LITTLETON — It had been 15 days since the Kent Denver Sun Devils last took the ice to play a hockey game that counted. And it showed early on.
But coach David Labbett’s team persevered Saturday at The Edge and stayed in the hunt for the Foothills League title with one week to go courtesy of a 1-0 victory over Chatfield and Beau Schoolcraft’s late third-period goal.
The Sun Devils are 7-0-1 in league play (9-3-2 overall) and have some work to do in the final week with games against Peak to Peak on Monday and Ralston Valley on Friday. Regis is 9-0-1 (the tie was against Kent) in the league with just one game remaining, Friday against Dakota Ridge.
Sun Devils goaltender Taylor Fant showed no rust from the layoff and was peppered with 10 shots in the first period.
“It was a slow comeback for us having not played a game in (15) days,” said Fant, who recorded his third shutout of the season. “But the performance today was great, and we pulled through.”
Chatfield (3-6-1, 6-10-2) started the third period on the power play and went all out against Fant, getting four quality shots on the senior. But Fant stood his ground.
“He played a phenomenal game,” said Chargers coach Bradd Markusch, whose team faces a must-win game Saturday in Breckenridge against Summit to make the 16-team playoff field. “We pelted him. We put everything we had on him, and we thought with our intensity we thought we’d have him.”
Fant, who had a big save on Michael Silva during the second period, made his second huge save of the game on Wes Johnson after a 1-on-1 opportunity shortly before Schoolcraft’s goal.
“We’re still coming together,” Fant said, “and all we can do is get better.”
With Chatfield defenseman Sami Stornelli in the box for four minutes, the Sun Devils finally solved Chargers goaltender Cory Johnson, who had stopped the first 18 shots he saw. Schoolcraft, who scored just one goal during his junior season, netted his 11th with a quick wrister over Johnson’s left shoulder.
“We were just a little rusty, and we definitely could have worked a little harder,” said Schoolcraft, the Class 4A state golf champ who earlier in the week signed to play at UCLA.
Chatfield 0 0 0 — 0
Kent Denver 0 0 1 — 1
First period — None. Penalties — Pride, KD (roughing), :51; Sadwith, KD (holding), 3:47; Schoolcraft, KD (cross-checking), 8:16; Silva, C (slashing), 13:54.
Second period — None. Penalties — Gutormsen, C (tripping), 4:34; Schoolcraft, KD (interference), 7:02; Bisbee, C (interference), 8:23; Stornelli, C (holding), 11:56; Guillod, KD (interference), 15:00.
Third period — KD: Schoolcraft (Vigil), 11:10 pp. Penalties — Hampe, KD (hooking), 4:21; Stornelli, C (unsportsmanlike conduct), 4:50; Vigil, KD (tripping), 6:20; Stornelli, C (interference and unsportsmanlike conduct), 8:06; W. Johnson, C (interference), 11:35; Hampe, KD (tripping), 14:07.
Shots on goal — Chatfield 10-3-15 — 28, Kent Denver 7-9-5 — 21. Saves — Chatfield (C. Johnson) 7-9-4 — 20, Kent Denver (Fant) 10-3-15 — 28. Power-play opportunities — Chatfield 0-for-8, Kent Denver 1-for-7.
Jon E. Yunt: 303-954-1354 or jyunt@denverpost.com
