Set Sail: Steamboat Springs claims 4A hockey title, first in program history

DENVER – A 12-second span in the second period changed everything. Austin Shorland regained the lead for Steamboat Springs after Glenwood Springs had evened up the score.

Twelve seconds later, Gavin Whittinger scored maybe the most important goal of his high school career. Hoist the anchor and raise the jib. Steamboat Springs can set sail as the Class 4A hockey state champion with a 4-2 win over the Demons.

Whttinger’s goal would hold up as the game-winner and give the Sailors a team state championship for the first time since the girls soccer team won in 1998.

It’s been a long time coming. But that’s the beauty of sailing over riding on a scarab, the prize makes every step of the journey worth it.

“It’s a little hard for our students and fans to get to Denver on a Monday night, and there’s a snowstorm coming,” coach Brian Ripley said. “But we had a watch party going on at the high school, the local rinks had it streamed live. My phone was absolutely blowing up.”

To say nothing of his nerves throughout the game. Sawyer Vietanen drew first blood for the Sailors, driving home a perfect shot off a perfect pass from Finn Baier.

The Demons tied the game on when Jacob Roggie connected on a one-timer right in front of the net to even things up early in the second. Flashbacks of Saturday’s semifinals had to be going through everyone’s mind. Both Glenwood and Steamboat saw their opponents score first and not with the game.

But that’s when Shorland and Whittinger scored in a 12-second span.

“Hockey is a sport where anything can happen at any time,” Whittinger said. “Even when adversity comes, you have to find a way to roll with the punches and just give 100% effort to go out and get the win.”

The Sailors faced more than their share of adversity throughout the game. Five different times, Steamboat saw a player get banished to the penalty box. The penalty kill did their job all five times and kept the Demons away from the net.

“That’s not how I would write it up,” Ripley said. “They just worked hard, especially on penalty kill. And it starts at the back end with Jakob Ducklow.”

The Steamboat goalie faced 28 shots from the Demons and turned back 26 of them. And he got help from the offense, especially with Angus Frithsen’s third period goal to make it 4-2. Frithsen also scored the double-overtime game winner against Pine Creek.

What a 72 hours it has been for the captain.

“It’s really been a dream,” Frithsen said. “I feel like I’m floating.”

It’s easy to float when that weight of a one-goal lead is lifted late in the third period.

“There’s more to Angus than I can put into words,” Whittinger said. “He’s a great leader, a great player and those are the moments where he thrives.”

And as a result the team thrives. From Ducklow to Firthsen to Whittinger.

“It’s a complete team effort,” Whittinger said.

And that effort will bring a state championship trophy over Rabbit Ears Pass and a community that has badly wanted one for nearly 30 years.

A dreamer of dreams and a traveling man. To hoist that state championship trophy, Wittingler and his friends had to chalk up many a mile.

And every second of the journey was worth it.