For Cheyenne Mountain, this week’s series against Glenwood Springs felt more like a playoff matchup.

The Red-Tailed Hawks beat the Demons in last year’s 4A state title game and played them twice in the regular season. The programs have become very familiar with one another, making Thursday and Friday’s games postseason-esque.

Glenwood Springs avenged last year’s title game on Thursday, beating Cheyenne Mountain 3-0. And on Friday, the teams played to a 2-2 draw.

“This was marked on the calendar,” Cheyenne Mountain coach Erik Austin said. “Especially coming out of break and having a two-game series, it adds a little bit more. It was a fun two days, for sure.”

The Demons scored a goal in each period on Thursday and the Red-Tailed Hawks never had the offensive rhythm to catch up. But Friday was a “better effort” than Thursday, per Austin.

The first two periods were reminiscent of last year’s title game, when neither team scored in regulation or the first two overtime periods before Cheyenne Mountain scored the game-winner in triple overtime.

Both teams struggled to find chances in the first period and a half Friday, leaving the game scoreless. Finally, Glenwood Springs scored the icebreaker.

That sparked a brief offensive frenzy for both teams.

Cheyenne Mountain’s Andrew Kerchner scored the equalizer moments after Glenwood Springs’ goal, and a few minutes later, junior Donny Lund gave the Red-Tailed Hawks their first lead.

“Just a bunch of teamwork and us working together helped us get going,” Lund said. “We talked each other up instead of putting each other down.”

Glenwood Springs, though, scored in the final moments of the second to knot the game at 2-2.

After that, the offenses sputtered on both sides, thanks largely to outstanding performances from opposing goalies Jeremy Renholm (Cheyenne Mountain) and Marek Senn (Glenwood Springs).

Following Thursday’s disappointing outing, Lund found solace in Friday’s draw.

“We really wanted it, but it’s better than a loss,” Lund said.

Glenwood Springs, 4-0-1, is the No. 1 team in the 4A RPI standings. The Demons have outscored opponents 18-6 in five games. And Friday’s draw was their first non-win of the season.

Cheyenne Mountain (4-1-1) is No. 3, but games like Thursday's and Friday’s should help the Red-Tailed Hawks return to where they’ve been in the past two years: the podium.

“It’s great to see where we need to be and where we are right now so we can work closer to being that top team like we should be,” Lund said.

To get there, though, Austin knows his team will have to improve. The coach said offense will be critical for the Red-Tailed Hawks to compete for another title.

“Our red-zone offense is weak, to say the least, right now,” Austin said. “We’re learning to play hard right now. It’s just the learning process with the new team.

“They showed that they can play there and be one of those teams in the conversation. We just have to keep building on it.”