CENTENNIAL — Eight seasons, eight semifinal appearances. The Regis Jesuit ice hockey team last week made it eight for its last eight in Final Four appearances. This weekend, the Raiders will be looking to make it five finals appearances and four state championships during that time.
Suffice it to say, the Raiders have good reason to have high hopes.
“Our goals for this season were to win the state title … and take each game like it was the last game of the year,” Raiders coach Dan Woodley said. “So far, so good.”
After a 3-0 win over Resurrection Christian on Saturday, Regis Jesuit began preparations for its semifinal game against Monarch on Thursday night at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland. The winner will face the Dakota Ridge-Cherry Creek winner for the state crown Saturday.
Monarch has knocked Regis Jesuit out the last two seasons in the semifinals.
“Monarch was a very strong team in both those seasons,” Woodley said. “There’s no shame in losing when you give 100 percent effort.”
The Raiders (19-0-1) are the lone undefeated team in the state. They are averaging 6.3 goals a game (second in the state behind Monarch), and the 1.3 goals they allow ranks behind only two-time defending champion Ralston Valley, which was eliminated by Cherry Creek in the quarterfinals.
Between the pipes, junior goalie Sam Gartner has been solid all season. After spending the last two years playing behind three-time All-Colorado goalie Sam Harden, Gartner has emerged as a formidable last line of defense for the Raiders.
“I’ve been on this team all three years,” he said. “I’ve experienced playoffs on this team, but it was on the bench, so it’s different, it’s a lot more fun.”
He admits there’s added pressure in the playoffs, but it hasn’t seemed to show. Behind the stout Raiders’ defense, Gartner has recorded two shutouts and made 16 saves.
“I’ve played in big games before,” he said, “but this is the semis, and it’s for state.”
For defenseman Thomas Jahde, one of three seniors who was on the 2012 state championship team, this week is an opportunity to properly cap off his high school career and relive some old good memories while creating some new ones.
“We all set a goal of making that state championship game. But when you are in playoffs, it is one game at a time,” Jahde said. “But we always have that one major goal in the back of our head.”
Joe Nguyen: nguyen@denverpost.com or
Final four
At the Budweiser Events Center
Thursday’s semifinals
Cherry Creek vs. Dakota Ridge, 6 p.m.
Regis Jesuit vs. Monarch, 8 p.m.
Saturday’s championship, 2 p.m.
