"Lewis Palmer "...best game of the year."

Lewis-Palmer inline hockey team's third trip to the state championship – wins it all

Lewis Palmer State Champions Photo by Ken Mellott

Only one word is needed to describe the emotions of the Lewis-Palmer Varsity 5A inline hockey team's result at last Sunday's state championship—‘relief'. With a 7-4 victory over Smoky Hill in the championship game at the Parker Fieldhouse, the team brings home the traveling trophy cup this year and permanently puts another trophy into Lewis-Palmer's display case. Finally.

After making the trip through the playoffs the last two years and losing in the final game, the team felt the excitement of finally winning it all and the relief of meeting expectations.

Coach Bruce Clark said, “We had lost our first two state championship games. When these kids were sophomores we lost to Eaglecrest. Last year we played Douglas County and they beat us 6-5 in overtime. That was tough. It was a real stressful season because every game we played the other team brought their top game. It was a struggle because we couldn't fail and that's a tough position for the kids to be in.”

The playoff games were full of anxiety. Clark said, “Our first two playoffs games were intense. Any little thing that started to go the wrong way and the guys were thinking we aren't going to make it and we're going to get knocked out.” The team won their first playoff game 12-5 against Chatfield, but Chatfield had it all tied up at halftime. The second playoff game against Rocky Mountain put the team to the test as Lewis-Palmer started off with a 3-0 lead but Rocky Mountain clawed their way back and tied it up. It went back and forth the rest of the game with the Rangers finally winning in the final two minutes on a goal by Michael Fisk.

The Championship game on Sunday against perennial powerhouse Smoky Hill would give the team a chance for redemption. But it would not come easy, as Smoky Hill and Lewis-Palmer had played twice in the regular season with a tie in the first game and an 8-6 Lewis-Palmer win in the final game off the season. Smoky Hill had won the two JV state championships earlier on Sunday. Clark was worried. “The atmosphere at the Parker Fieldhouse was awesome. Its scary playing them--they wanted us bad.”

Lewis-Palmer was hit immediately with a penalty that resulted in a score by Smoky Hill. The team did not panic. Michael Fisk said, “Our team has matured over the last couple of years so we knew we could wear teams down and had been in that situation before.

The scoreboard quickly read 3-1 for the LP boys on quick ice-hockey style passing. Clark said, “They are great passers. When they are on their game they are fun to watch.” Goalie Colin Anonsen, a crossover to the position from ice hockey for the last three games said, “After the lead by Smoky Hill, I saw how badly Mike Fisk, Keith, and Nick wanted it. They worked really hard to change the momentum and I got some luck in net and knew we were going to win.”

Keith Yates on the attack. Photo by Ken Mellott

Smoky Hill tied it up again at 3-3 at half-time, but the Rangers came out on fire in the second half and did not look back. Clark said, “Hats off to Smoky Hill. They're a good team and don't quit either, but the turning point was when we had a 6-4 lead.” Smoky Hill's Reese Bernoit, the league MVP and second leading scorer in the state charged through the defense on a breakaway that would have shifted momentum yet once

again. “Colin Anonsen, our goalie, made an incredible save,” remembered Clark. Anonsen gives the credit to his teammates. “The team backed me and we played great games – it worked out. Relief--all the stress fading away. We finally got it done.” Forward Keith Yates said, “It was our goalie's best game.”

Yates would go on to score four goals with all the assists for those goals from his friend Fisk. Clark said, “Keith played a great game. When he plays like that there are not many people who can stop him. Michael Fisk played great defense. He brought it.” Yates was selected as the game MVP.

Clark has all seniors on the team except one of his forward lines. “Those two junior kids Michael Friel and Nate Westerfield carried us through the first playoff games, he said. “They are incredibly fast. Those two guys deserve a lot of credit for getting us to the championship game. Zach Bever a junior defenseman played great too. The entire team played their best game of the year.”

For a team that has played ice hockey and inline hockey together for many years to finally win the state

2008 Scholastic Championships

championship their last inline game together felt good. Yates said, “We are definitely relieved and really excited.” For the coaches, Clark said, “It was a total emotional release. We're not the Buffalo Bills of inline hockey.” No they are not—they are now the state champions.

By Ken Mellott coloradomellotts@mac.com