Glenwood hockey dominates Aspen as the Skiers finally return home

The Glenwood Springs High School hockey team continued its dominant start to the season on Friday night.

The Demons traveled to Lewis Ice Arena to help Aspen reintroduce varsity hockey to the community. Glenwood used the nostalgic rivalry as fuel, cruising to a decisive 9-1 victory. The Demons unleashed a staggering 75 shots on goal, a program record according to head coach Tim Cota.

Despite the lopsided score, the rivalry delivered its trademark intensity, with physical and sometimes chaotic play. Aspen spent much of the second period short-handed, allowing Glenwood to capitalize on six power-play goals.

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“Our special teams were great tonight,” Cota said. “We have been spending a lot of time on our power play, knowing we will get an opportunity every game. In every intermission, we talked about how important it is to keep our composure. Discipline was the word we used the most; those games can get out of control, and I was happy with how we played in a penalty-riddled game. I think this revitalized a rivalry with Aspen — one we haven’t had for a couple of years.”

The Skiers dropped varsity hockey each of the past two seasons to rebuild the program, which had run short on numbers. A few AHS players even suited up for the Demons during that time. Jay Miller has since taken over as the head coach of Aspen hockey.

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Aspen’s goalie faced a relentless barrage of shots on Friday, turning away more than 70 in a heroic effort. The scoreboard showed 28 Glenwood shots after the first period alone, and the pace didn’t let up. Despite the Skiers’ efforts in net, repeated penalties left them unable to climb out of an early deficit.

Former Demon-turned-Skier Ryan Rigney struggled in his revenge game. The senior, who leads Aspen in goals and penalty minutes, spent plenty of time in the box on Friday. His first penalty came just five minutes into the game, and Glenwood capitalized on the ensuing power play.

Senior defenseman Sam Rosenberg sparked Glenwood’s scoring with a quick shot after a failed Aspen clear. Although the initial attempt was stopped, his defensive partner, Grayson Alcorta, cleaned up the rebound to give the Demons a 1-0 lead.

Aspen’s offensive opportunities were limited, but their best first-period chance was turned away by freshman goalie Isaac Zevin. After being beaten on a great move, Zevin stretched his left leg pad and glove to stuff the attempt. Glenwood responded with two more goals, including a dazzling effort from freshman Weston Jacober, who stayed with his own rebound to score, and a backhand snipe from senior co-captain Jacob Roggie on a five-on-three advantage.

“I think (Zevin) played well,” Cota said. “I mean, mentally, it is hard to stay in a game when you aren’t seeing a lot of shots. That can be tough for a goaltender, but he saw quality, too. He made mistakes, but he played well. The young guys have been contributing more and more as the season progresses. We will have to lean on those guys more and more as the season goes on, so it was good to see tonight.”

The second period turned chippy, with frequent whistles for penalties and goals. The Demons added three more goals but allowed Aspen to sneak one past Zevin with six seconds left in the period. The third period followed a similar script, though Aspen’s late goal briefly delayed the running clock. Rosenberg quickly restored the six-goal lead to resume the game’s final pace.

Senior forward Jacob Stockdill earned player of the game honors with a hat trick, extending his team lead to six goals. Alcorta also scored twice, while Jacober, Rosenberg, Roggie, and junior forward Brady Luetke each added goals.

Glenwood improved to 4-0 overall after also beating Battle Mountain on Saturday, 6-0. The Demons next play on Thursday at Cheyenne Mountain.

Aspen is 0-4 overall following Saturday’s 6-1 loss to Pueblo County. The Skiers aren’t scheduled to play again until after the holiday break.