Valor Christian junior forward Evan Pahos did not expect to score when the puck left his stick.
His unintentional heroics Thursday night against Regis Jesuit in the CHSAA state hockey semifinals at Pepsi Center, though, was the difference in sending the Eagles soaring into next week’s championship game against the winner of Fort Collins and Chaparral.
Top-seeded Valor defeated No. 5 Regis, 2-1, after Pahos dumped the puck into the offensive zone late in the third period, and watched the rubber pinball from the boards behind Raiders goalie Gage Bussey, to the blade of his left skate, and then into the net.
A lucky goal? Maybe. But that sure didn’t erase the smile from Pahos’ face while standing outside the winning locker room.
“The boards are really lively here,” Pahos said. “We all freaked out.”
Valor (19-2-1) last reached the title game in 2018 with a runner-up finish against Regis. The Eagles, led by former DU coach George Gwozdecky, faced the Raiders seven times this season with each game decided by one goal or tied. Regis completed its season at 13-7-2.
Valor took an early lead Thursday when it capitalized on a first-period power-play chance 11 minutes into the game, as defenseman Ryan Kayser handled the puck in the offensive zone and sniped it unassisted past the lower pads of Bussey. The Raiders evened things late in the second period with their own power-play goal when forward Will Laws flipped the puck over the left shoulder of Valor senior goalie Trey Hirschfield.
The third period began tied at 1-1, and the stage was set for Hirschfield to prove why he’s among the state’s top netminders. Hirschfield entered the semifinals with a .935 save percentage and was phenomenal in closing the game with several acrobatic saves.
“I was going to do everything I can along with my team, all be together to win this game, and that’s what ended up happening,” Hirschfield said. “We lost (state) two years ago. We’re winning it this year.”
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Cale Woodley, son of Regis Jesuit hockey coach Dan Woodley, dies in accidental shooting
Prior to the singing of the National Anthem, the public address announcer at Pepsi Center asked for a moment of silence and provided a short audio tribute for Cale Woodley, the son of Regis coach Dan Woodley, who died on Feb. 25 in Florida after an accidental shooting.
Cale Woodley, 21, played three seasons for the Raiders ice hockey team, winning a state championship in 2016 as a senior. Dan Woodley was on the Regis bench Thursday coaching his team.
A memorial mass for Cale is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Blessed Rupert Mayer Chapel at Regis Jesuit. A reception will immediately follow in the girls division cafeteria. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Cale’s memory to Regis Jesuit, with contributions used to provide financial aid to students, the school announced.
“For Dan to be able to coach his team after what has happened to his family, you have to give him all the credit in the world,” Gwozdecky said. “What he’s done at Regis and what he’s done for the state of high school hockey in Colorado has been phenomenal. He’s shown great leadership with the teams he’s built. … He and his staff have been very supportive of Valor in helping build our program, with little things like allowing us to get certain ice times that they weren’t using. Those things, to me, mean an awful lot.”
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