Valor's Tier 1 club team entered the CPHL playoffs as the leagues top seed on the strength of their 9-1 regular season record.
After a 6-1 quarterfinal win over Resurrection Christian and a convincing 7-1 victory over Ralston Valley in the semifinal, Valor advanced into Monday night's championship game against red-hot Monarch.
The No 8 Monarch Coyotes had advanced through their half of the playoff bracket and into the championship game by generating upset wins over No 2 Cherry Creek and No 3 Regis Jesuit.
The title game was a nail-biter from the outset as both teams generated great scoring opportunities but were continually thwarted by tremendous goaltending efforts at either end.
With the score knotted 0-0 at the end of regulation, the championship game would be decided by sudden death overtime!
With just over two minutes remaining in the first overtime period, junior goaltender Cooper Robinson caught the Monarch players off-guard by firing a long pass up the ice to senior Noah Fekete who quickly transitioned into the Coyotes' zone. After spotting senior Nick Maronna streaking to the net on the opposite side of the ice, Fekete snapped a cross ice pass that Maronna caught and released all in one motion. The quick shot beat the Monarch goaltender and a Valor celebration instantly erupted on the ice and in the stands over the 1-0 victory.
For the game, the Eagles generated 50 shots on Monarch's goaltender. Valor's junior goaltender Cooper Robinson made 29 saves in the win.
Valor's win marked the second consecutive year the team has won the CPHL Tier 1 title.
By winning the championship, Valor received an automatic bid to compete in the USA Hockey High School National Championships to be played March 24-27 in Minneapolis, MN.
Valor's Tier 2 team entered the CPHL Tier 2 playoffs as the #2 seed. After defeating Woodland Park in the quarterfinals by a score of 5-2, Valor lost in a hard fought semifinal game to Chaparral 5-3.
The CHSAA season will get underway on Friday, December 2 as Valor's JV team takes on Ralston Valley.
The Varsity team plays their first game of the season the following night on Saturday, December 3 against Ralston Valley. Both games will be played at South Suburban Sports Complex.
