Vail – Mum’s the word when it comes to the historical accomplishments of the Cheyenne Mountain hockey team.
What’s done is done.
The Indians added to their already impressive dossier Saturday, becoming the first visiting team to go into the Dobson Ice Arena and beat Battle Mountain. A 4-1 victory over the Huskies, who started their program in 2001-02, improved Cheyenne Mountain’s record this season to 10-0-1.
“I made some line changes after last night’s game, and everybody was just sort of feeling each other out, and I don’t know if everybody was happy about it,” said Cheyenne Mountain coach Mike Provenzano, whose team fought to a 4-4 tie Friday night in Aspen. “We just have to play more consistent, and you see when we turn it up, we are pretty strong.”
The strongest player on the ice thus far this season has been 5-foot-5, 120-pound forward Alex Lofthus. The junior added to his already impressive scoring total (12 goals, 12 assists) with a hat trick Saturday.
“It’s always fun beating a team that knocked you out the previous year,” said Lofthus, whose team was bounced 5-1 by the Huskies in the state semifinals last season.
After a scoreless first period, Lofthus opened the scoring just nine seconds into the second period on a designed play off the faceoff that had Battle Mountain goaltender Foster Fox turning his head.
“My center tries to run it back, and we go on a 2-on-1,” Lofthus said. “Luckily it worked that time.”
Up 2-0 in the third period after a goal by Rob Naughton, the Indians watched their lead shrink to 2-1 after Derek Byron ripped a slap shot past Nick Robertson on the power play.
Lofthus, who scored the equalizer Friday night against the Skiers, answered the offensive bell again. Two goals in the final 33 seconds of Saturday’s game, one coming via an empty net, made the game look more lopsided than it actually was.
“It’s tough to see a game like that, especially since we played them step-for-step for most of the game,” first-year Battle Mountain coach Gary Defina said. “We had a couple of breakdowns on the faceoffs, and that’s what really cost us.”
Battle Mountain dropped to 6-4.
Cheyenne Mountain 0 1 3 – 4
Battle Mountain 0 0 1 – 1
First period – None. Penalties – Spray, CM (high-sticking), 1:39; Chow, BM (hooking), 10:48.
Second period – CM: Lofthus (Rogers), :09. Penalties – J. Royce, CM (holding) 3:13; Somes, BM (roughing) 3:13.
Third period – CM: Naughton (Clinton), 5:00; BM: Byron (J. Stevens), 10:30 pp; CM: Lofthus (unassisted), 14:27; Lofthus (Rogers, C. Royce), 14:47. Penalties – S. Royce, CM (roughing) 1:18; Maddux, BM (roughing) 1:18; Spray, CM (interference) 9:58.
Shots on goal – Cheyenne Mountain 9-6-7 – 22, Battle Mountain 7-5-5 – 17. Saves – Cheyenne Mountain (Robertson) 7-5-4 – 16, Battle Mountain (Fox) 9-5-3 – 17. Power-play opportunities – Cheyenne Mountain 0-for-1, Battle Mountain 1-for-2.
Jon E. Yunt can be reached
at 303-820-5446 or jyunt@denverpost.com.
