The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Fan base growing at Big Mine Ice Arena
Huge props out to the Crested Butte Parks and Recreation crew led by Pete Curvin for their work at Big Mine Ice Arena.
The crew is in the midst of a January heat wave and yet continues to provide one of the finest sheets of ice, if not the finest, at altitude.
All the while the public continues to bad-mouth the facility. Just so you know, while you’re inside at home complaining about Big Mine Ice Arena and eating a hot home-cooked meal, the crew is out there filling holes by hand to ensure a quality sheet of safe ice and keeping the Zamboni running with a faulty alternator.
Buy those guys a beer next time you see them or just drop by the rink with a 12-pack in hand.
Also, just so you know, Midget AA hockey clubs in Minnesota are still playing on outdoor ice, without glass, and doing just fine.
Anyone see the irony in the fact that even the NHL has started hosting an annual game outdoors?
That said, let’s turn to Town League action under starry skies at Big Mine Ice Arena between Mikey’s Pizza and the Last Steep on Tuesday, January 20.
Last Steep goalie Josh Bock did what he could early on to hold off a continuous barrage of shots from Mikey’s Pizza, but there was little he could do when Doug Swift followed on a rebound to poke in the first goal of the game.
Steep forward Pete Cook looked to pick the far post early in the second period with a blistering wrist shot but Mikey’s goalie Reed Schaub saw it all the way, to push it wide with the blocker.
Jess Eaton held tough at the blue line for Mikey’s Pizza to hold the puck in the Last Steep zone, offering up numerous opportunities on goal.
The effort paid off as the pressure had the Last Steep collapsed in front of their net when the puck squirted out to Chris Eaton at the point. Eaton took one look and fired a low slap-shot through traffic that Bock never even saw, giving Mikey’s Pizza a 2-0 lead.
Moscatelli spun his way through the slot to score the third goal for Mikey’s Pizza, but the Last Steep finally found the net with four minutes remaining in the second period.
John Chandler charged off the point to get a shot off, but Schaub made the first save. Drew Walden crashed on the rebound to push it through, breathing life into a Last Steep comeback.
Swift and Tom Vulich connected in the waning minutes of the second period to snuff the Last Steep comeback before it could even get started, to put Mikey’s Pizza on top 4-1 after two periods of play.
Despite the effort of Last Steep player Steve Banks, Mikey’s Pizza connected for three more goals in the third period, Chris Macarak fed Eaton for his second goal of the game, Molly Frame charged on a rebound for Mikey’s sixth goal of the night and team owner Mike Larsen buried a wrist shot to cap the 7-1 Mikey’s Pizza onslaught.
