If the teams of the Sun Valley Youth Hockey program have been knocking on the door of success in recent years, they blew it off its hinges during the state tilt last weekend. As an organization, SVYH saw three of its four teams in attendance play for state championships and one, the PeeWee Suns, win. While a Sun Valley team in the final is not an anomaly--the Midgets have won the state championship four times in the last seven years--to have that many teams contend on the same Sunday is as rare as a natural hat trick.
The Boise Steelheads were the only other organization to match that statistic, with three of Steelies' squads playing for A Division titles and two winning. Salmon put three sextets in B Division finals, but one bracket, the Bantam B, had only two teams.
Bill Mason, a longtime member and former president of the SVYH board, attended the state tournament and shared his thoughts afterward.
"I thought it was fabulous to have that many teams there," Mason said. "We've got a good group of coaching and the participation from the kids has been great. They consistently get in there and fight it out."
The Idaho Amateur Hockey Association staged the 2008 State Hockey Tournament at Ice World in Boise, Feb. 21-24. Twenty-six teams from Sun Valley, Idaho Falls, Salmon, Coeur d'Alene, Boise, McCall and Moscow vied for supremacy in seven divisions: PeeWee A/B, Bantam A/B, Midget A/B and Girls U-19.
The PeeWee Suns (2-1) shut out Boise to win the title 2-0. The Sun Valley Girls U-19 (3-2) squad fell to Coeur d'Alene 3-0, and Midgets (1-2-1) were shut out by Boise 5-0. The Sun Valley Bantams went 0-2-2, skating to ties against McCall and Idaho Falls.
"I think to have three teams in the finals is a great indication of the overall strength of our program," board member and coach Dave Hennessy said.
PeeWees (2-1)
What a difference a year makes! Finishing 0-2-1 in last year's state tilt, the PeeWee Suns put it all together for one sweet weekend at state for players, coaches and parents alike, though the ultimate reward was not obvious at the outset.
The Boise Steelheads picked up on Friday where they left off the previous weekend--handling the Suns with the greatest of ease in an 8-2 victory (both goals by Cameron Benson). In three consecutive wins in seven days, coach Mike Hanson's boys outshot the Suns by a margin of 75-17 and outscored them 19-3.
Undeterred, the Suns hung out at the rink and cheered on their fellow teams before suiting up for Idaho Falls the next night.
Much the same as their record against the Steelheads, Sun Valley was 0-3-1 against the Eagles, and needed to win to advance to the finals in the three-team bracket after Boise and Idaho Falls played to a 2-2 tie.
"We just went back to simple hockey that works when you do it right," coach Mike Punnett said. "That and understanding what they had to do as a team."
Which from the stands looked similar to the New York Giants' game plan for the Super Bowl against New England—knock your opponent upside the head and never give an inch.
Call it smashmouth hockey, but it worked to a T-K-O, and Idaho Falls was left reeling and out of games after a decisive 6-2 loss to the Suns.
"We were physical and they don't like it when you take the body," Punnett said. "We skated hard and we were smart about it."
The Suns first two goals by Parker Weekes and Riley Sibbach were carbon copies of one another, with each wing setting up in front of the net, and their respective centers, Liam Jablonski and Johnny Paris, hustling the puck around the back of the net and feeding them in the slot. The first goal was made possible by the gritty forechecking of wing Gage Jorgsensen, who harassed the opposing player until he coughed up the puck.
The Eagles answered with back-to-back goals in less than two minutes to end the first period tied 2-all.
But the Suns kept crashing the crease, scoring three goals in a stellar second period. Defender Ellie Punnett's shot caught Cameron Jenner's tape and he flipped the backhander in the net for the go-ahead goal at the 8:17 mark. AJ Rierden tipped in Benson's shovel pass, and Weekes redirected Jablonski's rebound for a commanding 5-2 lead. Weekes topped out the score 6-2 when he beat two defenders and went five-hole on the goaltender.
