Week
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December 5, 2001
Inside the Register
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Machebeuf defeats Regis 4-0 in inaugural hockey game
Buffs beat Raiders at Big Bear in new teams' first game Nov. 30
By Krista Kibel
The boys at Regis High School may be bigger but the Machebeuf hockey team proved that size doesn't matter when they beat the Raiders 4-0 Friday, Nov. 30.
All four Machebeuf goals were scored short-handed and Buffs goalie Patrick Thibault stopped all 18 shots he faced in the inaugural game for both schools.
Both
teams demonstrated a strong showing early in the game, displaying skill
in both puck handling and skating ability, but when it came to the power
play, the Raiders came up short.
"We had some breakdowns breaking out of the zone," Regis' Coach Stephen "Blu" McGrath said.
Late in the first period, Machebeuf's John Makolondra was called for a cross-checking penalty, giving the Raiders the first power play of the game.
But it was Machebeuf defenseman Peter Hjelmstad who came out on top, scoring the school's first-ever goal with 4:54 remaining in the period.
Senior John Nepil and junior Webster Pennington got the assists on the short-handed goal.
Early in the second period, a scuffle in the corner resulted in an injury to Regis center Matt DeAngelis. The senior suffered a minor knee injury and did not return to the game.
DeAngelis said the injury was the result of a hard check into the boards but was "nothing illegal."
"I don't want to give hockey a bad name on the first day," he said.
DeAngelis expects to return to the ice for practice on Monday.
Regis' next power play opportunity was also wasted when Machebeuf center, Pennington, took a shot from Nepil and junior David Glotfelty and dumped it past Raiders senior goalie Geoff Kaatz to make the score 2-0.
Minutes later, Machebeuf's penalty killers showed up again when Glotfelty scored with 5:16 left in the period.
Glotfelty came through once more at 12:24 of the third period, scoring the game's final and fourth consecutive short-handed goal.
Despite the problems on the power play, Coach McGrath was pleased with his team's performance.
"I'm happy with our full team effort," he said.
McGrath said he is expecting the team to build on their skills as the program expands.
"We have a lot of young guys, there is definitely some room for improvement," he said, adding that many of his players are just getting back into the game after having grown tired of playing club hockey.
Machebeuf Head Coach John Belohrad was proud of his team's performance, but isn't ready to predict a state championship.
"I don't want to jinx anything," he said.
He was also quick to credit Regis as an opponent.
"Regis is a tremendous team," he said. "They played really well."
The coach was especially impressed that his players really worked as a team in their first outing.
"It's nice to see them mesh well together," he said.
"Meshing" could have easily been a problem for the Buffs since many of the players have never played together before. The team is comprised of players from high schools all over the metro area, including Machebeuf, Littleton, Arapahoe and Denver East. When Regis and Machebeuf were granted an ice hockey team, along with Battle Mountain High School, Machebeuf did not have enough players to fill its roster. So Machebeuf recruited from local club teams and came with a group of guys and one girl, sophomore Katy Haas.
Littleton High School senior John Nepil is one of the many athletes brought in to comprise the team. He said he is glad to be part of it.
"The high school atmosphere is great," he said. "You miss that when you play club."
Nepil, a 12-year veteran of the game, was also impressed with the turnout of Machebeuf fans.
"It's great, the whole school was here!" he said.
Belohrad and Machebeuf Athletic Director Michael O'Hagan hope that the high turnout at games will lead to more interest in the sport and kids that want to play it.
"We're hoping that by next season, the whole team will be made up of Machebeuf students," said Belohrad.
O'Hagan believes the addition of ice hockey to Machebeuf's athletic line-up is a great thing.
"We believe strongly in the value of athletics helping teach lessons in life," he said.
Hockey is a "unique and growing" sport, he said, adding that he expects the program to grow with each year, even though it is a difficult sport to pick up.
"You need to have speed and there are certain skills you need to develop," O'Hagan said.
Hockey may be a difficult sport to learn, but noting its increasing popularity, school officials said they expect their programs to grow and to enjoy much success. If the inaugural game is any indication, the success will come naturally.