The Demon hockey goaltenders will be important in this season’s state championship run

Roaring Fork Valley hockey fans should worship the ice they skate on. Their invaluable efforts are a big reason why Glenwood Springs High School is one win away from the Class 4A state championship game.

We’re not talking dirty hangers. We’re not talking blue line snipers. We are talking about bullet stops.

Throughout the 2022-23 season, Demons netmen Jeremiah Swenson and Marek Senn have, simply put, remained scarce. Senn, a junior, had 10 wins and just one loss in the regular season. Swenson, a senior, won 6-3.

Combined, the two goaltenders have allowed just 38 goals on 468 shots on net – and three shutouts – throughout the regular season, while the Demons finished the campaign 16-4.

“Personally, I believe throughout my career (Swenson) and I are definitely the top two in the Mountain League, maybe even 4A,” Senn said during Wednesday’s practice in Glenwood. “But we’ve had a really solid year.”

Senn then went on to win Tuesday’s 7-2 quarterfinal over Liberty. Well. The No. 1-ranked Demons now play No. 4 Colorado Academy (16-4) at Colorado Springs Broadmoor World Arena on Saturday.

If Glenwood wins this semifinal, they will compete for the 4A championship on Tuesday at Magness Arena – the home ice of the University of Denver.

“This is probably the biggest game of my life,” Senn said. “I’m very excited, very nervous. But this is going to be fun, I already know.”

Glenwood’s season has been anything but normal leading up to this point. Aspen’s varsity program decided not to play due to a lack of numbers and “downvalley” ended up getting some downright fantastic talent because of it. Glenwood’s leading scorer right now is actually Aspen High School senior Ryder Rondeau, who already has 28 points on 13 goals and 15 assists. Swenson also attends Aspen High School.

Things got even more interesting when Friday’s playoffs were hosted at the Aspen Recreation Center, and as the crowd applauded the bleachers, everyone was rooting for the kids from both Aspen and Glenwood.

“It was a little bit of a weird feeling about the race,” Senn said. “But the first couple of practices I think we definitely have our mojo and we’re really connecting really well.”

Glenwoods freshman goalie Catcher Davis said that Roaring Fork solidarity helped the win. Also, Davis is the younger of the three goalies and said it was helpful to see Senn and Swenson play because “it’s been very helpful for my game.”

“I like how fast they can move and I love their glove work,” he said. “It’s definitely something I want to improve on.”

That immediacy of camaraderie between Aspen and Glenwood is what Swensen remembers most. That includes a one-night trip to a game and hanging out in a hotel room with his teammates, he said.

But now that it’s crunch time and Glenwood is one win away from the big cheese, the senior netminder, who barely played this season because she tore her ACL in 2022, is focused on one thing and one thing: Saturday.

“It’s just like any other game,” Swenson said. “You want to keep your nerves down and trust your teammates to do their job. Everything goes smoothly from there.

“I’m just ready to play and advance to the next round.”

Glenwood goaltending coach Alex Parrish said his middle linebackers have played brilliantly every game, calling them “a team within a team.”

“No matter who’s online, whoever gets a big game start, they support each other,” he said. “They sit next to each other in the dressing room and discuss what the other goalkeeper sees from the bench or from a different angle.”

“That’s been a big part of the success.”

Parrish said he’s confident they’ll advance to Saturday’s semifinal against Colorado Academy, who the Demons defeated 3-2 earlier this season. Senn was in the game in that game, stopping 22 shots.

However, stats and wins aren’t the main thing Parrish wants his kids to take away from this season.

Instead?

“Just enjoy,” he said. “Obviously, the success they had right after the first week of training and where everyone was, there was a lot of hype. Everyone was so excited and have been working their tails off all winter.

“So just enjoy the process, the ride and the journey they’ve taken to get to where they are now.”

If Glenwood wins Saturday, they will play the winner of No. 3 Cheyenne Mountain against No. 2 Steamboat Springs in the semifinal game for the 4A state title. The Demons have both won and lost to these two teams in the regular season.

Senn said right now the Demons are giving 110% every practice, every shift and every game. And about how the goaltender plans to continue to keep pucks out of the net, Senn — inspired by National Hockey League greats like Patrick Roy and Marc-André Fleury — said, “A magician never tells his tricks.”

– This is the best season I’ve ever had. It’s fun,” he said. “These guys are my best friends.”

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