DENVER, CO – NOVEMBER 13: Valor Christian hockey gamers Cooper Robinson, Andrew Jenkins and Carter Charles through the CHSAA Winter Sports activities Day on the Ball Area in Denver on Monday, November 13, 2023. (Picture by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Publish)
George Gwozdecky was requested to mirror on the expansion of Valor Christian Hockey.
The coach responded with an amused smile and an anecdote from the 2015-16 season, his first on the faculty.
“I used to be so naive, I didn't know what I didn't know,” Gwozdecky mentioned. “I bear in mind my spouse asking me after the primary week of apply, 'Is that this one thing you actually need to do?' As a result of I might clarify to her among the experiences that occurred at apply.
“There have been issues I had by no means skilled earlier than. One participant needed to check out a defenseman and couldn't skate backwards. I needed to clarify to him that one of many expertise you need to have as a defenseman is the flexibility to skate backwards.''
Gwozdecky paused for a second, gathering his ideas, then continued.
“From that time to the place we’re proper now — we will all skate backwards, by the best way — we've been capable of be extra aggressive yearly. I used to be pleased with what these guys constructed and what every senior class left behind. It was a very good expertise. It was gratifying to see the curiosity from our scholar physique and the curiosity from our college and workers.”
Final yr, the Eagles received their third Class 5A state hockey title in 4 years, beating rival Ralston Valley 7-3 at Magness Area on the College of Denver campus. The Eagles are flying excessive as the recognition of highschool hockey soars.
This season, the CHSAA added Caprock Academy in Grand Junction to its roster of highschool hockey applications. With the addition of groups in Grandview and Durango in 2022, there are actually 36 CHSAA hockey member faculties break up between 5A and 4A.
Gwozdecky, who led DU to 2 nationwide championships in his 19 years with the Pioneers, knew Colorado had a robust youth and membership hockey tradition, however he needed the game to proceed to develop below the auspices of the Colorado Excessive College Actions Affiliation. And he needed his Valor gamers to expertise the rewards that come from representing their highschool.
“From the messages I acquired after I first acquired (to Valor), no one preferred hockey,” he mentioned. “Hockey gamers weren’t revered athletes. Now it's reversed.”
Regardless of a tricky loss to Valor in final yr's state championship, Ralston Valley has a wealthy hockey historical past. Over the previous 17 seasons, the Mustangs have reached the Frozen 4 11 occasions, appeared in six nationwide finals and had been topped champions in 2013 and 2014.
Coach Nick Spinder noticed highschool hockey turn into cool.
“You may have extra guys taking part in CHSAA-sanctioned highschool hockey, so it will get a bit higher yearly,” Spinder mentioned. “Children need to play for his or her faculties. CHSAA hockey is not a background (sport), it's not an afterthought. It's extra like Minnesota. I feel yearly it will get higher and yearly we construct our program and it's higher for hockey on the whole.”
In 2022, Denver East confirmed simply how good Colorado prep hockey has turn into. After defeating Valor within the state title recreation, the Angels received the USA Excessive College Hockey Nationwide Championship by defeating the Northport (New York) Huntington Tigers within the Division II title. East went undefeated within the Texas event in opposition to the highest mixed highschool groups within the nation.
“We represented Colorado and DPS,” Joseph Capra, the East junior linebacker who was named the CHSAA's 5A participant of the yr, mentioned on the time. “The state is insanely ignored. I feel we're a Tier I hockey state. We will compete with anyone.”
This yr's 5A hockey season guarantees fireworks. Heading into the Christmas break, Monarch (5-2) was ranked No. 1, thanks partially to a 3-2 win over Valor within the season opener. The Poudre College District workforce (5-2) was No. 2, adopted by Cherry Creek (4-1-1), Regis Jesuit (2-1-1) and Valor (2-1-1).
The Eagles, who fell 3-2 to Monarch on Dec. 16, have a whole lot of work to do in the event that they need to repeat as state champions. Valor misplaced 12 seniors to commencement from final yr's workforce. In keeping with Gwozdecky, the workforce's strengths are senior goalkeepers Cooper Robinson and Trudeaux Coffey.
“We're going to be robust within the defensive zone,” junior heart Andrew Jenkins mentioned. “Cooper is so strong in objective and Trudeaux has improved so much. Total, our workforce could be very passionate and really tight. I feel it will assist us keep a profitable tradition at Valor.
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