COLORADO SPRINGS — To say the Regis and Lewis-Palmer hockey teams bring out the best in each other would be a huge understatement.
By far the state’s best rivalry in the last two seasons was on the grandest stage Saturday in the state title game at World Arena.
The Regis Raiders skated away with their second consecutive title — a 7-2 pasting of a squad that had skated to one-goal games with them in each of the last two meetings.
“It was absolutely intense before the game,” said Regis senior captain Connor Hayes, whose team has dropped just one game — to Lewis-Palmer in January of last year — in its last 36.
“Lewis-Palmer always brings it, but we were in the locker room saying, ‘Boys, let’s go get another one!’ ”
The Raiders (22-0-1) become the first team to repeat as champion since Cheyenne Mountain in 1996-97 and the first team to finish a season unbeaten.
“We had a really good team here and a bunch of good guys,” Regis coach Dan Woodley said. “Going unbeaten is just the icing on the cake.”
One night after Lewis-Palmer goalie Brent Schwarz was spectacular in beating Ralston Valley in the semifinals, Woodley knew the more shots Schwarz saw, the better rhythm he would get into.
The Raiders held back, cycled the puck and waited until the right moment to fire at Schwarz, and the strategy paid off in the second period.
The Raiders’ line of Justin Johnston, Hayes and Zeke Yslas teamed for the first of their five goals six minutes into the period to give Regis the lead for good.
“They are a great defensive team, and we really thought that this was going to be a 2-1 game,” said Johnston, who scored four goals. “We didn’t want to pepper him; we did that last time and we only got two goals. This time we wanted to wait for our quality shots, and on three of our goals we outwaited the goalie.”
Brothers Nick and Gregg Davis teamed up for Regis’ first and third goals. But the Johnston-Hayes-Yslas line, named the championship game co-MVPs, was just too much for Lewis-Palmer to handle.
“We did a good job of protecting our house and keeping them on the perimeter, but they have the patience that other teams don’t,” said Lewis-Palmer coach Steve Fillo, whose team finished 19-4. “We just don’t have the legs and we aren’t as deep as they are. I can’t play three lines with his three lines.”
Said Johnston: “Just going into it, you’re happy if your team wins. If you can do something to help that out, it just makes it that much sweeter.”
The rivalry reached its boiling point in the waning moments, when things got a little chippy and a total of five players — two from Lewis-Palmer and three from Regis — were ejected with fighting majors.
Lewis-Palmer 1 0 1 — 2
Regis 1 3 3 — 7
First period — R: G. Davis (N. Davis), 7:49; LP: Bryant (Lachner, Bever) 9:17 pp. Penalties — Lloyd, R (tripping), 8:15; Escobedo, LP (holding).
Second period — R: Johnston (Hayes), 6:03; R: N. Davis (G. Davis), 8:53; R: Johnston (Scales) 1:22 pp. Penalties — Yslas, R (Cross-checking), :33; Schwarz, LP (interference), 2:08; Yslas, R (boarding), 3:24; Cogburn, LP (hooking), 6:54; Johnston, R (cross-checking), 7:56; Bever, LP (unsportsmanlike conduct), 8:53; Lachner, LP (cross-checking), 12:15; Scales, R (interference), 12:35.
Third period — R: Johnston (Hayes, Yslas), 3:56 pp; R: Johnston (Hayes, Yslas), 8:44; LP: Lachner (Cogburn), 8:58; R: Hayes (Yslas), 13:42. Penalties — Lachner, LP (hooking), :33; Lachner, LP (interference); Lloyd, R (interference), 4:49; Hayes, R (hooking), 6:16; Mohe, R (fighting major), 14:55; Lachner, LP (fighting major), 14:55; Bever, LP (fighting major), 14:55; Rawley, R (fighting major), 14:55; Branson, R (fighting major), 14:55.
Shots on goal — Lewis-Palmer 5-3-7 — 15; Regis 9-5-12 — 26. Saves — Lewis-Palmer (Schwarz) 8-2-9 — 19; Regis (Schubert, 38 min.) 4-3-5 — 12, (Cunningham, 7 mins.) 0-0-3 — 3. Power-play opportunities — Lewis-Palmer 1-for-7; Regis 2-for-6.
Jon E. Yunt: 303-954-1354 of jyunt@denverpost.com
