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Summit High School hockey team dominates Rampart in home opener

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Cody Jones
  

Cody Jones/Summit Daily News
Summit senior Eli Powers infiltrates the offensive zone during the team's home game against Rampart High School on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. Summit defeated Rampart, 9-0
Cody Jones/Summit Daily News

There is no better feeling than opening the season with a win. 

After making it all the way to the state hockey final last season, the Summit High School hockey team returned to the ice on Saturday, Nov. 23, for its first game of the season against Rampart High School of Colorado Springs.

Eager to return to the Class 4A state hockey playoffs again this year, the Tigers started off firing from the opening faceoff. Within the first minute of the game, Summit put the puck in the offensive zone and set up a scoring opportunity. 

Senior defenseman Henry Waldorf then teed off on a slapshot in front of the net which rocketed into the back of the net for the first goal of Summit’s season.

After killing off a two-minute penalty, Summit returned to firing off shots on net. A crisp, cross pass led to a strong wrist shot from senior Graham Schuman which broke past the Rampart Rams’ goalie and into the twine at the back of the net.

A few seconds later, Summit scored its third goal in less than nine minutes, this one coming from the stick of junior forward Karston Kerr. Leading 3-0, the Summit defense continued to protect the net, preventing senior goalie Matthew Tater from even having to make a save.

At the tail end of the period, Kerr netted his second goal of the game to put Summit up 4-0 going into the first intermission. 

Summit kept its foot on the gas in the second period, coming out from the locker room and scoring a goal within the first 30 seconds of the fresh frame.

Although the Summit offense was firing on the cylinders, it was the team’s defense that truly put together a highlight-worthy game. Much like the first period, Tater saw minimal action and was only forced to make a save on the occasional shot.

Summit capped the second period by scoring a sixth goal while on the power play before a seventh goal was scored in the final three minutes of play. The seventh goal was scored by Kerr, completing the hat trick for the junior. 

With the clock continuously running in the final period, Summit scored several more goals before the scoreboard hit triple zeroes. The first goal was awarded to senior Merrick Matzen after he deflected a shot into the net and the second goal was scored by junior Adam Brownley.

Putting a total of 57 shots on goal, Summit defeated Rampart 9-0. Tater earned his first shutout win of the season, seeing only six shots all game. 

The Tigers will now enter Thanksgiving break, and the team will go nearly two weeks without playing a game. Following the holiday, Summit will host Glenwood Springs High School on Friday, Dec. 6, and Caprock Academy on Saturday, Dec. 7. Both games will begin at 5 p.m.

Glenwood Springs and Caprock Academy will be Summit’s first 4A Mountain league games of the winter season. Historically known to produce some of the best hockey teams in the state, the Mountain league is highly competitive and challenging.

Last winter, the 4A state final consisted of two, Mountain league teams in Summit and Durango. Six Mountain league teams made the 2024 10-team playoff bracket with all of the competing teams making it past the first round.

Caprock Academy is currently 0-3 after falling to Cheyenne Mountain, 7-2 on Saturday, Nov. 23. Glenwood will play its first game of the season against Summit.

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