The postseason. The ultimate goal of any and every team. Play later than everyone else. Win more than everyone else. Right now, the Mavs have a solid chance at reaching that point.
Maverick hockey has had a decent season to this point, bolstering a 7-8 record, with four of their losses coming at the hands of the second ranked team in the American Club Hockey Association (ACHA) Division 3, and three others coming against the tenth ranked squad in the ACHA. Colorado Mesa University (CMU) has also grabbed a win against the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) Orediggers, who were ranked ninth in the country at the time of the game.
“We played eight straight games against either first or ninth ranked teams in the nation, back to back to back… Holding your own against those guys, and being within two goals against a team that has six former Division I players on it, I think it started out the way it should have,” said senior forward Bryson Sutterby.
Outside of just playing great teams close, the Mavericks have had a couple of blowout wins themselves. On Dec. 13 and 14, CMU traveled to take on the Mountaineers of Western Colorado University, notching 15-0 and 16-0 wins respectively. These wins are likely to prove crucial as the team would have to be ranked 16th or better by the end of the regular season. Right now, they’re tabbed 29th nationally, but have been notched as high as 16th this year.
“I think we used those games to gain some confidence, and kind of fine tune some of the more intimate parts of the game. It also gave us a chance for all players to get some ice time, which is a good thing, because in tighter games, not every player gets the same amount of ice time,” said head coach Timothy Winegard.
Scoring 13 goals and notching 17 assists, Sutterby has had a great season for the Mavs, and an even better career. In his four seasons on the squad, Sutterby has scored 115 total points, and is fourth in points in CMU history. Freshman forward Tristen Brooks has been his main target for assists this season and has had a hot start to his freshman campaign. Brooks paces the Mavericks with 16 goals, and ranks second in assists with 10, behind only Sutterby in that category.
“I think we just have an understanding of when I carry the puck, where he can go, and he’s just so talented at finding open areas that, even if I couldn’t pass the puck, he’s in spots that anyone could get it to him and he could score. He just makes it easier on everyone,” said Sutterby.
Senior goalie Chris McElroy is putting together one of his best seasons as a Maverick as well. Boasting an 88.4% save percentage, he’s been a big factor for CMU this season as well. While he hasn’t been officially credited with a shutout, he’s helped the squad pull off some great wins this season.
“It helps the players be able to be confident, knowing they can take some offensive chances, knowing they have a good goaltender behind them, or knowing they can allow the other team outside offensive zone time. We just don’t let them in the middle of the defensive zone, so if we keep them outside and they get shots from there, so be it. We’re confident that our goalies can save that,” said Wineguard.
A big improvement for Maverick hockey’s home ice advantage has been recent renovations to their home rink, River City Sportsplex. During their first home games, attendance was extremely limited, as they were in the middle of tripling the capacity, from 300 seats to nearly 1,000.
“I know in the past we’ve had a lot of people come out, and they want to come and watch the game, but they don’t want to stand for two and a half hours. It’ll be a fun environment, and that’ll be something to just get into,” said Sutterby.
While the Mavs still have five contests remaining in the season, their regular season finale this year will mean a little bit more. For the last seven years, the Pink the Rink event has been a staple of western slope hockey. Cumulatively, the Pink the Rink event has raised over $132,000 for the St. Mary’s Cancer Assistance Fund, including $32,128 raised just last year. For their work, they’ve won three community service awards from the ACHA, and recognition from Congress.
“It’s a huge event, and all the money, every penny, stays local. It’s just a fun atmosphere, knowing that whether you’re a hockey fan or not, it goes to a very good cause. At the same time, if you’re not a hockey fan, I promise you when you leave the game you will be,” said Winegard.
The fund was created separately from the medical side of the hospital, to encourage philanthropic investment towards St. Mary’s hospital, and goes towards enhancing the quality of life for cancer patients. Shirts for this year’s contest are currently being sold for $15 around campus. The game will be held on Feb. 23, with puck drop at 3 o’clock.
As far as hockey goes, the team has five games left in their regular season, all of which will be held at River City Sportsplex right here in Grand Junction. If CMU hockey makes the playoffs, the games begin March 18 in St. Louis, Missouri.
