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Careful, these Kitties bite when on ice
We got beat by a bunch of girls. I'm not ashamed to admit it, these Kitties can play.
"Playing in the (Durango Adult Hockey League) gave us a chance to play weekly games as opposed to the traditional model/schedule that local women's travel teams follow," High Country Hellcats' coach Geoff Kent said. "It definitely played a role in the development of the team - playing against bigger, faster and stronger male-dominated teams helped us get tougher and more efficient in our defensive zone, especially in front of our net.
"It also helped build team chemistry and trust."
In case you missed it, that "bigger, faster and stronger male-dominant" was me he was speaking of; well, maybe not all me, but you get the picture.
The Hellcats, one of three traveling women's hockey teams in Durango, finished fourth out of 14 teams in the DAHL Level 3 playoffs this season. Then, no doubt from their strenuous postseason competition complements of the Pioneers, rattled off five wins to win the prestigious Front Range Faceoff on Mother's Day weekend in Denver.
"We gained a lot of confidence from the success we had in the DAHL, especially in the playoffs," Kent said. "Going into the Faceoff ... we were less than a week removed from a run where we played five DAHL playoff games in six days. That was huge.
"We were in shape, confident and battle-tested."
Captained by Laura Tullos and Molly Marquez, the Hellcats are Beth O'Dowd, Nadine Barber, Kristi Burk, Amy Foss, Leslie Perkins, Jess Hamill, Jen Allison and goaltender Kandice Torno, who lives in Rangley.
Ayla Moore and her 14-year-old daughter Tig - tournament additions - helped the Hellcats to the Faceoff Championship in their last hurrah of the season.
Tig Moore, who plays for the Durango Steamers' Bantam youth hockey team, was named the tournament MVP among 12 teams from California, Colorado, Florida, Minnesota and Utah. She scored six goals in five games, including a hat trick in the Kitties' 4-1 victory against a hockey-rich Minnesota team that has played together for more than five years.
"We outshot all five teams we played en route to the title," Kent said.
"It was the first time a Durango-area women's travel team has won a tournament with as many as 12 teams competing in the same level."
Supplemented by its DAHL schedule, the Hellcats played more than 40 games this season in Albuquerque, Colorado Springs, Denver, Durango and Phoenix (twice).
"Coaching this team has been a pleasure," said Kent, who formed the Hellcats in 2008 after fracturing from the Durango Betties' women's travel team.
"Each player has been extremely coachable and committed to getting better from day one. I've been amazed at how well everyone gets along on and off the ice, as well."
The Hellcats, which practice on the outdoor basketball courts at Miller Middle School during the offseason, will take a weekend trip to Albuquerque for a trio of co-ed games in mid-June, and their next tournament is July 23-25 in Las Vegas.
"The girls and the coaches are really sad to see the season end," Kent said.
"We wish we were playing again this weekend."
Just so long as it's not against the Pioneers.
aaron@durangoherald.com
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