Air Academy junior middie Derek Law picked a great time to score his only goal Tuesday night.

Law scored the game-winner with 7.8 seconds remaining to lift the Kadets to a dramatic, 7-6 victory over Chaparral in a Colorado High School Activities Association game.

Coming out of a timeout, Law took a feed from senior middie Parker Price and fired home a bounce-shot from about five yards to give Air Academy (1-0) a win in its season opener. It was Price’s second assist of the game on a play head coach Mark Shriver drew up during the timeout with 14 seconds remaining.

Senior attackman Kellen Miller finished with a game-high four points on three goals and one assist, and junior attackman Erik Behr had two points on a goal and an assist for Air Academy. Sophomore attackman Adam Rowland and junior middie Trent Riefstahl each scored once to round out the offense.

In defeat, Eric Haines had a co-game-high five points on two goals and three assists for Chaparral (0-1), which dropped its season opener.

Air Academy led 1-0 at the end of the first quarter, the Kadets led 2-1 at halftime and it was a 3-3 game going into the fourth quarter. The two teams then combined to score six goals in the final 12 minutes, with Law’s buzzer-beater capping the evening.

“Last year, we opened the season with them and lost by two,” Shriver said. “To come up to their stadium and return the favor felt great.”

MONARCH 5, EVERGREEN 3

Tyler Thorson scored a game-high three goals to lead the Coyotes to a win in their season opener.

Kyle Doner and Dylan Ritger each added goals, and Nathan Puldy had an assist for Monarch (1-0), which escaped a tight defensive battle.

Monarch led 4-0 at halftime, but Evergreen (0-1) battled back hard to keep it surprisingly close.

Afterward, Monarch head coach Dave Auday said his team must improve, especially on offense.

“My offense is going to be in big trouble tomorrow,” Auday said. “We threw the ball away a bunch, and we just didn’t make the plays offensively. Our defense smothered them.”