Cherry Creek won a big showdown with Regis Jesuit in overtime on Thursday. More photos. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
CENTENNIAL — Cherry Creek junior Asher Nolting led his team with four goals. But it was the one in overtime that mattered the most.
That goal gave the CHSAANow.com No. 1-ranked Bruins a thrilling 6-5 win over No. 3 Regis Jesuit Thursday night.
“I knew he was out of the net, so I knew I needed to get there as quick as possible to get an easy wide open shot,” Nolting said. “That was probably the fastest I had run all night. I just dove and tried to score.”
With a little less than three minutes remaining in sudden death, the Bruins (5-1 overall) were in possession of the ball, but an errant pass behind the net led to an interception by the Raiders (6-2) and they looked to break.
The ball was subsequently swung back to the Raider goalie behind the net but as he received it, he was swarmed by Nolting who was lurking in the area, leading to a steal and a diving goal to seal the win.
Coming into the game, the matchup provided anticipation for a great offensive showdown, as both teams average 10 plus goals per game. However, defense was the story Thursday as neither team could find or keep a consistent rhythm offensively.
The Bruins started the game hot rattling off three goals in seven minutes as Nolting was able to explode for a hat-trick and looked unstoppable. Regis responded around the five-and-a-half-minute mark, thanks to a great one-on-one effort by senior Mikey Bealer.
More photos. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
Things would get interesting for the Bruins come the second period when the momentum Creek had built off of the first three goals dissipated, as Regis clamped down defensively.
“We lost a sense of urgency there on offense and it cost us,” Cherry Creek coach Bryan Perry said. “We’ve got to maintain the fact we have to be smart with the ball and play hard at the same time, but that’s a heck of a defense though, give them a lot of credit.”
To make matters worse for Cherry Creek, the Raider were able to come away with the second quarter’s only goal, allowing them to cut into the deficit as they were down 3-2 heading to halftime.
With the offense bogging down for the Bruins, the only way they would be able to retain the lead and hold on for a crucial win was if they matched the intensity and execution of Regis defensively.
Junior goalie McGuire Mynatt was up for the challenge.
“I had to stay focused and that’s one of the things my team needed from me,” Mynatt said. “But I have to give it up to my defense, without them stopping that inside crease, this might have been a loss.”
The focus must have been intense, because there were multiple occasions in the game in which the Raiders dominated the ball for a good portion of time, allowing them to get off two to three quality shots on each possession. Yet, Mynatt wasn’t fazed as he stonewalled shot after shot.
“He was really seeing the ball well and getting the stick on the ball, making great saves,” Perry said. “I was real proud of him; he did a great job.”
With its defense keeping them alive, Creek was finally able to breakthrough and hit on a scoring spurt late in the game. But Regis wouldn’t go away quietly.
With a 1:25 remaining in the game, senior Joey Chott went the length of the field to score the equalizer that would send it to sudden death, but turnovers in the overtime period sealed their fate.
A tough overtime win against a highly ranked team is exactly what Perry wants his team to experience with the postseason just over the horizon.
“It’s everything,” Perry said. “This is a big game in-state, obviously it’s a big rivalry, but we have a lot of respect for that team. You know you have to play really well to beat them, but we’re going to go back to work and be better on Monday.”