SUMMIT

game across its six regularseason games. With their support, the team won the 2022 West Division Championship, with plans to build on that success this year.

e team kicked o its 2023 season with ve consecutive wins, but lost the next three games by one point each. So, beating the Wind Chill June 24 became pivotal for the team’s postseason plans.

With FOX Sports broadcasting the game, the Summit scored rst and never looked back. e home team took a strong 6-3 lead in the rst quarter, and while the Wind Chill tried to ght back, the Summit’s 8-point third quarter widened the gap further.

Summit co-head coach Mike Lun said the crowd played a big role by energizing the players when they needed it most.

Jonathan Nethercutt, the Summit’s handler, described how amped up the players were, which he believed translated to on- the- eld success.

“Not our cleanest game by any means, but I think we got back to playing in an aggressive way,” Nethercutt continued. “ at’s something that suits our style and our personnel.” e Empire hasn’t lost a game since 2021, but the Summit hopes to change that.

An Empire-sized season finale e Summit has three games left in the regular season, playing consecutive away games June 30-July 1 in Portland and Seattle. en, July 14, it’ll be back in Golden for its regular-season nale against the New York Empire — the reigning AUDL champion.

Nethercutt and Atkins believed July 14 would be a thrilling game, and hoped to draw as many fans as possible to Marv Kay Stadium.

Overall, the two believed the Golden community has really embraced the team, as they’ve seen a lot of new faces at the games and after-parties.

Nethercutt, who recently moved from Golden to Boulder, appreciated seeing his Powder7 coworkers at this season’s home games. Given how the stadium is situated, he said fans can easily spend their afternoons walking along the creek or visiting downtown before heading to a game.

“I think it’s really cool (for the Summit) to be here,” Nethercutt continued. “It feels a little more ‘Colorado Summit’ to be in the foothills, rather than Denver.”

Atkins said it’s a privilege to play for all the Summit fans, whether it’s their rst game or their 11th, commenting, “I just appreciate everyone coming out, and I hope it keeps growing.”