The Durango Devils hockey team started the season against a familiar foe, as the Devils hosted the Amarillo Bulls for a pair of games Saturday at Chapman Hill Ice Rink to open the New Mexico Interscholastic Ice Hockey League.
The Bulls ended the Devils 2016-17 season with two wins against Durango in the playoffs last season, and Saturday saw a similar result, as the Bulls knocked off the Devils in two physical games.
The Bulls jumped out to an early lead in the first game and were up by three goals before a scoring spree from the Demons tied the game with about two minutes remaining when Gus Kidd put a shot in the back of the net.
The tie didn’t last long. The Bulls quickly took the lead back and forced the Devils to pull their goalie to have another scoring option on the ice, but the move backfired and the Bulls added two empty-net goals to earn the 7-4 win.
The second game against the Bulls matched the physicality of the first, and this time the Bulls came away with a one-goal victory.
Two of Amarillo’s goals came during power plays when the Devils were down a man to help them to a 5-4 victory.
Aden Hall was in net for the Devils in both games. He faced 61 shots on goal and had a save percentage of 83.
The Devils got into the win column Sunday with a pair of lopsided wins against the Coronado T-Birds.
In the first game, Durango cruised to an 11-1 victory and kept rolling for a 9-2 win in the afternoon. In the first game, Bradon Lyons led the offense with a hat trick and Joe Lawton added two goals and two assists. Joe Arwine had two goals, and Kidd, Clay Kinder and Colton Nosker finished with a goal each. Tim Miller finished with three assists and Nick Piccaro had one assist.
In the second game against the T-Birds, Joe Lawton led the offense with four goals. Lyons added two goals and Jax Bayer, Nicholas Brieger and Kidd had a goal each.
Nathan Howland took the net against Coronado and saved 29 of the 32 shots he faced.
Lawton finished the weekend as the Devils’ points leader with 10.
The Devils will play another four games this weekend in Albuquerque.
Durango will play the Cibola Cougars Friday night, then will face the La Cueva Bears Saturday morning before a second game against the Cougars in the afternoon. The Devils will close out the road trip with a second game against La Cueva Sunday morning.
kschneider@durangoherald.com
