DENVER – For the first time since 2019, the Regis Jesuit ice hockey team is state champion.
The top-seeded Raiders defeated No. 2 Valor Christian 3-1 on Tuesday night at Magness Arena at the University of Denver to win the Class 5A title and defeat defending state champion and archrival. He defeated them right in front of his eyes and won the championship. Noisy crowd.
“The support we got was just phenomenal,” said Reese Peterson of Regis Jesuit. “And for the team, we haven’t been back since 2019, so it feels great when we come back here to win.”
On a night where both goaltenders played well throughout, Tuesday night's first period ended in a scoreless stalemate. With 15:46 left in the second quarter, Peterson scored on an assist from Ian Beck to take the lead.
With Valor Christian, which entered the game having won two of the past three 5A hockey championships, chasing late in the fourth quarter, Parker Briner scored an unassisted open-net goal with 57 seconds left to give Regis Jesuit gave them a 2-point lead. Valor Christian's Brock Benson, assisted by Andrew Jenkins and Maddux Charles, scored with 19 seconds left in the game to cut the lead to one point.
But Regis Jesuit kept the Eagles at bay, and Beck scored an unassisted goal with one second left.
“Valor is a great team, so I don’t want to play any other team in the state championship,” Peterson said. “I'm very happy to win. Everything went to Valor and they gave us a great game. We just came out on top.”
Tuesday's victory was largely due to the great play of Regis Jesuit freshman goaltender Easton Sparks, who allowed just one goal on 24 shots.
“They trusted me all year long,” Sparks said. “Of course, I had to prove myself as a freshman. But they trust me and we made it clear. I have their backs. But they also have to have my back, and that's exactly what they did. It was an unreal feeling and it felt so good.
Valor Christian's Maddox Charles led the way in the 5A playoffs with seven points. Beck finished second with five, while Regis Jesuit's Vincent Cieslak and Valor Christian's Andrew Jenkins tied for third with four.
Regis Jesuit has won seven state championships, the second most in Colorado history. Valor Christian finished 3rd and 4th.
Valor Christian has played in every state title game since the statewide hockey world was split into two classifications in 2021.
Valor Christian and Regis Jesuit also met in the 2018 state championship, resulting in a 2-0 victory for Regis Jesuit.
