4A Ice Hockey: Pine Creek Captures First-Ever Ice Hockey Title

DENVER | Logan Hemmer dropped the hammer on Steamboat Springs Monday night.

The senior forward scored the goal that ultimately delivered the first state ice hockey championship for Pine Creek, which prevailed over defending champion Steamboat Springs 6-3 in a thrilling Class 4A title game at Magness Arena on the campus of the University of Denver.

Hemmer was one of six different goal scorers for the Eagles, who avenged a semifinal loss last season to the Sailors and finished a remarkable 19-2-1 season.

“That goal felt amazing, it was great to do it in this kind of game,” said Hemmer, whose goal broke a tie with 10 minutes, 17 seconds, remaining the third period. “When it goes in, you take a moment to realize that it actually happened. …We fell short last season against this same team, so it feels great to get this redemption.”

Indeed, Steamboat Springs won its first state championship last season with a 3-2 double overtime win over Pine Creek preceding a 4-2 victory over Glenwood Springs.

The Eagles stopped the Sailors’ repeat bid and got the first title of their own with a three-goal final period that broke open a very tight contest up to that point.

“I’m emotional about how proud I am of this group,” Pine Creek coach Chris Moses said. “We’ve gone through a lot of adversity in the last week or so and these kids deserve it.”

Pine Creek suffered injuries to three key players (including their captain) over the last two postseason contests — a 1-0 quarterfinal win over Standley Lake and a 2-1 victory over Colorado Academy in the semifinals — but leaned on a steady group of seniors to get to the finish line as champions.

Steamboat Springs certainly didn’t want to see its title run come to an end and played like it in the first seven-plus minutes, when junior Gavin Wittlinger put a shot into the net just after a power play chance had expired to stake the Sailors to the lead.

The ice tilted the other way in the remainder of the period, however, as Pine Creek scored twice when sophomore Colton Kirk’s shot from the high slot deflected through traffic and into the net and junior Conley Polsgrove put in a low shot immediately off a face-off to send the Eagles into the first intermission with the lead.

“They were definitely giving us a lot of pressure at first,” Hemmer said. “It wasn’t looking good at the beginning, but we were moving our feet and getting pucks deep. We found a way to win.”

A wild opening to the second period started with a massive opening shift for Steamboat Springs from senior forward Saawyer Vietenan to quickly burst into the lead.

First, Wittlinger skated the puck up right side of the rink and curled behind the goal and drew two defenders to him before he passed out to the trailing Vietenan for the finish. Just 24 seconds later, the Sailors again put the puck in a dangerous spot and Vietenan squeezed the loose puck in for a lead that lasted a whopping 35 seconds.

That’s when a 3-on-2 rush for Pine Creek created a chance for senior Henry Hoghaug, who scored to tie it up at 3-3.

The deadlock lasted for the first five minutes of the final period until Pine Creek got its break

Senior Jack Moats fired a puck that deflected off a Steamboat Springs defender at the blue line and came free to a rushing Hemmer, who took a touch and ripped a shot past Sailors goalie Joseph Nelson to break the tie.

“I saw a clean sheet of ice in front of me and I saw an open part of the net and I took it,” Hemmer said.

The Eagles killed off a Steamboat Springs power play chance to preserve the lead and then put the pedal down as they sought to add to their advantage.

Senior Riley Miltko upped the lead with a rebound goal and senior Jack Smetana added an empty-netter to seal the result.

“We knew we were the better team going into this game and that really gave us confidence,” senior Eli Kujawa-Levine said.