CENTENNIAL | Blood trickled from a gash on the bridge of Sean Brennan’s nose Saturday night, but he just smiled.
Minutes earlier, the Regis Jesuit senior forward scored a shorthanded goal early in the third period and assisted on brother Connor’s empty-netter with 12.4 seconds remaining to lift the Raiders to a 2-0 victory over Mountain Vista in showdown between previously unbeaten conference leaders Saturday night at the South Suburban Ice Arena.
Nolan Carothers and Alec Aichinger also picked up assists and junior goaltender Sam Harden made 16 saves as coach Dan Woodley’s Regis Jesuit team improved to 7-0 and sits atop the Foothills Conference standings. The Raiders beat Summit 10-1 a day earlier in their return from winter break.
Mountain Vista dropped to 7-1 with its first loss since a second round state playoff defeat last season to the Raiders.
The teams battled back and forth in the first period, which ended scoreless after Harden made a pair of quality saves in the final minute on shots by Bryan Hancock and Dalton Horne of the Golden Eagles.
The second period turned more physical, with a handful of big hits and a scrum after Regis Jesuit’s Conner Wigton was stopped by Mountain Vista goaltender Joe Morgan as he tried to stuff the puck in the corner of goal.
The teams went into the lockerroom still scoreless, but Woodley was given a bench minor penalty as he sought an explanation from officials, which put the Golden Eagles on the power play going into the final period.
But it was the Raiders’ special teams that took advantage of the period, as they kept Mountain Vista from any quality shots in the first 45 seconds, then went on the attack when Carothers passed the puck ahead to Sean Brennan on the right wing.
Brennan used a defender as a screen and flipped the puck over the shoulder of a late-reacting Smith into the corner of the net.
Regis Jesuit nearly added another with Mountain Vista still on the power play and Brian Engh had two good chances minutes later, but it remained a one-goal contest in the final 10 minutes.
The Golden Eagles were denied on a power play chance after a tripping call on the Raiders’ Logan Baca, with its best chance coming with just under four minutes left when Hancock was wide with his bad angle shot as he moved in on Harden from the wing.
A checking-from-behind major on Mountain Vista’s Evan Wong against Wigton put the Golden Eagles down for the final 3:04.
With Smith pulled for an extra attacker, Regis Jesuit got a the clinching empty net score when Aichinger cleared the puck ahead to Sean Brennan, who passed up a chance for his second goal by passing to his brother.
The win moved Regis Jesuit to 3-0 all-time against Mountain Vista, a team made up of players from eight schools from the Highlands Ranch, Littleton and Parker areas. The Raiders beat the Golden Eagles twice last season, once in the regular season and again in the playoffs.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555
REGIS JESUIT 2, MOUNTAIN VISTA 0
Score by periods:
Regis Jesuit 0 0 2 — 2
Mountain Vista 0 0 0 — 0
SCORING
Third period — Regis Jesuit: Sean Brennan (Nolan Carothers) (shorthanded), 13:56; Regis Jesuit: Connor Brennan (Sean Brennan, Alec Aichinger), 0:48
Goaltenders (shots on goal-saves) — Regis Jesuit: Sam Harden (16-16); Mountain Vista: Joe Morgan (20-19).