JACKSON HOLE, WYO – Things looked good going into Saturday’s showdown with the Sun Valley Suns with everything on the line for the Black Diamond Hockey League Championship. A 4-2 win over the Vail Yeti on Friday put the Moose right where they wanted to be, on ice for the all the marbles. Then Sun Valley chased our boys out of the rink.
Moose conquer Yeti
The Moose knew the Yeti would be no easy opponent and they did not view Vail as a stepping stone to the finals without making sure they took care of business. The Yeti should have known it is not wise to give Jackson sharpshooters too many chances on the power play.
Friday, both teams brought identical 2-2 records to the rink when they faced off against each other during the regular season. It was close the whole way—1-1 after the first, 2-2 after two—with the Moose pulling away in the third with an empty-netter to make is a 4-2 final.
The Moose got scoring from the usual sources. Tom Hartnett, Jake Leitner, AJ Sanders, and Drew Akins all came out with a goal and an assist Friday night. Jackson tallied twice on the PP and that was the difference in a close shave with Vail.
Sunstroke on Saturday
Penalties were a problem for the Moose on Saturday. Jackson took eight minor penalties for a total of 16 minutes in the box. The Suns were whistled for four minors (8 minutes).
But the Suns also saved their best game of the year for the last one. They were outstanding.
Jackson could not get anything going again Sun Valley. Shots were fairly even at 38-36 for the Suns, but Moose goalie Nick Krauss stopped 33 of the shots he saw. Sun Valley’s Ryan Thomson was perfect in the shutout.
The 5-0 loss dropped Jackson Hole to 22-9 on the season. It was the best record in the BDHL. The Suns finished at 16-8.
Sun Valley is now in possession of the BDHL trophy—the Joe Casey trophy. Since 2015, both teams have won the cup twice, both at home. The league championships are held at Jackson and Sun Valley in alternating years.
