Ilija Marich, a senior this fall at Evanston Township High School, took one giant step, er, ride on July 9th in preparation for his final season skating for the Wildkits, a defenseman in jersey No. 73.
That Tuesday, he rode his bicycle from Evanston to Kenosha, Wisconsin. It was a 90-mile ride that took him seven hours to complete, with a one-hour break for lunch.
“I wanted to use this experience to find my physical limits in order to push past them in hopes of developing my physical abilities,” said Marich, 17. “My off-ice improvements help give me a platform to pull from on the ice. Being able to pull strength from your body on the ice is important if you need it to skate faster, shoot harder, hit harder, etc.
“My work ethic (comes) from my desire to win and my love for the game. I won’t say it’s always easy and off-ice workouts aren’t always the most fun thing to do, but knowing that it will better me and bring me closer to the game I love is always something that has kept me going in times where I wanted to stop or turn around.”
Marich skated for Evanston Youth Hockey before joining the Wildkits as a freshman on JV, when he was named the Defensive MVP and an IHSHL North-Central Division JV All-Star. He was a league all-star as a junior on the varsity, too.
“I’m not bodybuilder or anything, but, I prioritize working on things like my quads and different full body movements that will improve my performance on the ice,” he said. “Eating healthy and proper food also is important to progress my conditioning and strength.
“I’ve grown up around the team and players finding a love for both the game and this program that has driven my winning desires and willingness to do whatever it takes.
“A lot of what I do is focused on strengthening my body to give myself a platform to improve on the ice. I do this by different workouts, such as full body weightlifting, and biking, which I use to strengthen the muscular endurance of my quads and glutes to improve my skating ability.” Marich also takes 250 to 500 shots a day to improve his shooting.
“Biking is a great way to improve my conditioning as it works the same muscle groups as skating, which can improve the duration in which I can skate at 100 percent. Biking also helps more with the muscular aspect as opposed to running, which improves your cardiovascular endurance.”
Marich also has played tennis and volleyball at ETHS.
Hockey is his long-term goal.
“My plan after high school is to play juniors. I don’t have my exact next path, but it would be a dream to play Division I hockey and hopefully professional hockey in Europe. Also, honoring my Serbian roots by playing for the (Serbian) National Team is a major goal and would be a huge accomplishment.”
Come fall, though, Marich and his Evanston mates will simply be looking to skate past Deerfield, Highland Park, BG/H/W, PREP and others looking to control North-Central action.
“It was a heartbreaking loss in the finals series against PREP my sophomore year, but it also was a great experience to make the finals and compete side by side with my brother, who was a senior that year,” Marich said. “I am an offensive-minded defenseman who plays more of a two-way defenseman role depending on what the situation requires. I also like to use my edges and the width of the ice to make defenders miss and push the puck up the ice creating space for my teammates to get better looks off the rush.”
Marich said one of the biggest influences on his hockey career has been his older brother, “who always gave me something to chase and my drive and dedication to win,” he said. “Also, growing up around the varsity guys who would be my camp counselors when I was younger gave me people to look up to and a goal for who I wanted to be. Growing through the Evanston program kept me playing under the same coaches who have helped shape me not only into the player, but also the person that I am today. One of these coaches is varsity defensive coach Jimmy Kahn who has been there for me every step of the way,” Marich said.
“We have a lot of potential to do well (this upcoming season), especially with our offensive firepower, but the season is unpredictable, and we will have to improve and work together to fulfill our goals. A lot of the guys on the team, especially my age, have played and grown together throughout the program which has led to our common goal of winning a championship together before we graduate.”
SLAPSHOTS WITH …Evanston Township High School defenseman Ilija Marich
Personal Goals For The Upcoming Season: “While I value the team’s success over my own, I believe that plus/minus shows a defenseman’s true value to the team, so I would like to achieve a +40 (total).”
Loving: “One massive part of my life has been God and my relationship with our lord Jesus Christ. Having that faith has helped me lose my anger and resentment and helped show me that it’s OK to not have everything figured out if you trust that Christ will fulfill his plan for you.”
Favorite NHL Team: Born and raised in Washington D.C. has made me a Capitals fan for life. I also love the (Chicago) Blackhawks and have always been a fan since both my parents are from the area. My ‘favorite team’ (is) whoever is doing better at the moment.”
Favorite NHL Player: Alexander Ovechkin
Favorite Sports-themed Movie: Miracle – “It encompasses a team and a determination to win unmatched by anyone, (plus) fighting through hardships and working to achieve a single goal: winning.”
Favorite TV Show: Suits – “It’s an entertaining show.”
Favorite Pre-game Meal: “Carbo-loading is important before intense physical activity, so I will have spaghetti or some form of pasta around two hours before a game and I will usually have a high source of protein for lunch to sustain energy throughout the day.”
Favorite app: Instagram – “It allows me to connect and share my experiences with my friends and family.”
Celebrity You’d Like To Meet: Carlos Sainz Jr., his favorite F1 driver.
Best Hockey Tip, and who was it from: “A funny yet helpful tip is from all my teammates telling me to shoot low. By doing this, I’ve started to create more goals from tips and rebounds while I’m shooting from the point.”
Best High School Uniform (other than ETHS): “I like Highland Park and Saint Viator.”