On December 10, the Fort Collins Hockey Team lost 3-0 to the Monarch Coyotes, marking their first home loss in over 20 months.

The Lambkins had difficulty possessing and handling the puck as Monarch controlled the flow, causing Collins’ offense to come to a standstill. The Coyotes kept shooting the puck and forcing goalie Noah Winbourn to make several key saves. Collins weren’t able to hold off Monarch for long, as they scored late in the first period to take a 1-0 lead.

Fort Collins increased their offensive attack in the second period, putting more pressure on the opposing goaltender. Collins even got several breakaway opportunities, but were unable to score. The intensity ramped up, as the teams started to get more aggressive and involved after the whistle was blown. This resulted in matching ten-minute misconduct penalties, resulting in both teams having to adjust to a shortened bench for a long period. Monarch would score late in the period again, demoralizing the Lambkins as they would head into the locker room down 2-0 after two periods.

The third period was a slower, more calculated game. Monarch started to play tough defense, not worrying about scoring as Collins started to scramble, looking to break their shutout. The Lambkins would get the perfect opportunity, as the Coyotes took a five minute penalty late in the period, giving Fort Collins the man advantage and more opportunities to score. Collins were unable to capitalize, as Monarch scored a goal on the penalty kill, putting the game out of reach.

This game after Fort Collins suffered a tough road loss, losing 5-0 against Denver East earlier in the week. The Lambkins were able to rebound, defeating Centaurus 7-2 on December 11. Collins will look to build momentum as they will play back-to-back home games against Heritage on the 14th and Steamboat Springs  on the 17th.