Titans’ soccer battles through season opening tournament

Road trip takes its toll

The Crested Butte Titans high school soccer team officially opened the 2010 season with the Classical Academy Tournament Friday and Saturday, September 3-4 in Colorado Springs.
The tournament draws teams from the Front Range and offers the Titans a glimpse of what is going on in big city soccer.
The past two years, the Titans fell one game short of a title bid, coming in third place—they were looking to break the habit this year.
Unfortunately, they opened the tournament Friday night under the lights against host team and Front Range powerhouse Classical Academy.
Classical Academy opened the game in complete control of possession, hammering away at the Titans net.
The Titans’ back four were scrambling to pick up players and senior keeper Ben Frame was pounded with shots. Despite the heroic efforts of both Frame and the Titans defense, the relentless pressure ultimately broke through for three strikes in the first half, setting the Titans back 3-0 at halftime.
Oftentimes the game can go horribly south from here, resulting in an embarrassing 8-0 crushing, or worse.
Fortunately, the Titans remained strong and Frame had a stellar night in net finishing the game with 16 saves. Outside midfielder Mick Osmundson battled vomit-inducing muscle cramps to remain in the game and fight on the outside.
The Titans worked hard to offer up two chances in the second half to cut the lead, but both attempts missed their mark.
Meanwhile the defense stayed tough, giving up just one goal in the second half as the Titans fell to Classical Academy 4-0.
Following five hours of sleep, the Titans regrouped to take the field against Alexander Dawson early Saturday morning.
Starting keeper Frame was sidelined with an ankle injury from the night before and freshman Montana Wiggins was called into action.
Both teams slept their way through the opening 10 minutes until junior Titan striker Luis Aguirre broke free to push the ball to the lower corner for the Titans’ first goal of the game and season.
Two minutes later junior midfielder Ben Reaman slipped through traffic to score on a corner kick from senior Henry Linehan.
Alexander Dawson cut the Titans’ lead in half on a free kick but Crested Butte responded five minutes later when freshman Pharwit Durgan slipped a pass through to Linehan and Linehan drilled the shot to the far post for a 3-1 Titans lead at the half.
Reaman netted his second goal of the game off another corner kick from Linehan for a 4-1 lead to open the second half. Sophomores Cal Fenerty and Dylan Curtiss each struck from 20 yards out for two more Titans goals as Crested Butte cruised to a 6-1 win and earned one last game in the tournament.
The effort Friday night against Classical Academy finally caught up with the Titans in their final game of the tournament against Weld Central. Weld Central brought a physical game to the field and beat on the Titans all game long.
Wiggins had a stellar game in net to hold Weld Central scoreless in the first half and the Titans broke the scoreless tie in the opening minute of the second half when Reaman fed Linehan for the first goal of the game.
But as time wore on, the Titans wore down, with five starters eventually sidelined with injuries and Weld Central netted two late goals to emerge with the 2-1 win.
The Titans are on the road this week but will play their opening home game on Saturday, September 18 at Rainbow Field against two-time league champion Ridgway. Kick off is at 11 a.m.