Goalies get after it in special night for local youth hockey

On a brisk night in Northbrook during the heart of hockey season, it was, for once, the goalies who got all the glory.

Traditional five-on-five hockey received a creative twist Saturday, Jan. 4, during Goalies Gone Wild, a first-year event that pitted two youth, goalie-only teams against one another.

Twenty net-minders ages 9-14 from the Wilmette Junior Trevians, Winnetka Warriors and North Shore Hockey Club — all of whom donned their full goalie gear for the entire game — faced off at the North Shore Ice Arena for the spirited showdown.

The matchup turned into a back-and-forth battle as the two squads exchanged leads throughout the evening. The game ultimately finished in a tie with an 11-11 final score after three closely contested periods and multiple shootout rounds.

But the novel fun and the opportunity to highlight the often under-appreciated position far outweighed the outcome for all involved.

“Every goalie, they just dream of scoring,” said Jen Boyes, of Glencoe, who is the mother of goaltender Parker. “They spend their entire time on the ice trying to deny everyone else. They so rarely get a chance to score, and so instead of denying everyone else’s goal, they get to score them tonight.”

The idea for the all-goalie matchup started when a couple of parents saw videos of other similar games online. From there, Wilmette resident Jennifer McGinn took the reins for putting together the memorable evening on the ice.

“Tonight is really just an opportunity to give back to our goalies, who do so much for our teams, and for them to have a little fun,” McGinn said.

The couple of weeks during the holiday season offer local youth teams a short break from competition before the final stretch of the season kicks into high gear.

Local youth teams will resume from holiday break Monday, Jan. 6, preparing for about 10 more games and some tournament play before the playoffs start in February. Offering the 20 goalies an experience like Saturday night allowed for a unique break ahead of the playoff push.

The game opened with an eight-goal first period that finished with both sides locked in a 4-4 tie.

The away team, coached by Wilmette resident Rob Schelp, appeared poised to break the game open after jumping out to a 7-4 lead in the second period. The home team, coached by Mike Myers, though, came roaring back to tie it at 7-7 headed to the final period.

But the memories made by the goalies who took part in the game turned out to be their biggest takeaway.

“I never really imagined a game like this would happen,” goaltender Parker Boyes said. “It was nothing like I expected at all — it was a lot more fun. … It was all just great energy out there, especially with everyone being a goalie.”

Many of the goaltenders also found extra joy, and challenges, in navigating the rest of the ice and attempting to score goals.

“It was different and much harder than you think. … Scoring a goal is very hard,” said net-minder Connor Schelp, adding that he has a newfound appreciation for forwards and defensemen after the night.

Connor, just like many of the other players on the ice, cherished the chance to have a night devoted to goalies.

“I think it’s amazing,” he said. “I don’t think goalies get enough appreciation for what they do sometimes. A lot of people don’t realize (how hard it is) and they think it’s easy and that we just have to stop the puck. But it’s not. It’s a mental and physical position. It’s pushing the limit.”

Following the success of the inaugural game, McGinn hopes to turn it into an alumni event for the youth programs and bring the current and graduated goalies together in the future. 

GOALIES GONE WILD PARTICIPANTS: Connor Schelp, Cam McGinn, Teddy Hermeling, Logan Botica, Seamus Ochoa, Parker Boyes, Molly Bruggeman, Jax Turok, Arjun Parikh, Noah Loewenstern, Louie Olivieri, Max Naggatz, Jake Myers, Benjamin D’Auria, Maximilian Surma, Connor Richard, Harrison Bentensley, Bennet Collins, Clayton Collins and Jonathan Trick 

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