, Glenbrook North Spartans are where they want to be moving into playoff competition.

On Jan. 12, the varsity team defeated Evanston Wildkits 5-0, with two games left in its remarkable season of 17-0-3 in league play and 32-13-8 overall.

It is not unusual for Northbrook hockey teams to be in postseason play, said Evan Poulakidas, in his first year as Spartans coach.

In 2011, the Spartans played New Trier Green before 13,000 fans at the United Center in Chicago, losing 3-2 for the state championship.

But that was last season.

“We expected to be here in the playoffs. We’re undefeated in Metro North, which is quite an accomplishment considering Stevenson High School had every player return this season except one,” said Poulakidas, who spent 17 years coaching the Northbrook Bluehawks.

Despite injuries to key defensemen Blake Raven and especially Patrick McNally, Poulakidas felt good about the upcoming Scholastic Cup games starting Jan. 28. Both players are still out of the lineup.

“We’ll be OK with these injuries. It’s been that kind of year,” he said.

Poulakidas, who coached at St. Viator last year, said most of his players have “big game” experience.

“These guys have been in very important hockey games when they were Bluehawks and now in high school. They’ve been brought up on winning.

“In the locker room, I can tell they’re excited, even with two games left in the regular season.”

Evan though the Spartans lead the league in scoring with 93 goals, recently offensive output has been down, Poulakidas said.

“We need to score more frequently. Just one line has been doing it, and we need to win more faceoffs. We don’t want to be chasing pucks around the ice,” he said.

Team captain and right wing Eric Anderson agreed that the Spartans remained focused all season on topping the Metro North this year.

“We’ve had suspensions and injuries, but we have good depth and we push each other. A lot of guys are back from last year,” he said.

Two goalies did not return this year, but the Spartans count three who rotate in the net — Matthew Memolo, Griffin Peifer and Samuel Berlin.

“We did lose both starting goalies, but we’re not weak there now. Our goalies have stepped up well this year,” Anderson said.

Approaching playoffs, Poulakidas said the pace, intensity and physical pounding are 20-percent higher than regular season games.

“Every shift means something. The fans are in for some great hockey at the high school level.

“We play each team differently, but good defense and good goaltending always will allow us to go anywhere,” he said.