Summit Tigers girls hockey wins Colorado state championship with historic season

Best record in the league’s regular season? Check. League playoff win? Check. State championship? Check. A spot in the record books? Check. 

The Summit Tigers 15U girls hockey team finished the year with a monumental season that’s never been seen in the club’s history, assistant coach Matthew Peacock said. The girls’ state championship is the first for the Summit Youth Hockey program, and it was thanks to a close-knit team that was never daunted. 

“One of the identities of our team is that these girls never gave up — like all season long,” Peacock said. “No matter what game we played, our girls never quit.”

The tenacity was on full display in a state playoff game against Arvada, where the team trailed 2-1 for the first two periods before a pivotal moment in the third and final period of play. Peacock recalls using a timeout to explain how he wasn’t worried because the girls were playing solid hockey, securing a majority of shots on net. 

“I told the girls, again, I’m not worried about this game,” Peacock said. “Ladies, you’re playing incredible hockey. It’s going to pay off here in the third period. Sure enough, it did.”

The team ended up scoring a power play goal that was quickly followed by another goal, allowing the Tigers to win 3-2 and advance to the semifinals. That confidence stuck around, and the team faced Arvada again in the semifinals only to beat them 5-0. 

It led to a championship game against a Steamboat team playing some of its best hockey of the entire season, Peacock said. 

“Neither team wanted to lose,” Peacock said, noting the game was chippier than usual and quite physical. 

The Tigers were up against a “phenomenal” Steamboat goaltender, but they won 2-0, securing the championship on March 8, 2026. 

While Peacock commended the whole team for its success, he said the team’s captains played a monumental role in the historic season. The coaches decided to name captains quickly, giving them a chance to be leaders and mentors, and it paid off. 

The team had four captains, with Kaitlyn Valenti as the main captain. 

“Her leadership — she led by example, and everyone really looked up to her,” Peacock said. “She was a huge reason that we did so well. … She definitely had some clutch plays, goals and assists.”

The three other assistant captains — Lily Collier, Killoren Caldwell, and Adeline Michalski — also played key roles in the program’s success. Michalski spent countless hours outside of practice honing her skills and setting an example for the rest of the team, and Collier and Caldwell found their fifth gear in games, helping the team find momentum to overcome many challenges. 

“They were a huge, huge asset to us in the playoffs and throughout the whole season,” Peacock said. “We wouldn’t be the team that we were if it wasn’t for them.”

Other girls that played key roles included Emma Sutherland and Lily Ford, who both play defense. Though they kept the other team from scoring goals, they also were shot-makers themselves. 

“Emma really was a backbone for the whole team. … Lily Ford has incredible stamina and energy. She never wears down,” Peacock said. “(She) can just keep going and going, just like Emma. … Those two were super important to all of our W’s in our whole season.”

The Tigers’ goalie — Kayla Stewart — also played a standout season. 

“She had more shutouts, I think, than anyone had up here,” Peacock said. “Defense wins championships, and if it wasn’t for our defense in goaltending, we wouldn’t have achieved what we did.”

Teresa Cerny scored the most points all season.    

“There were games where (Cerny) would just put the team on her back and end up winning games for us,” Peacock said. “(She’s) probably one of the best forwards we’ve seen up here.”

Other teammates included Sadie Valenti, Olivia Sheill, Sienna Rudolf, Katie Radgowski, Cameron Olthoff, Aria Oliver, Rowan Lutke, Gemma Lovell, Veronica Hammer and Alice Grabham. 

The team’s coaching staff included head coach Brian Gard and assistant coaches Matthew Peacock, Calvin Taylor and Elle Dice. Margaret Caldwell was team manager, and Summit Youth Hockey’s administrators included director of operations Cody Aidala and director Chris Miller.