Special ‘Del’ivery: Dellin’s 6th goal in 4 games sends New Trier to state for first time in five years

Three was the magic number for New Trier girls soccer on Tuesday evening.

The Trevians 1-0 victory over Lyons Township was special for a trio of reasons: 1.) It sent New Trier to the state finals; 2.) It gave the team, according to the IHSA, the state record for most consecutive shutouts (17); and 3.) It made coach Jim Burnside the all-time winningest girl soccer coach in state history.

After a dominant run in the 2010s (six straight state appearances with three championships), New Trier will return to the state finals for the first time in five years (2019). In two of the previous three seasons, the Trevians lost in the supersectional round — one game shy of state.

Seniors like Charlotte Dellin remember those losses and wouldn’t let it happen again on Tuesday at Dominican University.

“You have no idea. It’s awesome,” she said of the feeling after the win. “In my career, this is the third time we’ve been in the supersectional and the first time we’ve gone to state. Earlier today I was saying to (fellow seniors) Josie (Noble), Sybil (Evans) and Annie (Paden), third time’s a charm and third time was a charm.”

Dellin continued her playoff heater. The senior forward curled a 25-yard free kick inside the far post, scoring the only goal of the game with 25 minutes to play.

It was Dellin’s sixth goal in the past four games.

“I saw to (Lyons goalie Nora Ezike’s) left was wide open. That’s where I tried to slot it in, keep it low because she’s tall,” Dellin said. “I had one earlier that I put high. I learned from my mistake and slotted it low and it went in.”

“Honestly, it feels good,” she added about her postseason heroics. “At the beginning of the season I wasn’t getting the goals that I wanted. Now to be able to contribute, especially in the times that it really matters, I couldn’t be happier.”

New Trier’s defense did the rest, holding off a physical and determined Lyons squad the rest of the way.

The shutout was the Trevians 17th in a row, which breaks an IHSA record held by — you guessed it — New Trier in 2004.

The game was delayed courtesy of a passing thunderstorm, and rain — at times in a downpour — marred play in the first half.

Still, Lyons had multiple chances to grab a first-half lead, but New Trier’s freshman goalie Annie Fowler turned away two one-on-one encounters in which she came off her line to confront a Lyons attacker.

“I think getting the timing right, just when to set and when to react, is important,” Fowler said. “I judge how far (the through pass) was going to go and just went in.”

The Trevians were able to even out play before halftime and had more opportunities in the second half, highlighted by a Jaime Elias run that drew a foul and free kick, which Dellin buried.

New Trier will open the state final four against Edwardsville at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 31, at North Central College. St. Charles North and Fremd will faceoff in the other semifinal. The winners advance to the Class 3A state championship set for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 1. The third-place match will be played at 11:45 a.m.

The weekend competition will be Burnside’s 14th trip to the state finals since he began coaching the Trevians in 1997. In that time, he has racked up 609 victories — the most in IHSA history. His 14 trips to state and six state titles are also IHSA records.

While Burnside shrugged off the historic milestone, he couldn’t avoid the banner presented by New Trier Athletics on Tuesday.

“I’ve been around a long time, had a lot of great teams, a lot of great players, phenomenal assistant coaches and parents. It’s been teed up,” he said. “It’s just a matter of being around long enough to figure some things out. It’s been fun.”

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