LOVELAND — The Cherry Creek ice hockey program may only be 3 years old, but it felt like it took just as long for the team to get through its state semifinal match against Dakota Ridge.
Bruins senior Chris Nitchen broke past the Eagles’ defense and scored on a breakaway goal 36 seconds into the sixth overtime — that’s right, sixth — on Thursday at the Budweiser Events Center. The win secured Cherry Creek a ticket into Saturday’s state championship game.
“I actually whiffed the first shot pretty bad and I thought I lost it,” Nitchen said. “The goalie totally committed to the shot and went down. I got the puck back and the top shelf was wide-open, so I just put her there.”
Bruins coach Jeff Mielnicki added: “He (Nitchen) mentioned if someone would set him free that he would let it (his speed) out.”
Cherry Creek got on the board first with an unassisted slap shot goal by defenseman James Shelton from the blue line 3:08 into the first period.
With 5:56 to go in the first, Zach Ross capitalized with a power-play goal from Zach Williams and Drew Scott to tie the game at 1-all. Three minutes later, Eagles leading scorer Graehm Konsella scored on a rebound on a Ross shot to give Dakota Ridge the one-goal advantage.
The second period was a different story. A five-minute major by Dakota Ridge’s Tony Carpenito late in the first period followed by a head-contact minor by Ross early in the second would give Cherry Creek a 5-on-3 advantage. While the Bruins were able to pick up a ton of shots in the period (outshooting Dakota Ridge 16-3), they were unable to capitalize on their chances.
It looked like Dakota Ridge was going to grind out a victory when Creek forward Max Tennant scored with 4:21 to go in the game.
Cherry Creek revived its ice hockey program in the 2012-13 season, winning just two games that year. Mielnicki led the Bruins to the state semifinals last season and now to the championship game, the school’s first since losing to Arapahoe in 1981.
“For Cherry Creek hockey, I think it’s another step in our comeback,” Mielnicki said. “Our program is moving forward and there’s just a lot of energy behind the scenes.”
This was a meeting between two of the worst teams in the state just two years ago when they combined for a total of seven wins in the 2012-13 season.
For Dakota Ridge, it marks the end to the program’s best year. It was a remarkable turnaround from the one-win season the Eagles had in coach Alec Hines’ first season in 2011-12.
“Our kids proved something tonight. That game was probably one of the best games I’ve been a part of,” Hines said. “We came up on the short end of the stick.”
The match was the longest state playoff game in records dating back to 2008.
“It was one for the ages,” Hines said.
Joe Nguyen: jnguyen@denverpost.com or
