Glenbard Boys' Hockey Team Skates to State Finals

Update: The Glenbard Hockey Club beat Bartlett to capture the first state title in the program's history. The boys beat Bartlett 2-1 after going into overtime on Friday night.  

First report:

Tonight, the Glenbard Hockey Club has a chance to win the state title for the first time in the program's history. 

"I feel that if we stick to our game plan, play with heart, and maybe even get a lucky bounce or two, we can skate away as state champs," said Jason Hawkins, head coach.

The boys will face off against Bartlett, battling for the No. 1 spot in the state of Illinois on the Chicago Blackhawks' home rink. 

"We sure picked a good year to make the state finals, as this is the first year our division's championship game is played at the United Center," said Hawkins.

But the road to the finals wasn't easy, many ruled them out since the squad needed to beat hockey powerhouse and No. 1 seed Rockford -- 15-time defending state champs. Last Sunday, with just 41 seconds left in the third period Glenbard scored the tie goal, sending the semi-final game into overtime. Ultimately, the Glenbard boys sent Rockford packing, 2-1, cementing their spot in the state finals.

As the boys get ready to play, Hawkins hopes the "awe factor" of playing at the United Center will fade fast.

"This is the first chance to skate on the UC ice for most of our players, and it's going to be exciting. But once the puck drops, it's two teams competing for the same goal," said Hawkins.   

Coach hopes the boys will be able to play with the same amount of energy as they've had these past few months, winning 17 of their last 20 games. Hawkins said the group is an "experienced young team" with six seniors and 10 juniors, which all have high-pressure game experience. The squad has won the league championship for the past two years, in addition to two state tournament appearances. Now, Hawkins wants his crew to skate away as state champs.     

Friday's game will be broadcast live on Comcast Sports Net, and for anyone interested in purchasing tickets, click here. 

Full disclosure: Joni Schwerdtmann captured the photo of the Glenbard boys celebrating the program's first state title victory. Schwerdtmann is the aunt of editor Samantha Liss and provided the image for Patch.