For the first time since 2013, a new varsity ice hockey program entered the mix in the area, as Grandview joined the last new team — the Cherry Creek co-op — plus Regis Jesuit for the 2024-25 season.
While the Wolves experienced some success in their inaugural season, the area’s most elite talent remained concentrated between the Bruins and Raiders, which both qualified for the Class 5A state playoffs. Cherry Creek eliminated Regis Jesuit in the first-ever postseason meeting between the local rivals before losing to top-seeded Poudre School District.
The talent shared by the squads makes up the majority of the 2024-25 Aurora Sentinel All-Aurora Ice Hockey Team, which is picked by the Sentinel in conjunction with voting of area coaches.
Offensively, the All-Aurora first line includes Regis Jesuit senior forward Parker Brinner — one of the heroes of last season’s 5A state championship run — who scored the most points of any Aurora area player with 26. With a goal or an assist in 16 of the 20 games in which he played including the postseason, Brinner finished fifth in 5A Region 2 in points behind four players from stacked state champion Valor Christian.
Brinner — who led the area with 18 assists and also scored eight goals and had a goal and an assist in two postseason contests — was recognized as second team all-state selection by state coaches and was first team All-League 2. He was an All-Aurora first team selection last season as well.
Senior teammate Nolan Williams led Aurora area players in goals scored with 15 and that included two hat tricks, both of which contributed to victories against quality opponents in Cherry Creek and Monarch. Williams (an All-League 2 honorable mention selection) tallied at least one goal in 10 games.
Williams added nine assists for good measure for a total of 24 points (with at least one in 15 of the 20 games he played in) for coach Terry Ott’s Raiders, who finished 11-8-1.
Rounding out the All-Aurora offense is Cherry Creek senior Austin Katz, a team captain who was one of only two local players to finish in double digits in both goals and assists with 10 and 12, respectively. The other double-digit player in both categories also played for coach Jeff Mielnicki’s Bruins (12-7-2) in senior Jack Linville, an All-Aurora second teamer.
Katz had at least one point in the Bruins’ last 10 games and finished with a goal or assist in 15 of their 21 contests and nine of the All-League 2 second team selection’s points came as a key member of the power play. Katz tallied a goal and two assists during the regular season when Cherry Creek defeated state champion Valor Christian 7-5 and he had an assist in the Bruins’ postseason win over Regis Jesuit.
Junior defenseman Carter Sharkey — a Cherokee Trail student who played for the Cherry Creek co-op team — is the lone area player to make the 5A all-state first team after a season in which he racked up 21 points on nine goals and 12 assists.
The All-League 2 first team pick (who scored two of his goals and had an assist in the playoff win over Regis Jesuit) finished with 21 total points.
Sharkey is pared on the All-Aurora backline with Regis Jesuit senior Zach Lorenzo, who played at an all-state second team level and also made the All-League 2 first team.
Lorenzo also reached double digits in assists with 10, while he also scored two goals.
In the All-Aurora goal for a second straight season is Regis Jesuit netminder Easton Sparks, who set a tremendous bar for himself as a freshman when he played a major role for the Raiders in their run to the 5A state championship.
In his sophomore season, Sparks played all the big games for Regis Jesuit and ranked sixth in the state in saves with 328, while the All-League 2 first team pick and 5A all-state honorable mention selection had a goals against average of 2.704.
Sparks’ lone shutout of the season came when he made 21 stops in a 5-0 win for the Raiders over Ralston Valley, while his season high in saves was 47, which came in a 2-2 tie with Cherry Creek.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2024-25 AURORA SENTINEL ALL-AURORA ICE HOCKEY TEAM
FIRST TEAM
Forward: Parker Brinner, sr., Regis Jesuit; Austin Katz, sr., Cherry Creek; Nolan Williams, sr., Regis Jesuit; Defense: Zach Lorenzo, sr., Regis Jesuit; Carter Sharkey, jr., Cherry Creek; Goaltender: Easton Sparks, soph., Regis Jesuit
— Full 2024-25 Aurora Sentinel All-Aurora Ice Hockey Team, here
