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Hawks’ Bantam AA team off to nationals, again
March 23rd, 2015Littleton Hockey Association’s Bantam AA team is off to the USA Hockey Tier II National Championships. The Hawks punched their ticket to the dance after celebrating the championship in its division at this year’s Colorado Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) Tier II State Tournament, which was held earlier this month at Littleton’s South Suburban Ice Arena….
Lady Grizz make history with nationals berth
March 23rd, 2015Need proof girls hockey in the Beehive State is on the up and up? Look no further than the Utah Lady Grizzlies’ 19U AA team. The Lady Grizzlies made history earlier this month after winning their Rocky Mountain District Regional Tournament to become the first girls team ever from Utah to qualify for the USA…
Two Lady RoughRiders teams off to nationals
March 22nd, 2015Still only in its infancy, the second-year Rocky Mountain Lady RoughRiders organization has wasted little time establishing itself as a legitimate player in Colorado’s youth hockey circles. The Westminster-based girls program will send two of its teams – 14U AA and 16U AA – to this month’s USA Hockey Tier II National Championships, which will…
Hayes making most of fresh start in Utah
March 20th, 2015When Ryan Hayes was traded to the Utah Grizzlies from the Stockton Thunder earlier this season, he had no idea the region was so picturesque. “I actually arrived here at night, so I couldn’t see the mountains or anything,” said Hayes, a fifth-year pro out of Syracuse, N.Y. “Then the next morning, when I woke…
Niwot’s Sdao playing to strengths in AHL
March 20th, 2015Michael Sdao has been around hockey his entire life, and his passion for the sport has taken him to some elite levels of the game. “My dad got us playing when we were really young, and it was a big part of growing up and still is, obviously, to this day,” said Sdao, now in…
Officiating in good hands with Groothedde
March 5th, 2015It’s never been considered one of the more glamorous jobs in hockey, but nonetheless on-ice officials are as passionate as they come about their trade. Locally, Ron Groothedde, the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association’s (CAHA) supervisor of officials, sees to it. He represents the state’s 800-plus zebras, managing their annual education and certification requirements while constantly…
Graber, Shatzer decide on Dartmouth College
March 4th, 2015Longmont’s Will Graber has committed to play NCAA Division I hockey at Dartmouth College following his United States Hockey League (USHL) career. A forward, Graber has dished out five assists, recorded 30 penalty minutes and is a plus-2 over 26 games with the Muskegon Lumberjacks since being acquired by the team in December from the…
RoughRiders take pride in local development
March 2nd, 2015It only makes sense – and is quite ironic – that the Rocky Mountain RoughRiders AAA program plays a rough schedule year in and year out. That’s just the way director of hockey operations Derek Robinson likes it. “We can only improve and take giant strides if we continue to play the best teams in…
Gunner lives up to his name at Air Force
February 27th, 2015Cole Gunner has heard it pretty much on a daily basis for the better part of the last four years, and says it’s never bothered him – and it never will. The fact that a student-athlete with the last name “Gunner” plays hockey at the U.S. Air Force Academy is every bit as ironic as…
T-Birds’ captains proving effective as leaders
February 27th, 2015Being a team captain comes with a lot of responsibility, even at the AAA youth level. This season, the Colorado Thunderbirds have a dynamic group of players wearing the “C” for their respective teams: Jacob Tinker and Blake Terry (18U); Keegan Mantaro and Cal Foote (16U National); Matteo Glennon (16U American); Bryan Lockner (14U); Xander…