The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Injuries and illness hamper Pack
The Crested Butte Wolfpack finally got a chance to host a league game at Big Mine Ice Arena—and they made the most of it, handing the Gunnison Blades “B” team a 7-2 loss on Wednesday, January 21.
It took just 37 seconds for the Wolfpack to capitalize on the energy of their home ice as Sam Evans struck first with an unassisted goal.
The Wolfpack defensemen set up shop at the blue line to keep the puck in the Blades’ zone and continue the peppering. The Blades broke through for a shot on the Crested Butte net, but goalie Zach Van Dyke, as he often does, made the save.
With a renewed break out and faster passing, the Wolfpack continued to push the puck through the neutral zone with relative ease.
Evans found Holleran hovering behind the Blades defenders with a pass through the neutral zone, and Holleran pushed the puck to his right before firing a blistering wrist shot shoulder-high, giving the Wolfpack a 2-0 lead.
The Blades connected midway through the first period when Quinn Zamora found Trevor Macallister open high in the slot for the quick blast.
Four minutes later, the Wolfpack took advantage of a sluggish line change by the Blades when Holleran carried the puck up ice as Blades players shuffled off the ice.
Holleran carried the puck straight to net, played it off the goalie’s pads right to Evans, crashing the weak side for the rebound goal and a 3-1 Wolfpack lead.
Thirty seconds later, Holleran broke free to score, giving the Wolfpack a 4-1 lead at the end of the first period.
Evans netted two more goals in the first two minutes of the second period, pulling the Wolfpack ahead 6-1 before Zamora found the back of the net for the Blades’ second goal of the night.
The two teams traded rushes through the third period with no result until Holleran took a pass from Jake Grogg to score a shorthanded goal finishing off the 7-2 Wolfpack win.
Unfortunately, illness and injuries plagued the Wolfpack as they hit the road for two games against Moffat County on Saturday and Sunday, January 24-25.
Crested Butte had only eight players, half of whom were healthy, when they took the ice against Moffat County on Saturday. Van Dyke was shelled in goal facing a total of 40 shots and the scant numbers proved too much for the Wolfpack to overcome, losing 5-0.
The Wolfpack continued to struggle with limited numbers for Sunday’s game dropping the second meeting with Moffat County 8-0.
The Wolfpack returns home to Big Mine Ice Arena to host Durango on Saturday, January 31 with games at 4 and 7 p.m. and will then face the Gunnison Blades A team at Big Mine Ice Arena on Wednesday, February 4 at 7:30 p.m.
