Vail Mountaineer Hockey Club teams finish strong at league championships

Vail Mountaineer Hockey Club had 11 teams participating in playoff games for the Western Colorado Hockey League (WCHL) and Colorado Girls Hockey League (CGHL) at the beginning of the month. In the WCHL playoffs, the Vail Mountaineers were able to bring home four out of the six available championship banners to the local rinks.

The 14U/Bantam B team played strong right from the start, going undefeated in the five-game weekend playoff to clinch the WCHL title. The playoff weekend was the last chance for some of the players to play with the club, and it was a great way to finish their time with the Mountaineers before they head to high school hockey.

The 12U/Pee Wee A team consisted of mainly second-year players, and five players from the 2020-2021 State Champion 10U/Squirt A team. The playoff weekend consisted of many close contests, but the squad dug deep and finished on top in all five contests. The Pee Wee A team also finished amongst the top eight teams in Colorado, earning a spot in the CAHA State Championships the weekend of March 11.

The 12U/Pee Wee B RED team also clinched the WCHL banner in the B division. This group of players showed incredible resilience after losing their goalie and friend, Lewis Browning, this past January in a tragic car accident. They were assisted by a former goalie (and now defensive skater) who stepped back in between the pipes to help pave the way to the championship title. The entire team felt that Lewis was there with them, encouraging them every step of the way.

The final WCHL championship team was none other than one of the club’s youngest — the 10U/Squirt B RED team. Primarily made up of first-year Vail Mountaineer players, their enthusiasm and fortitude helped them bring home the banner in their division and exemplifies the spirit of the club.

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The 12U/PeeWee B Blue, girls 12U and girls 15U teams made it to the semifinal games and performed well. The 12U/PeeWee B Blue team went on to win the Avalanche Cup, going 5-0 and will be recognized at the Colorado Avalanche game March 21.

It was a good day of hockey for the Vail Mountaineer Hockey Club.

“The Vail Mountaineer Hockey Club is experiencing incredible growth – we’re hitting record numbers of player enrollment and it’s been great to see so many of our teams succeed in the WCHL playoffs. I think this bodes well for our club’s future,” said Dave Bishop, Director of Hockey.

The Colorado Amateur Hockey Association teams finish out the 2021-2022 season this upcoming weekend with the CAHA State Championships.

About the Vail Mountaineer Hockey Club

The Vail Mountaineers Hockey Club (VMHC) is a non-profit youth hockey organization dedicated to teaching the sport of hockey both recreational and competitive to Eagle County’s youth ages 8-15. Their mission is “Changing the World by Changing Ourselves, Changing Ourselves through Devotion to Each Other.” They emphasize the “Hi-Five” Leadership Core Values of Heart, Initiative, Fun, Integrity, Vulnerability and Enthusiasm.

The purpose of the club is to sponsor and operate an organization of youth players and families following the guidelines, rules, regulations and policies of USA HOCKEY, the state affiliate, Colorado Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) and respective VMHC member leagues.

Vail Mountain Hockey Club is located in Vail at Dobson Ice Arena. They can be reached at 970-331-6669 or by visiting VailMountaineers.com.