The Suns outshot Idaho Falls 17-12, and goalie Willis Sanchez-Dupont played with an ease and confidence that was not there the day before, calmly protecting the puck in all sorts of situations.
While it was readily apparent that the Suns had upped the quality of its play by quantum leaps, the parents were still superstitious enough to sit in exactly the same seats for the championship game against Boise. Not only that, but more than a couple dads had the same clothes on as the day before, and not just because they had packed lightly.
While AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long," and Guns N' Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle" thundered through the rink as the teams warmed up, the Sun Valley players were likely hearing what coach Tony Benson had told them minutes before in the locker room.
"He said we had one chance, really, to do everything and to make the most of it," wing Calder Zarkos said. "That's what I was thinking about."
"Yep, one chance," defender Chase Hutchinson echoed. "That's what stuck out."
"Tony told the kids they had one chance," Punnett said. "One chance to score. One chance to check. One chance to win the game. For the second-year players, it was their one chance to win state, and for the first-year players, this chance might not come again. It was a great speech."
In his pre-game words, Punnett reflected on the win the day before, but noted it really meant nothing in the face of the championship game.
"I told them that last night's game meant everything in the sense that they had learned what they had to do to win. But now, it meant nothing, because it was over, and they only had this game in front of them."
Waffles and Zen made for a great pre-game meal, and the Suns flew around on every shift like they were riding broomsticks instead of wielding hockey sticks. No 50-50 puck went uncontested and no one made it into the Suns' defensive zone unchallenged.
"If the first guy missed, and the second guy missed, then the third guy got 'em," Benson said.
The Suns opened scoring at the 6:27 mark in the first. Center Mason Noyes picked up a pass from Cam Benson and skated it up on the right, lacing his wrister upper left corner for a 1-0 lead.
Boise outshot Sun Valley 7-4 in the first period, but Sanchez-Dupont (14 saves) again looked comfortable in the crease, making several stellar saves.
Unlike the previous contests, the Suns seemed to have an edge in momentum and outshot Boise in the ensuing periods, 10-7. Sibbach (Paris) scored the insurance goal with 3:49 remaining on a goalmouth scramble.
While the Suns celebrated their improbable victory, the Boise players looked on quietly. There were a few tears, but no bad sports.
"We definitely overlooked them," Boise coach Mike Hanson remarked. "Our kids thought they already had those medals around their necks.
"Anybody can beat anybody on any given night, and the Suns did what they had to do to win the game to a T. They were the best team that day and they played hard. All kudos to them."
For his outstanding play, Sibbach earned the "Wee Vest." Also recognized were Weekes for "Heart," Sanchez-Dupont "Hands," Jablonski "Feet" and Paris "Head."
Girls U-19 (3-2)
The Sun Valley Girls have climbed the ladder of success rung by rung in recent years, and are just beginning to see the rewards for all their hard work.
Sixth-year coach Dave Hennessy remarked on how the coaching staff has cultivated a very young team.
"At first it was just getting them to understand and master the fundamentals. We started with position, and then we moved on to playmaking and strategy."
O-2-1 in last year's tilt, 2007-08 has been completely different for the Suns. With several wins under their belt, including a combined 6-0 record at Salmon, it's safe to say they now expect to win when they step on the ice, which was not the case in years past.
Behind an MVP performance by goalie Emma Wilander, the Suns blanked Boise in the opening game, 2-0. Devan Ellison-Annan and Mattie Griswold teamed up on the opening goal. Ashley Hesteness and Katie Pruett ran the power play to perfection, notching the insurance score late in the third.
Salmon proved to be no obstacle to the Suns, and much of the game was spent on Salmon's side of the ice, perfecting shots in an 11-0 whitewashing.
