The Summit High School boys hockey team wants nothing more than to hoist the state championship trophy at the end of the season.

Two winters ago, the Tigers came dangerously close to achieving that dream, making an improbable run through the Class 4A state hockey playoff bracket to compete in the state final. 

With Chris Miller serving as the head coach of the team, Summit took on No. 4 Durango in the state final at the University of Denver. As the last team to make it into the playoffs, Summit held its own against its formidable 4A Mountain league opponent, but came up a few goals short, losing 4-2.

Knowing what it takes to win now, Summit returned to the ice last winter hungrier than ever. The team was a force to be reckoned with, no longer underdogs, but a team with a target on its back. After earning a record of 13-5 throughout the regular season, Summit secured the No. 4 seed in the playoffs. 

Summit won its home playoff game against Cheyenne Mountain in the quarterfinals before facing Glenwood Springs in the semifinal round. On the verge of something big, Summit played its heart out against Glenwood Springs. The game was ultimately settled in overtime when Glenwood Springs was able to net a golden goal, sending Summit home without a state championship banner. 

After two seasons that ended with the program reaching the doorstep of a state championship, head coach Ben Stuckey has taken over the reins of the program. In fitting fashion, Summit opened up the season on Friday, Nov. 21, by hosting last year’s state runner-up, Glenwood Springs, at Stephen C. West Ice Arena in Breckenridge.

Wanting to prove that the team once again has its eyes firmly set on a state championship, Summit charged onto the ice and tried to net an early goal. Within the first minute of the game, Summit pinned the puck in its offensive zone and began slinging shots on net.  

The early pressure from Summit was soon met by a strong offensive push from the Glenwood Springs Demons. Several Glenwood Springs forwards sent shots towards senior Leo Sterk in goal for Summit, but the net miner remained stoic in his first varsity start and kept the puck from finding the back of the net.

Glenwood Springs got close to scoring on a power play, but the Summit defense continued to clamp down and keep its opponent at bay.

At the midway point of the first period, Summit and Glenwood Springs continued to exchange blows. The pressure eventually proved to be too much for the Summit defense to handle, leading to Glenwood Springs slipping a shot past Sterk.

A few moments after the goal, Summit found itself back on the penalty kill for a 2-minute minor. Not wanting to go down by two goals in the first frame, junior Asher Stein and junior Alex Stuckey banded together to keep the puck away from the front of the net as much as possible.

Despite having more shots on goal than Glenwood Springs (15-12), Summit went into the first intermission trailing 1-0.

Knowing where the team fell short in the first period, Summit returned to the ice poised to even the score at one goal apiece.The Tigers’ pursuit for a goal was momentarily stalled by a 5-minute major penalty. Down a man, Summit was forced to focus its energy on clearing the puck from its defensive zone instead of chasing after a goal.

Summit killed around three minutes of the penalty before a broken stick forced a Summit player to skate off the ice. The brief time it took to retrieve a new stick allowed for a five-on-three situation to develop and a puck to be sent past Sterk for Glenwood Springs’ second goal.

Still on the penalty kill, Benjamin Tater cruised down the ice and fired a shot towards the net. The scoring opportunity rocketed into the back of the net, cutting Summit’s deficit back to a goal. 

The goal filled Summit with energy and momentum. With the home crowd behind the team, Summit continued to put pressure on the Glenwood Springs’ defense and sophomore goalie Issac Zevin.

Summit buzzed in its offensive zone for several minutes before a Summit forward put a powerful shot on net. The shot bounced off the pads of Zevin, allowing sophomore Jayden Wiono to sweep the loose puck into the back of the goal.

As the second period came to a close, both teams dialed up the intensity. Summit specifically started to deliver crushing hits that frustrated and disrupted the Glenwood Springs offense.

After being held scoreless in the first frame, Summit netted its third goal of the period. It was Tater who was rewarded with the go-ahead goal, celebrating with his teammates and making the student section bang on the glass. 

Summit went into the final intermission with a 3-2 lead.

On the precipice of a huge win to begin the season, Summit skated onto the ice and tried to extend its lead to two goals. Summit applied a bit of pressure on Zevin during its first power play of the game, but fresh legs out of the locker room weren’t enough to help the team settle into a rhythm.

The two teams squared off at equal strength for maybe 30 seconds before Summit received a two-minute minor for tripping. Glenwood Springs searched for a game-tying goal, but Summit once again flexed the strength of its penalty kill unit, expiring the penalty and getting back to full strength.

With the final period more than halfway over, Glenwood Springs went on the prowl for a goal. The Demons sent several shots towards the net, but Sterk played spectacularly, making both glove and pad saves. 

The strong defensive stand led to Summit getting the jump it needed to close out the game. With close to three minutes remaining in regulation, junior Bridger Benson took possession of the puck and stared down Zevin for a one-on-one scenario.

Benson sent a wrist shot past Zevin to give Summit a 4-2 lead. Glenwood Springs would go on to score a third goal, but it was not enough to win the game. Summit got the better of its 4A Mountain league foe with a 4-3 win in its season-opener.

“It feels good,” head coach Ben Stuckey said. “We definitely had some kids who bought in. We had some young kids that showed up and did a really good job out there. It always means a lot to beat Glenwood.They have stopped our season more than a few times.”

Stuckey said he could not be more thrilled to be the head coach of the Summit hockey team. With more than two decades of Summit Youth Hockey coaching experience, Stuckey has the expertise to continue leading the high school program deep into the state playoffs.

“It is like most things in this community, it is so good,” Stuckey said of being named head coach. “To have a kid on the team is amazing. I have known most of these kids since they were five and six years old, so it feels great. The coaching staff we have here is amazing. It is a great group. I got to step into a really easy spot.”

Much like Miller and the coaches before him, Stuckey will place a heavy emphasis on academics that will hopefully continue to translate to success on the ice. 

“We definitely put the priority on academics,” Stuckey said. “The last thing we need is to lose a player that we desperately need because they couldn’t get it together in school. So that started in preseason. Harping on these kids to make sure attendance is there, that they are getting their homework done.They have done a good job so far. I have faith that we will be good there.”

Summit played again on Saturday night, Nov. 22, falling 4-0 to Battle Mountain in Vail. Summit’s next home game will be against Crested Butte on Jan. 2