Durkin shines bright, stands tall in net for champion Spud Kings

IDAHO FALLS — “They can’t win if they don’t score” is one of the most well-known adages in sports.

Spud Kings goalie Charlie Durkin personified that last week, guiding Idaho Falls to its first ever NCDC Dineen Cup Championship. Durkin was dominant all week, holding opponents to a single goal in 196 minutes of game time.

The South Shore Kings, whom the Spud Kings faced twice during the championship series, were a prolific scoring team all NCDC playoffs, scoring 27 goals over nine games played (3 per game) against opponents not from Idaho Falls. They went 8-1 in those games.

But their success, and per-game scoring average, was skewed heavily by Durkin and the Spud King defense, which held the reigning champs to one score in two head-to-head games.

RELATED | Spud Kings take early lead then hold off South Shore to win the Dineen Cup title

South Shore scored seven in knocking out the Northern Cyclones and Mercer Chiefs in two games between their showdowns with the Spud Kings.

Durkin, a 19-year-old Illinois native, saved 96 of 97 shots faced (.990) during the championship series — which also included a shutout victory over Mercer.

Following a brief celebration on the ice, Spud Kings general manager Erik Hudson spoke about the “really long journey” from inception three years ago, and a 15-1 loss in the team’s first NCDC game, to champs.

“When that final buzzer rang — it’s, kind of, surreal. I’m just happy for the guys,” Hudson said. “Nothing can really describe the feeling in your heart, right now.”

The interview is available to view in its entirety — here.

Winning the Dineen Cup was the team’s “only goal” all season long. The Spud Kings were never focused on making the playoffs, or winning the Mountain Division — they wanted to bring a cup home to Idaho Falls.

Easton Edwards, who scored the game-winning goal in the first period, also spoke about the “amazing” feeling of lifting the cup.

“We were confident all the way through,” he said. “We knew we were going to win.”

The Mountain America Center is working on plans to host a championship celebration. EastIdahoSports.com will provide details about that celebration when they are made available.