The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
There’s a new Eaton in town
There’s a new Eaton in town. Years ago, Mike Eaton moved to Crested Butte, causing a stir throughout the local hockey ranks. His smooth style and long pants started the rumor mill with claims that he moved to Crested Butte after a stint competing in a professional roller hockey league on the East Coast.
Mike left town last year but has since been replaced by his brother, Chris Eaton. Same smooth style, same long pants and perhaps a little faster.
Unfortunately, the work of Chris on town league hockey team the Troutfitter could do little to stop the onslaught by the Eldo on Thursday, December 27 at Big Mine Ice Arena.
The Eldo has some serious talent of their own winning their first town league game 8-2 over the Talk of the Town and then returning to the ice to win their second game of the season over the Troutfitter 5-2.
The Troutfitter opened the game strong, rattling the Eldo cage with shots from Bill Frame and Dom Eymere but Eldo goaltender Tom Brother came up with a series of early saves to keep the game notched in a 0-0 tie.
The Eldo switched gears midway through the first period applying some aggressive fore-checking in the neutral zone to disrupt the Troutfitter’s offense.
The effort of the Eldo paid off six minutes into the first period when Paul O’Connor flicked a puck through traffic from the point that slipped by Troutfitter goalie Jay Harris, for a 1-0 Eldo lead.
The Eldo added a second goal with three minutes left in the opening period of play when Bob Piccaro found Guy Cuilla in the slot for the tip-in.
Cuilla struck again with 24 seconds left in the period, winning a face-off in the Troutfitter’s zone and skated to goal for the stuff, giving the Eldo a 3-0 lead.
The Troutfitter opened the second period much like they did the first, firing shots at the Eldo net but failing to get any opportunities in close.
Again, Frame connected from the point with a slapshot, but Eldo goalie Brother made the save. Troutfitter player Jess Eaton, sister of Mike and Chris and equally solid, unleashed a blistering slapshot from the point, but Brother was there again and no one from the Troutfitter was there for the rebound.
The Troutfitter continued to hammer the Eldo net all period long but to no avail. The Eldo responded to the barrage nine minutes into the second period when John Starr crashed the flesh pile in front of the Troutfitter net to push the puck past Harris, to give the Eldo a commanding 4-0 lead.
The Troutfitter found the back of the Eldo net in the third period when Frame stripped the puck off an Eldo skater and carried it to net for the Troutfitter’s first goal of the game.
A flurry of penalties by the Troutfitter left them skating two men down, but the work of Harris in net and the Troutfitter’s players held off the Eldo attack until Cuilla struck again.
Cuilla broke through for a one-on-one with Harris, but Harris denied the first attempt. Cuilla gathered the rebound, circled around and shot again. Harris was in position but the puck hit off a Troutfitter’s skate and slid by Harris for a 5-1 Eldo lead.
Jess offered the Troutfitter some last-minute heroics, skating the puck up the boards past two Eldo players, as the Eaton’s are apt to do, and fed Doug Swift in the slot for the Troutfitter’s second goal of the game, but time ran out, leaving the Eldo with the 5-2 win.
