What started out as a season of high hopes for Metro hockey came crashing down in a way only Murphy’s Law can explain.

At the end of the fall semester, Metro lost nine players, seven were academically ineligible and two had to leave for personal reasons. Those players included five of their six top scorers. The damage spread from the roster to the locker room and onto the ice as Metro has scored 13 goals in their last seven games since Dec. 11. The opposition has scored 82 in the same span.

The game against the University of Denver Jan. 29 was representative of the previous six as the ‘Runners lost 14-4. Team captain Turner Bahn had a goal and an assist, while forwards Montana Loundagin, Kyle Obuhanick and Michael Walker each had a goal. Forward Steve Call also had two assists.

“It’s not fun to lose your top scorers like that. I am the only one left,” Bahn said.

Metro added seven players during the spring semester, but nevertheless, a net loss of two
players does not tell the whole story. The missing talent speaks greater volumes than the quantity of players lost. One of several notable losses was last year’s leading scorer forward Dan Golden.

“I knew it was going to be bad, but I didn’t know it would be this bad,” head coach Ryan Callahan said. “We don’t have the talent. We will keep 10 guys for next year if we’re lucky.”

Callahan and Bahn were only expecting to lose two or so players until the last minute bombshell at the end of the semester. Now with only three games remaining, Metro will have to rebuild and recruit for next season.

“We had chemistry at the beginning of the season but now we lost it. We have to start all over again. I lost all my line-mates,” Bahn said.

The Roadrunners will play Feb. 5 against Utah State University at the Edge Ice Arena in Littleton, and Feb. 6 against the University of Northern Colorado at the Ice Haus in Greeley. They will finish out the season Feb. 12 against the University of Utah at the Edge Ice Arena.