Los Alamos topper hockey team played host to the Telluride Lizard Heads Friday night at the County Ice Rink. Ben Rees had the first goal in the first period. He scored another goal in the second period. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com 
Jake Dunwoody gets the puck past the Lizard Head goalie in the first period. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
Los Alamos goalie Sam Fisher takes a stick and puck to the mask, but some how made the save, finishing with 40 saves in all. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.comThe Los Alamos Hilltopper hockey steam struggled in a pair games against the Telluride, Colorado Miners and the Durango, Colorado Devils, going 0-3- 1 over the weekend.
Telluride entered the weekend 8-2- 1 on the season with a pair of home wins over the ‘Toppers on their resume. The Miners picked up a pair of wins at the Los Alamos County Ice Rink with a 7-4 win on Friday night and a 9-4 victory on Saturday morning. The Miners outshot Los Alamos 103-37 in the two games.
Saturday, Telluride got out to a quick start when Nicholas Denisik scored a goal 10 seconds into the first period. The Miners would dominate possession for themajority of the period but were never able to find another scoring opportunity.
With just over two minutes left in the first period, Los Alamos broke through the Miner zone to pelt the Telluride goalkeeper Caleb Hobbs with three shots on goal before Jake Dunwoody snuck one into the net off a rebound, tying the match at 1.
The Miners found early success in the second period when Wynton Brown netted a pair of goals 90 seconds apart. The first goal, off a break away, sailed past ‘Topper Goalkeeper Zach Brown, and his second off a rebound put the Miners up 3-1 with just over 14 minutes left in the period.
Los Alamos won the ensuing faceoff, setting up a Jared Carnes breakaway goal to get the ‘Toppers within one at 3-2.
Both goalkeepers made plenty of saves to keep the game scoreless for 12 minutes, but none were bigger than the save Hobbs made off a penalty shot late in the second period. ‘Topper Tyler Weiss found himself on a breakaway before being tripped by a Miner defender to earn the penalty shot.
Much like in the first period, with just over two minutes left in the second, Telluride would strike again. This time it was Garrett Loebe from 30 feet out smashing the puck past Brown and giving the Miners the 4-2 lead going into the break.
The wheels fell off during the third period for Los Alamos. Telluride would score three goals within 13 minutes to take a 7-2 lead. Sam Borap led the charge, scoring off a rebound, followed by a pair by Wynton Brown to pick up the hat trick. Weiss stopped the bleeding when he found himself behind the net and scored off a wrap around shot to pull the ‘Toppers within 7-3.
Telluride picked up another pair of goals, the latter coming off a Borap goal on a power play with just over five minutes left, to give the Miners the 9-3 lead.
Dunwoody picked up his fifth goal of the season for Los Alamos with just over a minute left off a deflection by Hobbs for the 9-4 final.
The ‘Toppers followed up the two game set with Telluride by hosting Durango in a two game set. Los Alamos earned a 5-5 tie Saturday night, and dropped an 8-3 game early Sunday morning, despite outshooting the Devils 17-11.
The ‘Toppers are back in action Friday night when they host Cibola in an 8 p.m. contest at the Los Alamos County Ice Rink.
Jake Rutten makes a big effort to redirect the puck in the second period. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
Sam Fisher gets a face full on snow from the Telluride skater, but made the save. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
Ben Rees helps Sam Fisher defend the Topper goal. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
Tyler Weiss and the Telluride players battle for the puck near the blue line in the second period. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
Ben Rees keeps the Telluride player pined to the boards so he can make a play for the puck. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
Sean Mitchell reaches over a Telluride player to try a shot at the goal. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com