After defeating last year’s state champion, Loyola, the Glenbrook Girls High School Hockey team knew winning state was a real possibility. The team beat Loyola 4-2 on Nov. 27, giving the team its 10th straight victory to start the season, continuing an undefeated record that would last through 12 games.

Since finishing last season with a record of 18-8-2, the team has started this season with a record of 12-1-1 as of Jan. 31.

According to Head Coach Steve Hamelin, the team’s success this season can be attributed to the “depth and strength of the bench.”

“We have 19 girls, … and we have strength throughout our lineup,” said Hamelin. “We’ve got a balance of some veteran players, some incoming freshmen, and we have a solid core that’s been there for … the third year now.”

Hamelin, who took over as head coach this year after two years as assistant coach, said he has been working with the team to create more puck movement and keep everyone’s legs moving.

The team consists of five players from Glenbrook North, as well as players from Glenbrook South and Regina Dominican.

Junior Koby Wilcox said having players from multiple schools is a different experience than typical GBN sports.

“It’s kind of fun to get out of the bubble of people you see everyday,” Wilcox said.

Sophomore Viola Chobak said the girls on the team always get along.

“Nobody fights with anyone else,” said Chobak. “We’re a pretty calm team.”

Chobak plays both goalie and forward and has a save percentage of 97.8 percent in goal, as of Dec. 18.

Wilcox said the team was less successful last season due to the lack of cohesion of the team.

“There was the effort,” said Wilcox. “ … There just was a bit of a lack of chemistry. [This year, there is] just a better flow. We have a larger group of girls, so that helps.”

Hamelin said the strong camaraderie among the girls leads to better performance on the ice. Hamelin also acknowledges the players’ strong work ethic and discipline.

“Each of them hold each other accountable to do their jobs out there,” Hamelin said.

Many team members also play on AAA teams, the highest level of youth club hockey in the United States. Hamelin said the Glenbrook team’s schedule is created to accommodate athletes who play on multiple teams, so they do not have to miss practices and games.

However, players still have conflicts.

Junior Nicole Knudson said she sometimes cannot make it to Tuesday practices because she is playing with her club team.

Hamelin said the AAA players bring over their skills to help the Glenbrook team improve. Playing with these higher-level players elevate the speed of practices and the abilities of the girls who do not play on multiple teams.

“If they have some good [drills from AAA] practices that they enjoy that they think would be good for us, I always am open to that,” Hamelin said.

According to Wilcox, everyone on the team has one goal: state.

“To win state, to make state, we’d be lucky if any of it happened,” Wilcox said.

Knudson said she thinks the team has a good chance of going to the state finals and playing at the United Center if the team continues to perform the way it has been.

Wilcox said it is important to make sure that nobody breaks from the stress of maintaining the team’s strong record.

“Usually we’re just used to more of the fun, and we don’t expect much happening,” said Wilcox. “Now it’s like we have a lot of opportunity, and if we have the slightest slip, it can all go to nothing.”