MVP Ellie Swanson scored twice, as did Griswold (2 assists) and Pruett (1 assist). Singles were slotted by Nellie Brown (1 assist), Tanner Dredge (2 assists), Tate Reed-McDorman, Ellison-Annan (1 assist) and Hesteness (1 assist). Daniela Stokes and Aimee Evans stroked two assists each. Kelly Hennessy and Frannie Sensenbrenner also made it into the points column with an assist.
Sun Valley got its first look at Coeur d'Alene on Saturday afternoon, as well as at star player Melissa Hansen and her wicked shooting abilities.
"Her slap shot is as good as mine," said Hennessy, no slouch on the ice himself.
The Thunder recorded a 3-0 victory, which put Sun Valley in a must-win situation against defending champion Idaho Falls on Sunday morning.
Hennessy said that in the six years he has been with the Suns, they have never beaten Idaho Falls, so you could say the Suns' 2-1 win was long overdue.
Idaho Falls struck first, but Hennessy said his girls never wavered, even when trailing.
"That was a game where our team played the whole game. There was not a lull."
While the Suns held a 29-13 shot advantage in the game, it was not until Tanner Dredge converted a penalty shot that they cracked the scoreboard, making it 1-1 in the second. Dylan Peterson threaded her shot through traffic for the go-ahead score and what turned out to be the game-clinching score. Coincidentally, Dredge and Peterson had been co-MVP of the previous game, but this time the award went to the whole team for an outstanding combined effort.
"They came in and felt like they could walk all over us, but we wanted it more," Hennessy said.
The Suns got another shot at Coeur d'Alene in the championship, but the Thunder concluded a dominating weekend in which they outscored opponents 23-3 (tying the second highest tally in the whole tournament) with a 3-0 win. Brown was given the game puck for outstanding play, and Peterson earned the tournament jersey for consistently stellar play.
"We expected to beat Boise and Salmon, but not Idaho Falls or Coeur d'Alene," Hennessy said. "While it was disappointing to lose the final, the girls were excited by how well they did overall."
The Suns will attend the Regional Tournament in Boise, March 28-30.
Midgets (1-2-1)
That two-time defending state champion Sun Valley made it back to the finals with a very young team is a testament to the players as well as to coaches Andrew Hebert and John Stevens.
Because the opening game against Boise was during school on Friday morning, the Suns were without six players, including goalie Colby Stoecklein, in what turned out to be a 6-0 loss.
But the gang was all there for the Friday night matchup against Idaho Falls. With the Suns trailing 1-0 in the first, slick-skating Morgan Pike got the dish from Jackson Bates and David Dredge to tie the score.
Pike's second goal (Bates) was so hard it hit the crossbar and shot straight down behind the goalie. Less than two minutes later, Idaho Falls tied it 2-2 and went up 3-2 in the third.
Stoecklein was superb between the pipes, stopping one barrage by going high and then low, all while on his side. He also recorded a pivotal save when the Suns turned over the puck at the blue line, allowing an Idaho Falls player an uncontested shot on goal with 1:15 remaining in the game. Stoecklein stopped him cold, allowing his team a chance to put an extra skater on the ice in an attempt to tie the game.
"Colby has kept us in a lot of games this season. He has been excellent," Hebert said.
Hebert and Stevens pulled the goalie, and sent out Jimmy Hague, who scrambled for the puck and dished it to Dredge, who flipped it to Pike for the game-tying goal with 35 seconds left.
The Suns shut down Coeur d'Alene 2-0 on goals by Peter Atkinson and Rune Haavik (Pike).
"Atkinson's goal was like an ESPN highlight. He flipped it high side behind the goalie," former coach Hermie Haavik said. "And Colby made no mistakes."
A rematch against Boise in the final proved to be no different an outcome for the Suns. Employing a highly effective trap, the Steelies scored 21 goals and gave up only two in four games. They surrendered none in a 5-0 championship win.
"I think we did really well considering that most of our kids are freshmen and sophomores," Hebert said. "The guys have come a long way this year. Most of them are new, but they are intelligent young men who are buying into the system. I am really looking forward to next year."
