Evanston Township High School's field hockey team will play for a shot at a state championship Thursday, Oct. 29, when the No. 5-seeded Wildkits face defending state champion New Trier at 5 p.m. at Glenbrook North High School.

New Trier shut out ETHS twice during the regular season, 4-0 and 5-0, according to Patch. The Trevians own 18 state titles in program history, including six of the past seven, and hold the tournament's top seed.

The Wildkits earned their spot by beating Glenbrook North 2-1 on Saturday, Oct. 24, in the Antioch Sectional championship. It was the first win over GBN in school history.

This is only the second time ETHS field hockey has reached the Final Four. The program finished fourth in 2023.

Coach Annie Lesch's squad carries a 16-6 record and an eight-game winning streak into the semifinal. The 16 wins set a single-season program record.

"We've put it all together and I think we're getting better every single day," Lesch said, according to Patch. "We're playing with a lot of confidence, we're playing with a lot of excitement, and we're playing with a lot of energy."

Lesch pointed to a pair of double-overtime wins earlier in the season as a turning point. A 1-0 victory over Latin in the rain, she said, changed the team's trajectory.

"I knew it wouldn't come easy for us to make it to State — and it didn't," Lesch said. "We had to win a couple of two overtime games (against Latin and Glenbard West) to get the (No. 5) seeding we got."

Lulu Carnahan and Amelie Kaulas scored the goals in the sectional final. Kaulas' goal, which proved to be the game-winner, came with no time left on the first-half clock. Junior goalie Maya Samaris recorded eight saves.

The roster includes 16 seniors, 10 of whom were new to varsity this fall. Lesch said the team spent the early season figuring out where to use everyone. Sophomores Carnahan, Phoebe Lesch and Siena Jenio have also made major contributions.

New Trier, meanwhile, is chasing a three-peat. The Trevians won state titles in 2024 and 2025, according to the New Trier News. Their 2025 championship came in overtime, 3-2 over Glenbrook, according to The Record.

The other semifinal Thursday pits Loyola Academy against Lake Forest at 7 p.m. at Glenbrook North. The third-place game is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, followed by the championship at 1 p.m., also at Glenbrook North.