Valor Christian hockey lights up Poudre for 5A state championship
A fast start propelled Valor Christian to its fourth CHSAA 5A hockey championship in six years. The Eagles defeated the nationally ranked No. 2 Poudre School District High School Stars 7-4 at Magness Arena on Monday night.Valor wasted no time setting the tone, scoring 10 seconds into the game when the Eagles won the faceoff and Ronan Hirschfield found the back of the net, astounding everyone in the arena. The Eagles capitalized on every opportunity in the first period, including a short-handed goal from Elijah Fischer in the 10th minute and another quick strike for a goal by Hoyt Sorensen a minute later. And then, when Andrew Jenkins finished a breakaway with a slick move past the keeper, Valor Christian had a commanding 4-0 lead after the first period.“Being on this stage is really important for a high school-aged kid,” Valor Head Coach George Gwozdecky said before the game. “Dealing with the pressure and nerves, playing in a game like this is beneficial, no question.” Players clash on the ice in a rough-and-tumble play in the 5A ice hockey state championship. Valor Christian won 7-4. Credit: Heston MosherHis team showed no nerves, executing efficiently and outpacing Poudre early.The Stars, in just their second year unified under the Poudre School District banner, found themselves with a prime opportunity to start the second period, opening with a 5-on-3 power play. Star’s Dylan Hice took advantage, slipping a goal past Valor’s keeper in the fourth minute to cut the deficit to 4-1. Poudre found another breakthrough in the sixth minute, closing the gap to 4-2, but Valor Christian responded when Bauer Bodhaine buried a perfect behind-the-net feed to push the lead back to 5-2. Star’s Weston Nerby’s goal for Poudre with 6:24 left made it a 5-3 game heading into the third.“We have some kids that have developed a team philosophy, and they’ve battled, played for each other, and we’ve been successful,” said Poudre Coach Riley Nelson before the game. “Tonight, I want them to embrace the opportunity.”The Eagles’ discipline and opportunistic play continued into the final frame. Despite multiple power-play chances for the Stars, Valor Christian extended their lead when Jenkins intercepted a pass and finished a short-handed breakaway with 4:23 remaining. Poudre looked to gain momentum with Weston Nerby’s second goal of the night at 3:32, making it 6-4. But after pulling their goalie in the final minutes, the Stars conceded an empty-net goal to Eagle’s Maddux Charles with one minute left, sealing Valor Christian’s 7-4 victory.Valor Christian’s ice hockey team poses for a photo after the Eagles won their fourth state championship in the last six years. Valor outlasted Poudre to win 7-4 on March 3. Credit: Heston Mosher“It feels awesome. I love my team,” said Jenkins. “I love that we were able to bounce back after our kind of rough season, and we got the job done. So, I am really happy.”Poudre showed grit throughout this game and season but never fully recovered from Valor Christian’s early barrage. The Eagles, now 2-2 in championship wins over the past four years, once again proved their status on the big stage.“We’re a growing hockey state,” Jenkins added. “And I think there are big things to come for high school hockey in Colorado.”The post Valor Christian hockey lights up Poudre for 5A state championship appeared first on Colorado Community Media.
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