Two weeks ago, the Miners Red’s 2024-25 season came to a close. While no team wants theirs to end with a loss, the season was full of success for a program accustomed to just that. Park City ran through Utah competition all winter, going undefeated on their way to a second-straight state title. A fter that title, the team readied for the National Championships, where they made program history and a name for themselves nationwide. The Miners Red became the first Utah team to advance to the championships’ elimination rounds in head coach Mike Adamek’s 13-year tenure. They defeated teams from Washington and Kentucky to advance out of group play, winning their do-or-die third game without Adamek, due to a suspension he served because of team penalties. Park City fell in the championships’ quarterfinals to a team out of West Virginia. The Waterloo Warriors out of Iowa walked away with the 1A division title. “One of our goals for a while was to make it to the quarterfinals,” said Adamek. “Once you make it to the quarterfinal, you’re still disappointed when you lose. But, I think after being home for days now, myself, Tom (Gatta, assistant coach) and the kids are probably pretty proud of what we did.”Adamek loved how his kids fought at the tournament when faced with tougher and bigger competition. He would’ve liked them to be a bit more disciplined at times, but nonetheless the team got to have this experience, and the program will benefit moving forward.Adamek said the depth of the Miners Red is what helped them compete with the nation’s best. While the team will lose 11 seniors, players from the Miners White team will largely replace them. That team ended the season ranked fifth in the state. The Miners Red had 14 players score points at the championships. “We’ve been talking about the depth on this team for six months, at least,” added Adamek. “I think that was our biggest strength when it came to Utah high school hockey league.  … I think that really came to fruition again at nationals.”In Park City’s two losses, the team committed 26 penalties, which Adamek referred to as “embarrassing.” He and some of the players will have further suspensions to serve in their next USA Hockey contests. Adamek knows he has to be held accountable for the actions of his players. Adamek said watching the team’s third game from the stands was “1,000 times” harder than coaching. He wasn’t even allowed to join them in the locker room as they celebrated making it out of their group.“I can’t say enough about the 11 seniors we had on the team this year,” said Adamek. “Those kids were able to play together for most of their lives. They were able to accomplish a couple unbelievable things.”Adamek said the underclassmen were quick to thank the seniors and promise they’d keep the program in good shape following the quarterfinals loss. Many around the program believe next year’s team will have the same potential to go undefeated in Utah and make a run at the championships. Senior captain Will Bock said he loved the championships experience and was proud of what his team was able to accomplish. He said the team spent every second together on the trip, frequenting a nearby mall when off the ice. “I can’t think of a better way to end my high school career,” said Bock. “That was awesome. … It’s crazy to think about the brotherhood, relationships and memories that we have created.”Bock said the team gathered in a hot tub in Irvine after their final loss, reminiscing on their favorite memories together from over the years. He feels they did the program proud and agreed that next year’s team has all the potential in the world. “I think next year we’ll have a strong program as well,” added Bock. “We’ve got a lot of strong juniors that’ll be seniors next year. They’ll do great, like they showed this year.”The post Miners Red make their presence felt at nationals  appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less