In 2001, the Littleton Hockey Association peewees (12-under) produced Colorado’s first Double-A, Tier II national championship. Ten years later, the Hawks produced another extraordinary Front Range feat, this time at Tier II’s two highest levels.
LHA’s midget-major (18-under) and midget-minor (16-under) teams each won Colorado Amateur Hockey Association state championships last month — successfully defending their 2010 titles. They advanced to the upcoming national championships in East Lansing, Mich. (midget-major) and Green Bay, Wis. (midget-minor).
LHA has been a longtime power in Tier II hockey and is a primary feeder program to the Tier I Colorado Thunderbirds (Triple-A), but the Hawks’ combined four state titles within 12 months were their first at the midget level. (Midgets used to be just 18-under — B, A and AA.)
For its two-team, back-to-back championships, LHA has been named The Denver Post Youth Excellence in Sports winner for December.
“We are very proud of the young men on our midget-major AA and minor-AA teams,” LHA director Brian TenEyck said. “Going to USA Hockey’s national championship is an experience of a lifetime, and one that a majority of youth hockey players don’t get to experience. These young men will do a fantastic job representing LHA and Colorado at the national level.”
The midget-minor Hawks defeated the Colorado Rampage in consecutive games to win the state title. The Rampage was unbeaten in the double-elimination state tournament, and the Hawks lost once.
But LHA won 3-2 in double overtime, and then 2-1 on Tyler Seltenreich’s goal with 28 seconds remaining in regulation. Seltenreich is the son of head coach Daryl Seltenreich, a former University of Denver standout who briefly played for the Denver Rangers of the International Hockey League. LHA’s midget-majors had to beat the Foothills Flyers in consecutive games to win Colorado Tier II’s highest level. Pierce Maty, a junior at Arapahoe High School, scored the winning goal in Game 2 with 1:30 remaining in regulation, giving the Hawks a 4-3 win.
“It was a pretty big win. We lost our first game against Arapahoe in overtime, so we had to win our next four games, had to win out, and to beat Foothills twice for the championship was pretty cool,” Maty said. “Pretty cool to win it two straight years, and pretty cool for the minors to do it too.”
Goalie Ryan Seltenreich, Daryl’s oldest son, got the win. LHA’s head coach is Chris Sajbel.
The rosters
LHA midget-minor AA
1 Andrew Nash
2 Michael Ellis
3 Garett Foster
4 Taylor McClure
5 Jack Goodreau
6 Curtis Gile
7 Alec Orme
8 Taylor Kim
9 Cody Oakes
10 Vance Siebert
11 Tyler Seltenreich
12 Kyle Kaufman
14 Brantt Heble
15 Tyler Patterson
16 Connor Crory
17 Kameron Fehr
18 Chase Kalter
20 Matthew Adams
35 Michael Tantillo
Coach Daryl Seltenreich
LHA midget-major AA
1 Ryan Seltenreich
2 Joey Frydenlund
3 Trey Johnson
4 Kyle Ruchas
5 James “JJ” Richardson
6 Bryce Berthold
7 Tanner Smith
8 Josh Hart
9 Hunter Smith
10 Noah Carter
11 Camden Hardison
12 Jimmy Morgan
14 Cody Kotelko
15 Brian Schoelzel
16 Elijah Rodriguez
17 Pierce Maty
18 Spencer Kutshe
21 Mitchell Frydenlund
22 Connor Dix
35 Sam Harden
Coach Chris Sajbel
Know a top athlete?Youth Excellence in Sports honors those 17 or younger who have excelled in any athletic endeavor unaffiliated with the Colorado High School Activities Association. To submit your choice for the top individual or team achievement that occurred during January, visit for an online form or fax a brief description of the achievement to 303-866-9004 (Attention: “Youth Excellence”).
