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Steamboat Springs — A strong finish to the season proved enough to give the Steamboat Springs High School hockey team a boost into the top half of the 16-team state championship bracket.

The eighth-seeded Sailors, fresh off a 2-0 win Saturday against Palmer, will play Peak to Peak at 8:10 p.m. Friday at the Family Sports Center in Denver.

"I was hoping for a seven seed, but I figured we'd be eighth," Steamboat coach Jeff Ruff said Sunday.

Peak to Peak, located in Lafayette, finished sixth in the Foothills Conference. The team was 8-9 on the season and wrapped up that campaign Friday with a 5-1 loss to Summit.

Steamboat beat Summit, 8-4, in December.

Although Steamboat hasn't met Peak to Peak on the ice for several seasons, Ruff said he's been asking around and thinks he has a good idea of what to expect.

"I've got video coming from the Regis coach and the Aspen coach to help us out," Ruff said. "From what I've heard talking to other coaches, I think we'll do very well with Peak to Peak."

Regardless of what Peak to Peak brings to the ice, Ruff said the same fundamentals now are more important than ever if his team is to add a few more wins this season.

"We need to go out, work hard, and if we do, we should be successful," Ruff said.

Wrestling brackets released

The Class 2A state wrestling tournament brackets were released Sunday.

Several of Hayden's nine qualified wrestlers are among the top seeds in their weight classes.

Hayden freshman Chad Terry, wrestling at 103 pounds, will face Tanner Watkins, of Cripple Creek. Terry won his weight division at Saturday's regional wrestling tournament in Palisade and enters the state tournament, which runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with a 28-8 record. Watkins is 19-17 on the season.

Senior Mitch Doolin, at 160 pounds, will face Jason Dominguez, of Sargent. Doolin, also a regional champion, is 28-5 this season. Dominguez is 9-13.

Senior Coy Letlow, 32-3, will wrestle Josh Larson, of Fleming, who is 22-9. Scott Armbruster, 14-18, will wrestle at 119 pounds. Nick Williams, 12-18, is at 125. Mich VeDepo, 22-7, is at 130. Koleman Williams, 7-19, will wrestle 145. Jake Magee, 20-11, is in the 152-pound bracket, and Treyben Letlow, 29-5 and second in his division at regionals, will wrestle at 215 pounds.

Soroco's Lauryn Bruggink, second in the 103-pound division at regioanls, will face Steven Velasquez of Center. She's 14-11 on the season, while Velasquez finished 27-10.