By Nick Garner, Special to MaxPreps.com
1. Lewis-Palmer (5-1-3): Suffered its first loss to No. 6 Steamboat Springs, but it doesn’t get easier with games against No. 8 Air Academy and Battle Mountain.
2. Ralston Valley (8-1-1): Just as Lewis-Palmer was losing its first game of the season, the Mustangs were handed their first loss by Monarch, 2-1.
3. Aspen (7-2-2): The Skiers rebounded nicely from their loss to Standley Lake with wins against Mullen (6-0) and Valor Christian (5-3).
4. Standley Lake (7-3-0): The line of Nick O’Donnell (15 goals-12 assists), Kenta Young (4-13) and Bryan Hayashi (9-6) has to be considered one of the most dangerous in the state.
5. Summit (5-1-1): The Tigers have played the fewest games in the state (seven), but will play six games in the next 10 days, which include No. 7 Regis Jesuit and No. 2 Ralston Valley.
6. Steamboat Springs (5-1-2): Big victories against top-ranked Lewis-Palmer 3-2 and Battle Mountain 1-0 have the Sailors feeling good.
7. Regis Jesuit (8-3-0): The defending champions Raiders have lost two of their past three games; one was to No. 3 Aspen while the other was to Palmer 3-2.
8. Air Academy (8-4-1): The Kadets scored two impressive shutouts against Battle Mountain (6-0) and No. 6 Steamboat Springs (2-0).
9. Rampart (9-3-0): The Rams have won three in a row and own the best overall record in the Peaks League.
10. Monarch (11-4-0): Since its loss to Valor Christian on Jan. 2, Monarch has won six straight games, including a 2-1 win against No. 2 Ralston Valley.
Around the leagues
A quick look at the other teams in the Peaks League:
Doherty (7-4-2): Fatigue might be playing a role in the recent slide for the Spartans, having played seven games in 14 days. They posted a 3-3-1 record during that stretch after starting off 4-1-1.
Palmer (7-5-0): Before beating No. 7 Regis 3-2 Friday night, the Terrors were 0-3 against ranked teams (No. 6 Steamboat Springs, No. 8 Air Academy, No. 9 Rampart).
Cheyenne Mountain (5-5-1): The Indians, despite their .500 record, have not lost two games in a row all season.
Pine Creek (5-6-1): It’s been a season of improvements for the Eagles, as last year they won only two games. This year they almost have tripled that amount and still have seven games to play.
Valor Christian (5-5-0): Another team that can talk about improvement is Valor Christian. After not winning a game in their inaugural season, the Eagles are in good shape to make a push for the postseason.
Pueblo County (4-7-1): The offense that started the season scoring 29 goals has been shut down since the holiday break, scoring just 14 in six games. Five of those came in a tie with Doherty.
Coronado (3-9-0): In what has been a disappointing season so far, one of the bright spots has been Nick Lang. Tied for the state lead in goals with 18, he’s scored a point in 10 of 12 games, and in four games he has scored four or more points.
Fountain Valley (2-7-0): Ryder Conroy leads the team in goals (11), assists (11), and total points (22) and has scored a point in all nine games.
Liberty (0-12-0): When goalie T.J. Hill is between the pipes he’s been busy. In eight games he has started, he averages almost 27 saves a contest.
A quick look at the other teams in the Foothills League:
Bishop Machebeuf (8-4-0): The Buffaloes lost a tough game to Ralston Valley, trailing 4-1 before scoring two quick goals to make it 4-3, but they couldn’t find the equalizer.
Chatfield (6-6-0): The Chargers have a balanced scoring attack with five players having recorded 10 or more points, led by Jack Krowl’s (7-7) 14 points.
Columbine (4-6-2): Trent Edwards has been playing good hockey for the Rebels in the past three games, scoring three goals and chipping in three assists. He has scored a goal in seven of the last eight, including a hat trick against Dakota Ridge.
Kent Denver (3-4-2): When it comes to scoring goals, everyone on the Sun Devils team has the scoring touch. In the past three games, nine different players have scored a goal.
Peak to Peak (2-10-0): The Pumas snapped an eight-game losing streak with their 6-4 win against Dakota Ridge on Jan. 9. Ryan Hartwig had a hat trick, while Scott Konas added two assists.
Heritage (2-11-0): It’s been a tough three-game stretch for the Eagles, playing three of the top 10 teams in the state; No. 3 Standley Lake (L 9-2), No. 5 Summit (L 8-3) and No. 7 Regis (L 9-0).
Dakota Ridge (1-9-2): Although Eagles goalie Tyrus VanMatre has a 0-4 record on the season, he has made 231 saves and has a save percentage of better than 90 percent (90.6).
