Battle Mountain boys hockey is undefeated to start the 2025-2026 season
Sloane Thompson/Courtesy photo
Coming off its first winning season in three years, the Battle Mountain boys hockey team has started the 2025-2026 campaign undefeated through its first three games.
The Huskies opened the year with a decisive 4-0 win over Summit on Nov. 22 before tying Caprock Academy 5-5 at the end of the month. Sophomore Grady McGalliard tallied a hat trick to guide the Huskies to an 11-1 win over Rampart at home on Wednesday night.
“Our sights are firmly set on a return to the playoffs to vie for the CHSAA 4A Mountain title,” head coach George Wilson stated in an email to the Vail Daily earlier this week. “Steamboat Springs High School, the reigning champions, will be a formidable opponent, challenging us to give our utmost to reclaim the top spot.”
Battle Mountain finished last season with a 10-8 record, narrowly missing out on making the 10-team 4A state tournament. Mountain League squads ruled the roost last year, with Glenwood Springs, Summit and Steamboat Springs all making the 4A final four. Eventually, the No. 2-seeded Sailors upset top-ranked Glenwood 4-2 in the championship game.
“The overall performance was commendable and helped this team understand how important each regular season game is,” Wilson said.
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The Huskies said goodbye to seven seniors, including captain Connor Wadey, assistant captains Ethan Fronteras and Roman Gennett as well as Mason Darnall, Asher Silberman, Jake Johnson and Gus Wenninger.
“Their legacy fuels our current squad’s ambitions,” said Wilson, who added Jensen Rawlings — a captain on the 2021 state title-winning team — to the coaching staff. Mick Kelly, Luke Grimaldi and Todd Burtar have also returned as coaches. Leading the charge on the ice is senior captain Gannon Sharkey, whom Wilson said is “known for his calm determination and impressive physicality.”
Sharkey leads the team in assists (4) through three games. Assistant captain George Greyson has tallied a team-high four goals so far. Alongside the junior, the Huskies are led by senior assistant captains Nathan Rahe and Reed Garrison. Wilson described Rahe as having “remarkable speed and skill” and said Garrison’s proficiency at “leveraging his strategic insight to influence game dynamics” allows him to get into the right position at the right time to score.
Other veteran leaders include senior Miles Kipp, who is coming off a 4-point outing against Caprock Academy and Evan Humphrey, who hasn’t allowed a goal yet this year between the pipes. Wilson said Trevor Dunn, Brooks Blizzard, Jan Machecak, Palmer Halbakken and Brooks Wenninger are “all expected to play pivotal roles” as well.
The Huskies are back in action Friday against Colorado Springs. They’ll face another early-season test the following day on the road against Glenwood Springs. Battle Mountain returns to home ice on Jan. 2 against Caprock Academy.
