Two-time defending champion Regis Jesuit opens as the favorite again.
By Nick Garner
Special to MaxPreps.com
Three years ago Nick Davis scored the biggest goal in Regis Jesuit hockey history, as his winner in overtime beat Battle Mountain 3-2 for the school’s first state hockey championship.
Although the Raiders faithful will forever remember his name for that goal, Davis said his most memorable title came last year.
“Scoring that goal was nice,” Davis said. “But last year playing with my brother (Gregg was a senior last year) and it being a total team effort was even better.”
Now a junior, Davis and the rest of the Raiders can doing something only two teams (Cheyenne Mountain and Cherry Creek) have accomplished in Colorado high school hockey - win three straight championships.
“I think it’s a good feeling,” Davis said. “I think that if were to win it would put Regis on the map and hopefully get more schools to want to play hockey, maybe get some more schools from the Douglas County area to come.”
Every championship team has a certain aspect that stands out. For the first Regis title team it was the senior leadership, last year’s team had a powerhouse offense and a great defense. And what does this season’s team have?
“The will to win,” Davis said. “We have a lot of new faces on the team this year, and they have the hunger to win. Maybe those younger guys will pass some of that hunger off to the guys who have already won it.”
Mr. Hockey: Cheyenne Mountain coach Mike Provenzano has been around Colorado hockey as long as it has been a sanctioned sport. Provenzano will enter his 35th year of coaching hockey, (27 at Palmer, eight at Cheyenne Mountain) posted a career record of 604-301-37 and won four state championships (three at Palmer, one at Cheyenne Mountain).
In those 35 years of coaching, Provenzano said his most memorable moment didn’t occur on the ice, but rather it was a decision he made.
“It was the reaction I got from my former Palmer players and the Palmer community when they found out I was going to Cheyenne Mountain,” Provenzano said. “The Gazette down here made a big deal about it and I heard from many, many ex-players giving me a hard time.”
One of those players made a long, long-distance call to give his former coach some razzing.
“The most memorable one came in a call from Sweden where one of my former foreign-exchange students called to give me grief.” Provenzano said.
Championship move: If you had made plans to watch championship weekend at the World Arena in Colorado Springs, it is time to make some new plans. For the second time since 2006, the site for championship weekend will move. This year it will be at the Broomfield Events Center, home to the Central Hockey League’s Rocky Mountain Rage before it folded this past season. The semifinals will be Feb. 26 (6 & 8:30 p.m.) with the championship on Feb. 27 (2:30 p.m.)
MaxPreps Top 5
Regis Jesuit: The Raiders return a majority of their core players, several who played on both championships teams, meaning they are in good shape for a third title.
Ralston Valley: The Mustangs are loaded with 18 returning letter winners, putting them in position to win their first championship.
Lewis-Palmer: Goalie Brent Schwarz (16-3, 92.8 save percentage) will anchor a young Rangers team that has just two seniors on the roster.
Cheyenne Mountain: Led by returning all-state forward Michael Lewis, the Indians should be in the title talk all season.
Battle Mountain: With 15 returning letter winners the Huskies will want to make up for last year’s unexpected first-round playoff exit.
Top players
D Ian Anderson, Steamboat Springs, Jr.; D Alex Andony, Peak to Peak, Sr.; D Anthony Apodaca, Rampart, Sr.; F Matt Avila, Rampart, Sr.; D Dariusz Balibhek, Fountain Valley, So.; G Konnor Barlow, Doherty, Sr.; C Jake Bearss, Steamboat Springs, Jr.; F Justin Brame, Ralston Valley, Jr.; F Justin Brewer, Peak to Peak, Sr.; F Jeremy Chavez, Bishop Machebeuf, Sr.; G Richard Church, Fountain Valley, Sr.; D Chance Creger, Peak to Peak, So.; F Nick Davis, Regis Jesuit, Jr.; F Cam Duba, Air Academy, Sr.;
F Ryan Finnefrock, Ralston Valley, Sr.; D Chris Fisher, Lewis-Palmer, Sr.; F Mason Ford, Fountain Valley, Sr.; D Landon Hale, Heritage, Sr.; G Curtis Hart, Battle Mountain, Sr.; F Dylan Hassell, Doherty, Jr.; G Marcus Harbison, Air Academy, Sr.; F Bryan Hayashi, Standley Lake, Sr.; C Kyle Hull, Heritage, Sr.; C Trevor Isbell, Cheyenne Mountain, Sr.; F Braden Johnson, Doherty, Jr.; F Ian Johnson, Dakota Ridge, Jr.; D Bryan Koppa, Cheyenne Mountain, Sr.; LW Nick Lang, Coronado, Jr.; F/D Michael Lewis, Cheyenne Mountain, Sr.; C Trevor Lim, Coronado, Jr.; G Luke Lindsay-Brisibin, Air Academy, Sr.; F Evan Lloyd, Regis Jesuit, Sr.;
D Cam Maceau, Air Academy, Sr.; F Taylor Markowski, Dakota Ridge, So.; F Daniel Mitchell, Rampart, Jr.; G Zach Neal, Cheyenne Mountain, Jr.; F Nick O’Donnell, Standley Lake, Sr.; D Tanner Ottenbreit, Regis Jesuit, Jr.; F Michael Pijanowski, Ralston Valley, Sr.; F Mitchell Pijanowski, Ralston Valley, Sr.; D Joey Prendergast, Bishop Machebeuf, Sr.; LW Evan Rauer, Heritage, Sr.; D Brandon Roseboro, Lewis-Palmer, Sr.; D Tanner Scales, Regis Jesuit, So.; G Brent Schwarz, Lewis-Palmer, Jr.; F Jack Sunderland, Battle Mountain, Jr.;
D Connor Tedstrom, Battle Mountain, Sr.; F Zach Thenell, Dakota Ridge, Sr.; F Ben Tucker, Ralston Valley, Sr.; F Taylor VanAllen, Dakota Ridge, Sr.; G Brock Vosburgh, Rampart, Jr.; D Richard Wakeman, Bishop Machebeuf, Jr.; D Evan Ward, Peak to Peak, Sr.; W Jon Winkelblech, Steamboat Springs, Sr.; D Ryan Wooldridge, Coronado, Sr.; D Sam Wyss, Standley Lake, Jr.; F Kenta Young, Standley Lake, Sr.
