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Ice hockey league previews

By Nick Garner, Special to the Rocky

Published December 1, 2008 at 6 a.m.

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FOOTHILLS LEAGUE

This was the more competitive league last season and it should be once again, with the defending state champion and top-ranked Regis Jesuit, No. 2 Ralston Valley and No. 4 Aspen leading the way.

Led by all-staters Gregg Davis and Connor Hayes, Regis Jesuit returns 15 players, but it will be strongly contested by Ralston Valley. The Mustangs return 19 players, highlighted by the 1-2 scoring combination of Graham Smith and Thomas Greene.

Coach Al Bulter will have a strong team in Aspen as he returns the state’s third-leading scorer in Daniel Doremus. Also, with Tommy Mines anchoring the defense, the Skiers won’t make it easy for either Regis Jesuit or Ralston Valley.

Summit could be the team that could wreck the title hopes of the favorites. The Tigers having a solid core of players back, led by all-stater and leading scorer Alex Gutierrez.

Peak to Peak is another team to watch, as the Pumas are the talk among the coaches. The Pumas should be solid, returning seven letter winners. They rely on their depth on defense and the goaltending of Jake Hebda.

With a good senior class back, led by Sam and Zack Lass, Machebeuf could make the playoffs after missing them last season by a game. With 15 players returning, Dakota Ridge, which also missed the playoffs by a game, could have the talent to make a run.

Despite Kent Denver and Standley Lake losing a lot of seniors both teams should be near the top and go deep in the playoffs. Newcomer Heritage has players who have played in the High Plains club league for the past seven years and should be in every game.

Columbine will be vastly improved this year with 13 players back, and the Rebels will rely on netminder Jordan Garkow. Mullen and Chatfield should be competitive.

PIKES PEAK LEAGUE

The league’s two representatives in the final four last season, Lewis-Palmer and Battle Mountain, lost a lot of talent to graduation. Both teams do, though, return some key pieces to build upon that success.

For No. 3 Lewis-Palmer it returns two of four players who scored in double-digits last year in Blake Cogburn (16 goals) and Travis Lachner (12), while Battle Mountain returns one of the best goalies in the state in Kalen Burnett.

Cheyenne Mountain missed the final four last season for the first time, and the Indians are hungry to get back. They will be led by Hunter Douglas in net.

Air Academy and Pueblo County return a good portion of their young squads and could go deep in the playoffs.

Rampart came within a game of the playoffs, and although the Rams lost the state's top two scorers, they will have 21 players back. That number has the attention of the league's coaches.

Goaltending will be a question mark for Palmer, but the Terrors will rely on a good senior class led by Josh Richards.

Coronado got a major boost in net with Michael Montoya, the state’s leader in saves last year. He comes over from Mitchell, which dropped its team this year.

Liberty and Doherty both missed the playoffs, but both have a good nucleus of players returning. Liberty will look to Corey Lorenz to lead the offense, while Dylan Hassell heads the defense for Doherty.

Steamboat Springs and Pine Creek have good talent returning, as the Sailors bring back their leading scorer Cody Fritz. Chris Dylewski will be back in net for Pine Creek.

Like Heritage, Fountain Valley and Valor Christian are in their first seasons and should have enough talent to be competitive.

OTHER PLAYERS TO WATCH

Forwards: Hayden Bally, Fountain Valley, Jr.; Jake Bearss, Steamboat Springs, So.; Joe Cashman, Heritage, So.; Blake Cogburn, Lewis-Palmer, Sr.; Garret Eastep, Coronado, Jr.; Trent Edwards, Columbine, Jr.; Geoff Funk, Battle Mountain, Sr.; Murphy Fyrwald, Aspen, Sr.; Bryan Garrett, Pueblo County, Sr.; Nick Graf, Ralston Valley, Sr.; Thomas Greene, Ralston Valley, Sr.; Ian Hamiliton, Peak to Peak, Sr.; Connor Hayes, Regis Jesuit, Sr.; Brian Hayashi, Standley Lake, Jr.; Buster Hebda, Peak to Peak, Jr.; Kyle Hercher, Heritage, Sr.; Ted Hettich, Palmer, Sr.; Cory Horn, Aspen, Jr.; Trentt Houghton, Cheyenne Mountain, Sr.; Branden Johnson, Doherty, So.; Justin Johnston, Regis Jesuit, Sr.; Travis Lachner, Lewis-Palmer, Sr.; Nick Lang, Coronado, So.; Sam Lass, Machebeuf, Sr.; Zack Lass, Machebeuf, Sr.; Garrett Long, Air Academy, Sr.; Shay Longtain, Peak to Peak, Sr.; Cory Kline, Columbine, Sr.; Corey Lorenz, Liberty, Jr.; Mike Miller, Liberty, Sr.; Jez Murphy, Cheyenne Mountain, Sr.; Gordon Nytes, Dakota Ridge, Sr.; Nick O’Donnel, Standley Lake, Jr.; Shamus O’Neill, Summit, Jr.; Max O’Neill, Summit, Sr.; Derek Pellet, Rampart, Sr.; Evan Rauer, Heritage, Jr.; Brad Reeves, Pueblo County, Sr.; Josh Richards, Palmer, Sr.; Billy Ross, Peak to Peak, Sr.; Rolin Schuler, Columbine, Sr.; Zach Speerman, Dakota Ridge, Sr.; May Wilkerson, Dakota Ridge, Jr.

Defensemen: Anthony Apodaca, Rampart, Jr.; Eric Bonner, Steamboat Springs, Sr.; Eric Davis, Colorado Academy, Jr.; Blake Deignan, Fountain Valley, Sr.; Karsten Dushell, Standley Lake, Sr.; Clark Ellis, Pine Creek, Sr.; Nick Griffith, Standley Lake, So.; Christian Irvick, Mullen, Jr.; Landon Hale, Heritage, Jr.; Dylan Hassell, Doherty, So.; Brian Hartman, Palmer, Sr.; Eric Jones, Dakota Ridge, Sr.; Kyle Johnson, Summit, Sr.; Ross Kalsow, Peak to Peak, Sr.; Ben Krzeczowski, Liberty, Sr.; Michael Lewis, Cheyenne Mountain, Jr.; James Lowery, Summit, Sr.; Cam Maceau, Air Academy, Jr.; Tommy Mines, Aspen, Sr.; Tanner Ottenbreit, Regis Jesuit, So; Cody Patterson, Coronado, Sr.; Tanner Scales, Regis Jesuit, Fr.; Jake Spinder, Ralston Valley, Jr.; Kyle Staub, Palmer, Jr.; Jake Wakeham, Machebeuf, Sr.; Richard Wakeham, Machebeuf, So.; Brock Winch, Heritage, So.

Goalies: Jeremy Byrns, Rampart, Sr.; Ian Carter, Mullen, Sr.; Richard Church, Fountain Valley, Jr.; Matt Dawes, Steamboat Springs, Jr.; Chris Dylewski, Pine Creek, Jr.; Jordan Garkow, Columbine, Sr.; Jim Lemming, Standley Lake, Sr.; Luke Lindsay-Brishin, Air Academy, Jr.; Adam Lucas, Ralston Valley, Sr.; Jake Hebda, Peak to Peak, Jr.; T.J. Hill, Liberty, Jr.; Thomas Pankey, Rampart, Jr.; Owen Rauer, Heritage, So.; Zach Ware, Asepn, So.; J.J. Westcott, Machebeuf, Sr.; Bobby Willey, Dakota Ridge, Sr.