Monarch hockey looking to break through after back-to-back runner-up finishes

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]wo years, two excellent seasons, and two disappointing endings.

That’s the recent history of Monarch hockey, which has fallen just short of capturing its first ever state title in each of the past two seasons, losing in the championship game to Ralston Valley both times.

Being a perennial runner-up has proved to be a tough pill to swallow amid sky-high expectations for Monarch head coach Jimmy Dexter.

“We’ve had a couple disappointing seasons,” said Dexter on Thursday. “You know, the past three years we’ve only lost to Ralston Valley.”

The two teams know each other intimately — both compete in the Foothills Conference, and Ralston Valley defeated Monarch 5-1 in 2013’s championship game and 4-1 in 2014’s title affair.

Now, though, Monarch and Dexter have a new set of challenges to confront as they try to bust through an icy ceiling and final clinch that elusive state title.

“We’ve lost 16 kids from last year,” said Dexter. “But we do have a lot of young talent. So I’m excited and I think we’ll be right in it again this year.”

An exodus of that many players is always difficult to rebound from quickly. Fortunately for Monarch, Dexter’s new wave of talent has already spent some time together. Dexter coaches the a midget team in the offseason, and he likes what he’s seen from his young group, many of whom will appear for Monarch this season.

“We have a lot of young kids, a lot of ’98 birth years. But we’re going well in midget season, and I didn’t think we were going to compete that well,” said Dexter. “All of those kids that are playing, we just had try-outs, and all those kids are moving to the Monarch team.

“I’m pretty excited with what we have. I know we lost a lot but with the kids that are coming back and the new kids that are going to be on the team I think we’ll still be pretty strong.”

Monarch returns senior Walker Harris, the lone first-team player back from CHSAANow.com’s all-state team in 2013.

Harris may just be the top player in the state this season. He scored 17 goals and had 25 assists last season to lead the Foothills Conference with 42 points during the regular season, then added another seven points in the playoffs.

Dexter also highlighted the talents of sophomore Blake Bride, who Dexter said will be one of the team’s top players, as well as defenseman Justin White.

And as for Ralston Valley, Monarch’s biggest foil and the team that’s stood between them and their first state hockey championship? Dexter says there’s a definite rivalry there, and his new-look group is looking forward to taking another crack at the two-time defending champions.

“Definitely,” said Dexter, when asked if there was a budding rivalry between the two squads. “They lost a ton of kids, too. I was thinking that they weren’t going to be as good as usual, but looking at their midget team coming into the season, they’re going to be a strong team.

“We’re looking forward to playing them again and having another shot.”