Raiders look to seniors for run at title
Denver Post preps editor Kyle Newman caught up with Regis Jesuit hockey coach Dan Woodley to discuss the No. 2-ranked Raiders (4-0), including pivotal players this year and keys for continued progression.
Q: Who are your leaders?
A: We have a core of seniors including center Shane Ott, wing Connor Kilkenny, wing Anders Erickson, wing Wyatt Verity — who is coming off an injury — as well as Paxton Erickson, who has two hat tricks so far and has really been stepping up. With juniors, we’ve got
Top-ranked rematch
Where: The Ice Ranch, Littleton When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday
Who: No. 1 Valor Christian vs. No. 2 Regis Jesuit
What: A rematch of the fall league championship, won 6-5 by Valor Christian. defender Rowan Barnes, one of the top players at his position this year, plus another defender in Justin Lico and a forward in Kale Lone. And Nolan Sargent, who is a sophomore, is notable on defense. We’ve got quite a few contributing guys this year.
Q: What did you learn about your team and about some of the state’s other teams from playing in the Colorado Prep Hockey League this fall?
A: Valor is a much improved team — they have some really good players who have transferred in there, they’re highly capable, and then obviously with good coaching, they’re a tough team to play. We play them on Saturday, so it should be a real test for us early on. Monarch is also a capable team, and those guys will be stout as always. And the other really solid team we saw in the fall was Cherry Creek.
Q: What’s the key for your team to continue to progress and have a chance to win the program’s fifth state championship?
A: Our end goal is obviously a state title, but to get there, we have to just try to get better each day we step out on the ice.
Q: How much is last year’s finish, a dramatic 2-1 loss to Monarch in the title game, motivating this year’s team?
A: For the returning guys, there’s a lot of desire to get back to that championship game. There’s a bit of an emptiness there — a wish that it had turned out a different way — but like anything in life, you sometimes have to recognize the value of losing a championship before you can truly cherish winning it.