There is nothing quite like playoff hockey. 

While the high school hockey playoffs are still several months away, Summit’s game against Glenwood Springs High School on Friday, Dec. 6, in Breckenridge gave hockey enthusiasts a little taste of what to expect come February.

The two 4A Mountain league teams were quick to display why both teams are highly regarded as contenders in this winter’s state playoffs. From the opening face-off, Summit — last winter’s state runner-up — charged down the ice and started to put pressure on the Glenwood Springs’ defense.

Summit managed to place a puck on the pads of Glenwood Springs freshman goalie Issac Zevin in the first few minutes of the game before the puck was cleared to the other side of the ice. The Tigers soon reclaimed possession of the puck, setting up its offense and slinging a pass to junior Oliver Dixon in front of the net.

Dixon sent a fiery shot towards Zevin which sailed into the top left corner of the net for the first goal of the game. Summit stayed aggressive following the goal, skating into the offensive zone and forcing the Glenwood Springs Demons to make a defensive play.

Glenwood Springs then saw several opportunities to score while on a two-minute power play. The Demons sent several shots towards junior goalie Benjamin Burkhart, but the Tigers successfully defended the net until the penalty expired.  

Not long after the penalty expired, the Demons went on a five-on-three power play. The two-man advantage was too much for Summit to handle, leading to Glenwood Springs tying the game with around six minutes remaining in the first period.

Back at full strength, Summit lurked for a goal in the waning moments of the first frame. After Summit pinned the puck in the offensive zone, junior Kyle Reidy swept a loose puck into the back of the net for the go-ahead goal.

Leading 2-1 to start the second period, Summit returned to the ice and attempted to expand upon its lead. Over the first few minutes of the fresh frame, the two league rivals exchanged possessions up and down the ice. 

After battling back and forth, Summit got a chance to score while on a power play, but Glenwood Springs did a good job of killing off the penalty. The two teams played five-on-five hockey for a couple minutes before Glenwood Springs went back on the penalty kill.

This time around, Summit’s power-play unit looked more cohesive, swiftly skating down the ice and setting up a scoring chance. With a clear path to the net, senior Wyatt Boeckers fired a shot which flew into the back of the goal.

Summit enjoyed a two-goal lead for about a minute before sophomore Finley Carter found a way through the Tigers’ defense and put a shot past Burkhart.

For the reminder of the period, Summit looked out of position and a step behind Glenwood Springs. As a result, the Demons scored its second goal of the period, tying the game at 3-3 heading into the final frame. 

Tension between the two league teams reached its peak in the final period. Wanting to record a huge league win, both teams wheeled around the ice, looking to secure the puck and set up a scoring opportunity.

Summit was the first team to record a few shots on the net, slinging pucks in the direction of Zevin which were promptly saved before finding twine. Despite not finding the back of the net, Summit continued to buzz around the goal and put pressure on the Glenwood Springs’ defense.

After fighting off the advances from Summit, Glenwood Springs flipped the ice and set up its power play unit in the offensive zone. With a man advantage, the Demons found a way to put a goal past Burkhart, claiming a one-goal lead with 12 minutes remaining in regulation.

In need of a goal, Summit rapidly skated around the offensive zone, putting shots on net and causing confusion among the Glenwood Springs’ defense. After several minutes of Glenwood Springs defending its own net, Summit senior Merrick Matzen found a hole, tying the game at 4-4. 

With the momentum shifting back to Summit’s side of the ice, the Tigers continued to sprint after loose pucks in hopes of scoring a game-winning goal. Both teams emptied the tank and fired off shots, but the puck was kept wide of the net.

After 51 minutes of play, the game advanced to overtime with the score tied at 4-4.

Already an instant classic of a game, both teams came out firing in the overtime period. Glenwood Springs peppered Burkhart with shots early while Summit had its chance with a breakaway on the other side of the ice.

With four seconds remaining in overtime, Glenwood Springs got the goal it had been desperately looking for, chipping a shot into the back of the net to hand Summit its first loss of the season.

“We have an illness going through the team right now, so we have four or five guys that are about 50%,” head coach Chris Miller said. “… It wasn’t an effort issue, it was things that you couldn’t control and you are going to have that during games and throughout the season. … It was a game of bounces and we should be winning games like that and not letting bounces determine the outcome.”

With the 5-4 loss, Summit falls to 1-1 overall on the season and 0-1 in league play.

“We took this as a teaching moment,” Miller said. “We had a lot of adversity last year and the kids understand that it is going to come. You are not going to win every game. There was no finger pointing in the locker room. It was more, it is what it is, and let’s identify the problems and fix them. I am really proud of how they responded after the game.”

Summit hosted another home game on Saturday, Dec. 7, against 4A Mountain league opponent — Caprock Academy. Summit secured its second win of the season, defeating Caprock Academy 9-1.

Summit will close out the first month of the season by playing three games on the road. The Tigers’ first away game of the season will take place against Battle Mountain High School on Friday, Dec. 13.