The 1980 Miracle on Ice U.S. Olympic Hockey Team made history as a mishmash of the best college hockey players to become the perfect team at the perfect time.
That's the same magic the Team Wyoming 18U hockey team captured this season. Team Wyoming 18U Hockey Team brought together 20 of the best youth hockey players in the state, who rarely had a chance to practice, so they came together at the perfect time and won the state's first national championship on April 7th. Won.
Team Wyoming's 16- to 18-year-old members live hours apart, but they came together to win five games in five days and win the USA Hockey National Championship Youth Tier II 18U 1A title. Team Wyoming has won 14U and 16U titles in past years.
“An amazing journey”
Red Lodge, Montana coach Laramie Davis called the experience “an amazing journey,” mainly because the players don't practice together often.
“For the boys to do these things without practice, every coach's dream is to practice until they get good, but this was a really unique story for these young men,” he said. “We weren’t very cohesive compared to other teams that went to the national tournament.”
It is believed that the team was formed in June, practiced on weekends in June and July, played games on weekends in August, and basically played games on weekends once a month until the national tournament, except for September. please.
But in September, Davis found a sponsor to help take the team on a trip to Alaska for a weekend tournament.
“We actually flew up to Alaska and competed in tournaments there, did some sightseeing, and did a big team bonding trip to build the cohesiveness that we need as a team to come together. I did,” Davis said.
done.
“Brotherly love”
Dax Thomas, 17, a senior at Kelly Walsh High School in Casper who played left wing on the team, said the trip to Alaska really made a difference.
“Since that trip, our team has hit it off and we're like brothers,” he said. “Everyone on the team was friends and the camaraderie on the team was the best of any team I've ever been on.”
Thomas credits his coaches with instilling the right attitude that allowed the team to succeed.
“It was definitely a start from the top. Our coach was definitely someone that the whole team respected and loved,” Thomas said. “And our captain, Aaron Gallant from Cheyenne, definitely set a great example for all of us.”
As a team captain, Gallant said he tried to be a role model for other players who faced adversity. He is an 18-year-old high school graduate who plans to attend the University of Wyoming and play on a club team.
“I wanted to be someone that the team could lean on or come to for advice and figure out a way to be successful if we were losing late in the game or someone had a bad game,” he said. “I've played with Coach Davis for three years, so I kind of understand his values and what he expects from his players.
“So I try to be a good leader, not just by what I say, but by my actions.”
blue collar attitude
Davis said the team's character reflects the “blue-collar” attitude of Wyoming kids, who arrive with family support and are ready to work.
In short, they did things the cowboy way.
To qualify for the tournament under USA Hockey rules, a team must play a minimum of 20 games and each player and coach must participate in at least half of those games. Because Team Wyoming was unable to gather for practice, Davis said his focus was on having every player available for every game.
Although the players did not often play together, most players play against each other as members of their respective high school or club hockey teams.
In the national tournament, they defeated Pacific Edge 6-4 in the first game, defeated the Idaho Junior Steelheads 3-2 in the second game, and then defeated the Delaware Blue Hens 5-3 in the second game. It went up. Game 4 was a 3-2 overtime victory over the Utah Junior Mustangs, setting up the title game.
Playing for the title, Team Wyoming put on a flawless performance, shutting out the Idaho Junior Steelheads 4-0.
Thomas said one of the highlights occurred in the semifinal game against Utah, where they were trailing 2-1 in the final period.
“That game was definitely the best game of hockey I've ever played,” said Thomas, who was named to the all-tournament team. “I definitely had a few heart attacks during the game. It was a close game until the end. I scored on a pass from my brother (Braxton Thomas) and Patrick Lynch with 1:30 left.”
big score
Casper teammate Hunter Lane put the puck in the net in overtime to give Wyoming the win.
Gallant agreed that Lane's goal was special because the normally productive defenseman had not previously scored in the tournament.
“Then he scored our biggest goal of the tournament in the overtime semi-final against our rival for a championship spot,” he said.
Eli Youmans, 17, a senior at Natrona County High School in Casper, said he didn't really understand the magnitude of the victory until he got on the bus home.
“This means a lot because we don't know how many national championships Team Wyoming will win,” he said. “But to go 5-0 that week and get to the national championship game and get a shutout.”
Davis said that in addition to being able to experience a national championship representing Wyoming, the players were also seen and scouted by college and senior junior teams.
Youmans said most players were approached by at least one scout that week.
“I was one of the kids who got talked to, and it definitely boosted confidence for me,” he said. “So are my teammates.”
hockey lessons
Davis said this past hockey season instilled a lesson in the value of hard work, effort and discipline and what those qualities can accomplish.
“I'm speechless when I see the children's actions and realize that I was one of them,” he says. “They will all become very fine people in our society in the future. They learned how to love each other, shed tears of sadness and joy, experienced adversity, but most of all they learned how to love the game of hockey. I grew as a young man through it.”
As winners, the team received a banner and a golden champion plate. The team hopes to create banners representing the players' home ice and place them in every arena in the state.
Dale Killingbeck It can be accessed at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
