The Miners Red hockey team have secured the top seed in their prep school-affiliated playoffs, which are set to begin on Monday.
Park City went 14-1 this season to secure the top seed, only falling to East on Oct. 6, a loss they avenged on Nov. 19.
The Miners Red are chasing their third-straight state title. The team would also like to make a run again at the national championships, which they need to win the title to qualify for and potentially beat the school-unaffiliated title winners.
Park City will open up playoff play on Monday against the eighth and final team to make the bracket in Farmington at 8 p.m. at the Accord Ice Arena in West Valley City. The Miners Red haven’t played Farmington yet this season.
“I don’t know a whole lot about Farmington,” Miners Red Head Coach Mike Adamek admitted. “I know that they have at least one high-end player on their team.”
Farmington’s Joshua Kelley has the seventh most points in the state this season with 42. Park City star Mitchell Berry sits third in the state with 45.
“Obviously, we’re the one seed; they’re the eight seed,” he added. “And, there’s a reason for that, but it’s playoff hockey and we don’t want to take anyone or anything for granted.”
Adamek called playoff hockey a “different animal.” He said he knows his team to be better on paper, but said players either rise or falter to the occasion.
“We don’t know exactly how our team is going to react,” Adamek said. “But, I have a lot of confidence in our team. … I don’t care who we play in the playoffs.”
Adamek is confident in his team’s recent run of form. They badly wanted to avenge the East loss and set themselves up well for the playoffs by winning out in the regular season, which they did. With the top seed, the Miners Red avoid having to play East or Brighton Navy, the two and three seeds, respectively, until the third round of the playoffs.
Wyatt Nellis and Hunter Hutchison are two more Park City players to keep an eye on this postseason, scoring 29 and 27 points, respectively, this season.
“The team is playing really, really well right now,” Adamek said. “Little bit of a break from school and hockey. It’s going to be on the coaches and players to get back at it as soon as possible. We only have, I believe, one or two practices before our first playoff game, so we’re going to try and go super high intensity.”
Adamek said he is a bit confused and miffed that his team didn’t receive any home playoff games this season as is customary as a top seed. The Miners Red will be looking to prove they can take care of business against any team, anywhere. If Park City wins on Monday, they’ll advance to round two to take on the winner of Herriman and Skyline on Jan. 12.
“We were under the impression that the No. 1 seed would get home playoff games and that didn’t come to fruition, but it is what it is,” Adamek said. “We can’t control the scheduling and where they put us, but we’ll control the outcome of the game. … Sorry for you guys, but we’re going to take it out on you.”