(Tim Visser/TimVisserPhotography.com)
DENVER — There was no panic. Ralston Valley has been here, on this stage, many times before. Shoot, it was just last season that the Mustangs were hoisting hockey’s championship trophy above their heads.
So, no, an early 1-0 deficit was no cause for concern.
Kyle Valdez scored a big answer goal with five minutes left in the first period which ignited Ralston Valley’s bench. Victor Lombardi scored just 29 seconds later as the Mustangs took a 2-1 lead, one they would never relinquish as they skated away with a 6-2 win in the state semifinals at the Denver Coliseum.
(Tim Visser/TimVisserPhotography.com)
Valdez’s goal was “huge to get us back in the game and get it tied up real quick,” Ralston Valley coach Matt Schoepflin said afterward.
“There wasn’t a whole lot of panic on our bench,” he added. “I think that’s kind of one of the luxuries we have this year — we have a veteran group, we have 17 seniors. Roughly half that locker room in there won the state title last year. We’ve been in this situation before, we’ve played in big games.”
Upstart Cherry Creek, in the midst of a major one-season turnaround, jumped all over the Mustangs as the game started.
Matt Jung turned that energy into the 1-0 lead just 4:26 in. That held up until Cherry Creek’s Mark Saxelby went off for roughing and Valdez scored on the ensuing power play with 5:08 to go in the period.
“That was big to change the momentum in the game,” Valdez said. “That power-play goal really set the tone for the rest of the game.”
Lombardi then took a pass from Greg Dyba in front of the net, made one deke to his left and made it 2-1. Quickly, swiftly.
Three minutes later, Dyba streaked in from the right side, cut in front of the net and beat Cherry Creek goalie Aaron Jatana low to his right. It was 3-1. Just like that.
“We’re kind of a momentum team,” Schoepflin said. “If we get one, we like to stay hungry and get two, and then get three. Our big philosophy is just come wave after wave so it’s not just one line, it’s everybody.”
Neither team scored in the second period — despite six combined power play chances, including a 5-on-3 for each team — and it was Ralston which came out firing in the third.
(Tim Visser/TimVisserPhotography.com)
Austin Resseguie scored 3:05 into that period. Tyler Morpurgo added a power-play tally on a deflection in front of the net 2:46 later. It was 5-1 in a flash.
Garrett Schaff added Ralston Valley’s final goal of the night, and Matt Jung closed the scoring for Cherry Creek.
Cherry Creek won just two games last season, but made a surprising run to the semifinals this year. The Bruins are set to carry a lot of momentum into next season.
However, Friday night, Cherry Creek finished 0-for-5 on the power play, and was outshot 48-17.
“We’ve got the best penalty killers in the league,” Valdez said. “Just staying active on them and not giving them any time to move around.”
Ralston Valley has allowed just 38 shots in three playoff games, and is constantly in shooting lanes.
“A big thing with this group is sacrifice, so if that means you have an opportunity to block a shot, you gotta block a shot,” Schoepflin said. “It’s part of it. We talk about it a lot, we focus on it a lot, and I think everyone in that room has definitely bought into that.”
The Mustangs have now won their past 29 games in a row, and are 32-0-1 over their past 33. Add in the fact that Ralston Valley is the defending champion, and it’s clear who the team to beat is in this sport.
“I think we’ve had a target on our back for the last couple of years,” Schoepflin said. “We talk a lot about how we’re going to get every team’s best game.”
Saturday, in the state championship, they’ll get another team’s best shot.
“This was our goal from day one of the summer,” Schoepflin said. “This is their goal, this is where they wanted to be. I think we’ll be ready (Saturday).”
(Tim Visser/TimVisserPhotography.com)
(Tim Visser/TimVisserPhotography.com)