The Durango Demons varsity hockey team on Saturday hosted one of its toughest competitors, Los Alamos, for a pair of contests. The teams split their first two games in Los Alamos earlier this season, but Durango managed to win both games on Saturday, 4-1 and 4-3.
Game 1 was scoreless at the end of the first period, but Durango came out buzzing in the second. Senior Lukas Petranek found the back of the net just 20 seconds into the period. Sophomore Henry Howe also scored in the second for a 2-0 Durango lead heading into the third.
Junior Zak Wentworth scored two goals for Durango in the third period, upping the team’s lead to 4-0. With 1:05 to go in the game, Los Alamos was able to get one past goalie Evan Brock, breaking up the shutout and giving Durango the 4-1 win.
In Game 2, Los Alamos struck first, recording two goals before Durango answered.
Senior Billy Downey scored for the Demons on an assist from junior Nick Best. Los Alamos, however, answered with a third goal less than a minute later, and the Demons trailed 3-1 at the end of the first period.
The Demons regained momentum during the second period when Howe scored back-to-back goals for a 3-3 tie, with assists by Ensign, Matava and Wentworth.
Durango’s defense continued to hold in the third period. Howe then scored an unassisted goal for a hat trick and the 4-3 Durango win.
The team will be on the road this weekend for the President’s Cup in Colorado Springs.
Durango’s 12U-A team was 0-3 after a tough trip to Colorado Springs A and AA on the weekend. Hunter Wildman, Cooper Brown and Preston Loughman scored with assists from Wildman, Brown and Chip Catsman.
Durango’s 8U, 10U, 12U and 14U teams will travel to Denver this weekend to attend various area tournaments.