Sun Valley will attend the IAHA High School Tournament, March 7-9 in Idaho Falls. The Suns opening game is at 4:45 p.m. Friday against Bonneville-Hillcrest.
Bantams (0-2-2)
The Bantam Suns finished up the season with an overall record of 17-7-3, including a 0-2-2 record at state.
Sun Valley opened up on Friday by tying McCall 4-4. Trailing 4-3 in the third period, Tom Crosby (Doogie King) scored with 6:13 remaining to pull even with the Mighty Pucks. Parker Morris finished with two goals and Davis Hague one. Assists were served up by Charlie Evans and Karl Wilander.
In a physical match against Coeur d'Alene, the Suns gained the upper hand 12:59 into the second when Ian Murphy slotted a sweet pass by Crosby. King almost made it 2-nil but was rejected by goalie Jamey Kuehn. It was Suns' goalie Cassidy Carson's (21 saves) turn to shine, when he stepped up and shut down a 2-0 break. The Thunder broke through with 42 seconds left in the second frame on a power-play goal, and notched the go-ahead midway through the third. An empty netter capped a 3-1 final.
Chris Carnes (Murphy) netted the Suns' lone goal in an 8-1 loss at the hands of eventual champion Boise (a 2-1 winner over Coeur d'Alene), but the Suns showed grit by bouncing back from a two-goal deficit to tie Idaho Falls 2-2. Goal scorers were Murphy and Evans (Murphy).
Incidentally, no team in the entire tournament scored more goals than the Boise Bantams. The Steelheads struck for 30 goals in five games, while allowing six.
Carson finished the tournament with 87 saves, and 560 for the season for a .900 save average.
Coach Nicole Perkins remarked, "Basically, I told these guys that state is a celebration of everything they have learned throughout the season. The second-year kids are incredible. Our defensemen are the best in the state. I am confident when they move to the Midgets they will be an immediate factor. Our first-year kids have learned so much that every one of them is "Most Improved."
Suns' state rosters
PeeWees: Drew Barsch, Cameron Benson, Chase Hutchinson, Liam Jablonski, Cameron Jenner, Gage Jorgensen, Mason Noyes, Johnny Paris, Ellie Punnett, AJ Rierden, Sam Ruddell, Willis Sanchez-Dupont, Riley Sibbach, Parker Weekes, Calder Zarkos. Coaches: Mike Punnett, Bobby Noyes, Tony Benson. Manager: Chad Jenner.
Bantams: Chris Carnes, Cassidy Carson, Tom Crosby, Charlie Evans, Davis Hague, Cooper Hanley, Rickie Jeneson, Karel Kaiser, Doogie King, Parker Morris, Ian Murphy, Drew Punnett, Karl Wilander. Coaches: Nicole Perkins, Ryan McDonald. Manager: Tim Jeneson.
Midgets: Peter Atkinson, Jackson Bates, Caleb Crawford, Johnny Dilley, David Dredge, Tanner Flanigan, Rune Haavik, Jimmy Hague, Tommy Heinrich, Cody Levitan, Alexander MacMillan, Chance McCroskey, Neils McMahon, Patrick McMahon, Morgan Pike, Zak Sjoberg, Colby Stoecklein, Reed Stokes, Latner Straley, Craig Watson. Coaches: Andrew Hebert, John Stevens. Manager: Pat McMahon.
Girls: Devan Ellison-Annan, Nellie Brown, Tanner Dredge, Aimee Evans, Mattie Griswold, Erin Hennessy, Kelly Hennessy, Ashley Hesteness, Maddie Miller, Dylan Peterson, Katie Pruett, Tate Reed-McDorman, Frannie Sensenbrenner, Daniela Stokes, Ellie Swanson, Emma Wilander. Coaches: Dave Hennessy, Jennifer Embree, Eddie Grimes. Manager: Juli Evans.
