A new era of prep hockey has begun in the area, as the Cherry Creek School District makes a long-anticipated return to the ice this season.
For the first time in more than 20 years, the district has a team competing in the Colorado High School Activities Association league, as Cherry Creek becomes its 30th team in 2012-13.
Playing under the flag of Cherry Creek High School, the CCSD team has assembled a roster with players from five different schools — including Cherokee Trail, Eaglecrest and Grandview from Aurora — and expects to be competitive right away.
“The Cherry Creek community has been starved for hockey, so everybody seems to be looking forward to it,” said Cherry Creek coach Dave Irish, whose team debuts against Cheyenne Mountain on Dec. 8 at Family Sports Center.
“There’s been a lot of work going into this, so we’re ready to get on the ice,” he added.
Cherry Creek has dormant tradition in ice hockey, as the Bruins won three state titles from 1977-79 and continued on for another decade before a number of challenges such as scare ice availability made it disappear.
This Cherry Creek team — which also mixes in players from Cherry Creek and Colorado Academy with the Aurora schools — has size, speed and a strong defensive core, which Irish is pleased with.
Last season’s new teams, Mountain Vista and Resurrection Christian, both made the playoffs, and Irish believes he has a team that can also do that its first year.
“With the number of kids around the district who come in having played a lot of hockey, we should have an impact on the league right away,” Irish said.
Cherry Creek joins the Foothills Conference, a 15-team division which includes Aurora’s other team, Regis Jesuit.
Coach Dan Woodley’s Raiders went 18-1 and won the state championship last season — the third in the past five seasons for the program — and the same group went on to capture the USA Hockey National Championship a month later.
Woodley graduated leading scorer Marshall Conrad and a large group of seniors, but has a leader back in senior forward Nathan Haas and the game-winning goal scorer from the state championship game in Conner Wigton.
Senior Brady Hall leads a strong defensive group and junior goaltender Sam Harden, who went 9-0 with a 1.60 GAA last season, also returns.
“The level of play continues to increase, so we’ll see some stiff competition this season,” Woodley said. “Hopefully we can fit in again and compete.”
Notes: Cherry Creek and Regis Jesuit meet at 5:45 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Family Sports Center in Foothills Conference play. …The state semifinals and championship game will once again be held at Magness Arena on the University of Denver campus.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555
AURORA 2012-13 ICE HOCKEY SEASON
KEY DATES: Nov. 28 — First games allowed; Feb. 16 — Regular season ends; Feb. 22 — 1st round of playoffs; Feb. 23 — 2nd round of playoffs; Feb. 28 — Semifinals at University of Denver (Magness Arena), 6 & 8:30 p.m.; March 1 — State championship game at University of Denver (Magness Arena), 6 p.m.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Connor Brennan, F, soph., Regis Jesuit; Nolan Caruthers, D, jr., Regis Jesuit; Zach Cohen, D, sr., Cherry Creek; Johnathan Docherty, F, sr., Cherry Creek (Eaglecrest); Ian Eshbaugh, D, sr. (Eaglecrest); Nathan Haas, F, sr., Regis Jesuit; Brady Hall, D, sr., Regis Jesuit; Sam Harden, G, jr., Regis Jesuit; Thomas Jahde, D, soph., Regis Jesuit; Andrew Kozma, F, sr., Cherry Creek; Cody Oakes, F, jr., Cherry Creek (Cherokee Trail); Carson Pavek, G, jr., Cherry Creek (Colorado Academy); Greg Turgeon, F, sr., Cherry Creek (Eaglecrest); Matt Walters, F, sr., Cherry Creek (Grandview); Conner Wigton, F, sr., Regis Jesuit
For full Cherry Creek and Regis Jesuit schedules and more information on the 2012-13 season, click here.
