LOVELAND | Capsule preview of the ice hockey state championship game between Regis Jesuit and Monarch scheduled for 1 p.m. March 5 at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland:
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2016 ICE HOCKEY STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
1 p.m. — REGIS JESUIT (21-1) VS. MONARCH (21-0)
Breakdown: Coach Dan Woodley’s Regis Jesuit team earned the chance to play for its first state ice hockey championship since 2012, in particular because Monarch has stood in its way every postseason since. The Coyotes ended the Raiders’ season in each of the past three seasons in the semifinals. Monarch lost in all three state championship games, including a three-overtime defeat to the Cherry Creek co-op team last season. Regis Jesuit, meanwhile, is seeking to add a fourth state championship to the titles it won in 2012 (against Ralston Valley) and back-to-back in 2007 and 2008 (against Battle Mountain and Lewis-Palmer). Monarch won the regular season meeting between the teams by a 3-0 score on Feb. 6 at Family Sports Center...Regis Jesuit advanced to the state championship game with a 4-2 win over Mountain Vista in the semifinals, riding a three-goal second period on scores by Cale Woodley, Jack Jordan and Michael Baer, latter coming with just 4.3 seconds left in the period. Kyle Nelson added an insurance goal in the third period and goaltender Sam Gartner made it stand up by saving 17 of the 19 shots on goal he faced. The Raiders also skated past Cheyenne Mountain (10-0) in the first round and Steamboat Springs (8-0) in the second round…In three playoff games, Regis Jesuit has outscored opponents 22-2. Baer and Jack Kilkenny sit tied for the postseason lead in goals scored for the Raiders with four apiece, while Eamon Duffy is next with three. In all, 11 Regis Jesuit players have netted at least one goal. Nelson and Andre Dugas own the team lead in assists with six apiece in the playoffs, followed by Woodley, Ian Aylmer and Cade Alcock with three apiece. Kilkenny and Nelson lead the way with eight total points apiece..In the goal, Gartner owns a 2-0 mark in the postseason with 21 saves on 23 shots against, while Bret Jahde posted a shutout of his own with a 15-save effort…Coach Jimmy Dexter’s Monarch team advanced with a 6-2 semifinal victory over Ralston Valley in the state semifinals in game that saw Blake Bride record a hat trick, while Brendan VanHaute scored twice and Jake Young also tallied. The Coyotes scored twice in the opening period and also netted the first two goals of the second period — including a penalty shot for Bride — to pull away from the Mustangs. In goal, Hunter Ingino stopped 17 of the 19 shots on goal he faced…Monarch downed Heritage (9-1) in the first round and Dakota Ridge (5-2) in the second round…The Coyotes have outscored their foes 20-5 in three postseason games. Bride leads the way for Monarch with five goals, followed by VanHaute and Young — who scored twice in the regular season over Regis Jesuit — with four apiece. Just six players have accounted for the Coyotoes’ 20 goals, while 10 have at least one assist each. Mason Peterson and Young pace the team with five assists, while VanHaute and Andrew Pickner have recorded four each…Ingino has played all 153 minutes in the net for Monarch and is 3-0 with a 1.96 goals against average, with 58 saves on 63 shots on goal.
