Coop finishes with a flourish

Suns MVP Matt Cooper bows out with 'Eclipse Bowl' wins

Sun Valley Suns goalie Matt Cooper, the one indispensable player during the recently-completed Suns ice hockey season, enjoyed a proper sendoff to his Campion Ice House career March 17-18 in Hailey.

In his final games before dedicating himself to a new business initiative, Cooper stopped 70 of 73 shots over two nights as the Suns won the “Eclipse Bowl” title for 2023 with rousing 6-2 and 7-1 victories over the Moon Mountain Moon skaters from the North Shore of Massachusetts.

Suns head coach Ryan Enrico said, “Coop’s finale. A Great Sun. Once a Sun, always a Sun.” Enrico added that Cooper earned the “Eclipse Bowl” Most Valuable Player award along with the “George Jacket” and “Cub’s Cap” nods for the finale.

Cooper also sang the national anthem, a cappella without musical accompaniment, before the St. Patrick’s Day game with the Moon. Then he went out and helped the deep Suns stretch their season-ending winning streak to seven games and wrap up a successful 21-3 campaign.

The Suns defense back-stopped by Cooper allowed only nine goals in the last five games of the season.

Line-mates Justin Taylor and D.J. Robinson led the Suns offense with five points apiece against the Moon. The Suns ended the season outscoring opponents 154-69, thanks to a diversified offense that had 15 players with points against the Moon.

Top scorer Nick Curry (28 goals, 25 assists for 53 points) had two goals as did Taylor (19 goals, 17 assists for 36 points) in the 7-1 romp.

Seventh-year goalie Cooper, 31, from Duluth (Minnesota) East High and the ACHA Iowa State Cyclones in Ames from 2012-15, finished his final two Suns seasons with a cumulative 26-3 record. He was the ironman Suns goalie this season boasting a 19-2 mark and 2.69 goals-against average, with 701 saves.

Cooper ranks among the top-five Suns goaltenders of all-time with a 54-17-1 record and .750 winning percentage from 2016-23. His winning record is second to Suns pioneer goalie Charlie Holt (57-12-3 and .792 winning percentage 1975-79). Dan Nee, Ryan Thomson and Tony Benson are the other top goalies.

A total 1,035 spectators watched the Suns and Moons play hockey. The Suns spectator season tally finalized at 9,181 for 18 home games to date, averaging 510 a game.