Monarch hockey wins a national championship
Monarch hockey has won the Division II high school championship at the 2019 USA Hockey National Championships.
The Coyotes secured the title with a 7-1 win over Burrell (Penn.) High School on Monday morning — a team that actually beat Monarch during pool play.
Monarch went 2-1-0 as part of that pool play to secure a spot in the quarterfinals, then beat Waterloo (Iowa) 3-2 in that round. In the semifinals, they beat Frisco (Tex.) 2-0 thanks to two early third-period goals.
In the final, Monarch exploded for four second-period goals against Burrell. Zack Given had two short-handed goals in the frame.
Alex Scatena opened the scoring for Monarch with less than three minutes to play in the first period on the power play. Burrell briefly tied the game up at 1-1 midway through the second period, before Monarch opened the flood gates.
Jordan Finney scored what proved to be the winning goal, giving his team a 2-1 lead three minutes after Burrell’s goal, and then Given scored back-to-back short-handed goals on the same penalty kill. Fuller Loose added a power-play goal with 4:35 to play in the second period.
Shin Steinbarth added two third-period goals to cap the scoring for Monarch.
Monarch goalie Dylan Sheets saved 23 shots in the win, his fifth of the tournament.
Scatena led the team with four goals and seven assists during the tournament. Jake Given had four goals, as well as four assists, while Zack Given had three goals and four assists.
Steinbarth finished with five goals and one assist.
Sheets went 5-1-0 in net for Monarch, including a 29-save performance against Waterloo in the quarterfinals. He had a 3.02 GAA during the tournament.
Monarch, runner-up a season ago, is the first Colorado team to win at nationals since 2015, when Regis Jesuit won the Division I title, and Cherry Creek captured the Division II division.
Regis Jesuit, this year’s state champion, advanced to the semifinals in Division I this season, falling to Edina Junior Gold A in a shootout.
Regis Jesuit was runner-up last season, and Monarch also finished second in 2016.
Monarch Coyotes 2019 USA Hockey High School National Champions!@BradCochi @BoCoPreps @CoHockeyHub @CoAmateurHockey @BrandonBoles pic.twitter.com/yacpct9Kyx
— Monarch Hockey (@MoHiPuck) April 1, 2019
