The Glenwood Springs Demons varsity hockey team watched their title dreams drift away Monday night, swallowed by the tide of Steamboat Springs Sailors in the 4A CHSAA State Championship.

The No. 1 Demons met the No. 2 Sailors at the University of Denver’s Magness Arena on Monday night, falling just short of hoisting their first state title banner. Steamboat Springs rode the momentum to a 4-2 victory in the 4A CHSAA state championship. The Demons had beaten the Sailors by a combined score of 7-1 in two matchups earlier this season.

“It hasn’t really set in yet,” junior Brady Luetke said. “To have all the work we put in — six days a week, every week since June — just ripped out of our hands like that. Sitting in that locker room was tough. Everyone was just so torn apart.”

Both teams battled from start to finish, but despite outshooting Steamboat by eight, Glenwood couldn’t get enough breaks to turn the tide.

“I honestly felt like we played better,” Luetke said. “We had more shots, but the puck didn’t go our way tonight. You can’t always have that. The bounces just weren’t there for us. I guess it depends on the game, but I thought we played our hearts out.”

Senior captain Jacob Roggie tied the game early in the second period, taking a pass from freshman Weston Jacober and firing it past the Steamboat goalie to make it 1-1.

Then came the storm.

Steamboat struck twice in just 12 seconds midway through the second period, flipping a tight contest into a 3-1 Sailors lead in an instant.

“The bench was pretty quiet during that moment,” Demons assistant coach Bryan Gonzales said. “They were trying to rile each other up, telling each other that they’ve been here before. Staying positive was the main thing, and no one gave up. No one felt defeated.”

Glenwood fought back late in the second period, cutting the deficit to 3-2 with 1:30 left. Luetke took a feed from sophomore Cash Hilgeford behind the net and slipped it past the goalie’s left skate, sending the Glenwood crowd into a frenzy.

“I was just grubbing down low, came around the net, and snuck it through,” Luetke said. “I felt like I was there for a reason, and we could pull it out after that.”

The Demons battled through every second of the third period, but Steamboat delivered the final blow with three minutes remaining, anchoring their lead and igniting their fan section.

“I saw a lot of hard work,” Gonzales said. “I thought we outworked them most of the game, but we just didn’t have any luck today. Sometimes you just don’t win a game.”

For Glenwood head coach Tim Cota, the loss was another painful near miss. The Demons have made two state championship apperances in the past three years, holding the top seed in the tournament each year.

“We wear that Demon on our chest to show the Glenwood spirit, and we know our town has our back,” Luetke said. “I just love this team, all my teammates — we’re a family. I have to give all the credit to Coach Cota. He’s the best coach I’ve ever had and the best coach I’ll ever have.”

The Demons will look different next season after saying goodbye to 10 seniors Monday night. With glossy eyes, Gonzales reflected on his veteran defensemen, who made his job as defensive coach “easy.”

“We had arguably four of the best defensemen in the state, and coaching this entire senior class over these past four years has been such a pleasure,” he said. “I will never forget these guys. They made my job really easy and a lot of fun.”

Despite the heartbreak, Glenwood’s younger players got valuable experience. Thirteen underclassmen played key roles throughout the season, fueling hopes for another deep run.

“We are going to use this as motivation,” Hilgeford said. “I think this might be what we need to push us over the hump.”

Freshman goalie Issac Zevin kept it short and simple.

“We will be back,” he said.