'Bring the boom': Resurgent PSD Stars hockey team back among state's best on the ice

The Poudre School District hockey program has a new look this year.

Sure, the PSD Stars branding is in its first season after playing under the Fort Collins Lambkins moniker for years.

The change has been tangible but also symbolic. An invigorating reset for a program that experienced a rare 3-13-1 downturn last year, including a winless league record.

The Stars (8-4-1) are proving that was an extremely temporary dip.

Now, they're back among the state's best at No. 4 in CHSAA's Class 5A seeding index, already more than doubling last season's win total nearly a month before the playoffs.

This program is used to winning big. The team went 86-21-8 from 2016-22 while flying under the Fort Collins High School name and made four straight state semifinal runs with two heartbreaking title-game losses.

"We want to make a story," said junior leading scorer Haden Williamson. "We want to make a statement this year, that Fort Collins is still here."

PSD is doing just that. All it took was some in-house growth and reshuffling the deck.

Stars did a 'great job rearranging the puzzle pieces'

Start with the newcomers.

Williamson and senior Vinny Hasara joined the program after largely playing AAA club hockey, while Vaughn Slocum started with the Stars after moving from Las Vegas.

It was a comeback for Hasara, who was on the Fort Collins squad that went 11-1 and made the 2020-21 state championship game.

"Just (Haden and Vinny) coming back to high school was such a massive boost," said coach Riley Nelson. "It changes your roster."

Williamson (10 goals, six assists) has given the Stars a go-to playmaker that was often lacking last year, while Hasara is a defensive enforcer and team leader, perfect for this team's physical style.

Meanwhile, another standout "fell into our lap."

Danny Madlener (four goals, six assists) is an Austrian exchange student with experience playing high-level hockey overseas in Austria and Switzerland.

"We got an email from him and his host parent about wanting to play hockey," Nelson said. "I didn't know anything about him until a few months ago but now I couldn't imagine our team without him."

Madlener's intrinsic hockey IQ is invaluable at the center spot, helping facilitate PSD's offensive attack and defensive approach. He's also been embraced by his Stars teammates.

"We love him," Hasara said. "He’s a big morale guy in the locker room and makes a difference on that first line."

It wasn't just the additions.

The team returned nearly 20 players from the program through the varsity or JV ranks.

Many remember those tough times last year, gaining a maturity and resolve through the losing record.

Upperclassmen like Braeden Kerr, Conner Sledz, Matthew Aldridge, Kody Cadwell and Daniel Campbell have elevated their game alongside the newcomers.

"Sometimes, you’ve gotta go through the trenches to come out stronger," Nelson said.

"Obviously, they were missing some parts last year," Hasara added. "And I think Coach Nelson did a great job rearranging the pieces of the puzzle."

Stars grew up together in NoCo hockey community

Like many sports, hockey in Northern Colorado sits on an in-state island.

That creates both a strong bond among local players and a "NoCo against the world" mentality.

Williamson and Hasara each "grew up around the program," which is closely intertwined with Northern Colorado Youth Hockey out of NoCo Ice Center in Windsor.

They both cited a bond with PSD teammates as motivation for a return to high school instead of continuing club play.

"A lot of us have been playing together since we were 7, 8 years old," Williamson said. "You want to be close to home and go win with your guys. Because we knew what this team was capable of."

The advantages aren't just intangible, either.

The chemistry from playing together young carries over into their switches on the ice, plus in their movement and strategy along the boards.

"That's huge for us, just playing together and knowing we're on the same page out there," Hasara said.

Plus, it brings an added fire against the state's best, who are clustered in the Denver metro area.

"A lot of these teams come in laughing and messing around in warm-ups thinking we're an easier win," Williamson said. "But once that puck drops, we get their respect."

PSD likes to 'bring the boom'

How do they get that respect?

Well, the Stars have an identity, one they've leaned into even harder this year.

"Wreak havoc," Williamson said.

"Bring the boom," Hasara said.

The team takes after Nelson in that way. A former Colorado Eagles legend from 2004-14, he was a team captain and fan favorite for his aggressive style of high-caliber play.

"We're a team that creates chaos and plays physical," Williamson said. "We hit hard and you know it."

The Stars win and die by their bruising style and are among the state's leaders in penalty minutes.

In his third season as PSD head coach, Nelson says that's always the balance.

"That’s our strength, playing hard," Nelson said. "You don’t want to take that away from the kids, but you have to go puck-first the way games are called.

"That’s the fine line; being physical without it costing you."

It has sometimes cost PSD in a micro sense — such as allowing two power-play goals to No. 2 Cherry Creek in a 3-2 loss Jan. 26.

But the Stars have gone toe-to-toe with the state's best again all season long, getting four wins over top-10 competition already.

The slate won't ease up on PSD, with five games left in the regular season, all against top-10 teams.

A major difference from last year? The Stars will be the higher-ranked squad in four of them.

"We're sending a message," Williamson said. "That we're a legit team who can push for the championship."

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado hockey: PSD Stars among state's best again in resurgent season