The ILN Contender Series highlights the top teams we believe have a serious chance to win the state title in 2025. Each installment will break down a team’s strengths, weaknesses, key players, and what it will take for them to be the last team standing at the end of the year.

One of Illinois’s original blue blood programs, New Trier has lost to Loyola in the sectional final for four straight seasons. Can a talented group of seniors return the Trevians to the state championship?

2024 Record: 16-7 (Sectional Finalist)

2024 Key Wins:

• 4/13 – York – 11-6
• 4/18 – Glenbrook North – 9-7
• 5/16 – Lake Forest – 6-3

Key Departures

• Nico Nassar – Attack (Fairfield)
• Jake Sankowitz – Attack
• Duncan White – Midfield (2024 All-State)
• Charlie Trukenbrod – Defense (2024 All-State)

Key Returners

• Hans Huber – Midfield (Class of 2025)
• Aaron Pressman – Faceoff (Class of 2026 – Denver)
• Trevor Marte – Attack (Class of 2025 – Depauw)
• Graham Stuart – Goalie (Class of 2025)
• Ian Schnizlein – Defense (Class of 2025 – 2024 All-State)

Season Outlook:

New Trier returns more talent than nearly any other team in the state. They are also led by one of the best and most experienced coaching staffs in the state (offensive coordinator Jason Schoenwetter has 11 state titles himself). Their group of returning players includes Denver commit Aaron Pressman, do-it-all midfielder Hans Huber, talented goalie Graham Stuart, All-State defender Ian Schnizlein, and leading scorer Trevor Marte. The Trevians’ goal will be to overcome Loyola, who has controlled Illinois’s most famous rivalry since 2019. They were not far off from beating Loyola last season, as they lost by just one goal in both their meetings. If New Trier can overcome Loyola this season, they have a great shot to add to their 13 state championships.

Scouting Report

On paper, New Trier has a similar profile to Loyola. They take advantage of an aggressive ride and clear package that produces a lot of extra opportunities for the offense. On offense, they also play a very disciplined and intentional brand of lacrosse. As opposed to Loyola, who runs many set looks and plays, New Trier is a more free-flowing offense that relies on strong principles and rotations. Despite their free-style offense, they will still need someone to step up this season and be able to win crucial one-on-one matchups. They will likely be relying on Hans Huber and Trevor Marte to be the ones to start that offense. If they cannot win individual matchups, good systems and rotations will not be enough alone to beat the state’s top teams. The defense will also be returning a three-year starter in net in Graham Stuart, who is in the upper echelon of goalies in the state, and will be the backbone of a defense led by Ian Schnizlein. New Trier is always tough on defense and promises to continue that trend this season. When planning for New Trier this season, teams will be spending a lot of time figuring out how to handle star faceoff man Aaron Pressman, who will be headed to Denver after next season. New Trier is one of the state’s most well-established winners, and if they can take advantage of a dominant faceoff man, strong defense, and good individual offensive talent, they should be able to challenge any team in the state.

Why They Won’t Win:

New Trier has struggled to win the big game since current Virginia midfielder Johnny Hackett graduated in 2022. With how young New Trier was last season, it is up to their current group of upperclassmen to overcome this obstacle. While the level of talent at New Trier this season is not in question, can they finish in the big games? New Trier should once again have a dominant regular season as they have in nearly every year that lacrosse has been played in the state, but the playoffs will be where they need to change the narrative.

Why They Will Win:

New Trier is synonymous with winning. With as much talent as they have and the experience and championships on their coaching staff, it is never smart to bet against New Trier. New Trier has perhaps its deepest roster since their last state title in 2019. If the Trevians stay healthy and score just a couple more goals when they play Loyola, they have a golden opportunity to win their next state championship.