Talk wins battle of the Barmuda Triangle to open season

2011 town league hockey season under way

What a night to open the 2011 town league hockey season. Temperatures hovered in the high teens with light snow falling from the sky and both benches were packed with players fired up for the opening game of the season between the Talk of the Town and the Eldo, two corners of the infamous Barmuda Triangle in downtown Crested Butte.
Several of the players were coming in fresh off stints in the Gunnison Fall League and the CB South Beer League so the level of play far exceeded what is typically seen on opening night.
Especially from the Talk of the Town who opened the game on fire rattling the Eldo cage early.
The two teams spent a majority of the opening four minutes sussing each other out before a strike from Talk standout Steve Reska broke the scoreless tie in the fifth minute.
The Eldo responded with a minute-long flurry of shots capped by some smooth stick work by Hank Deroche to open himself up for a shot but Talk goalie Brad Bodell was lights out in net.
Reska struck again in the sixth minute of the first period shutting down a two-on-one attack by the Eldo to take the puck up ice and flick a shot near post for a 2-0 Talk lead.
Kevin Bramwell added another Talk goal a minute later. After spending a majority of his shift falling, Kevin kept himself upright enough to find the back of the net for a 3-0 Talk lead.
The Eldo saved some face in the final 20 seconds of the first period when Jack Gibbons stripped the puck off a Talk player and found Deroche breaking free through neutral ice with a pinpoint pass. Deroche skated straight to net and beat Bodell one-on-one for the Eldo’s first goal of the game.
The Eldo continued to pepper the Talk goal in the opening minutes of the second period and closed the Talk lead down to one on a no look wrist shot from Bob Piccaro off the pipe and in.
But the comeback was quickly closed down as the Talk erupted for another three-goal assault.
John Wirsing battled at the blue line to keep the puck alive on offense and set up Howard Tuthill for his goal.
Reska completed his hat trick a minute later and Kevin followed a shot by brother Rob Bramwell to net his second goal of the game in the final ten seconds giving the Talk a 6-2 lead heading into the third period.
Tuthill, one of three category five players (category one being the worst and five the best) on the Talk roster, scored his second goal of the game on a break away with a stall move to stuff the puck top shelf.
Rob capped the Talk attack in the ninth minute of the third period scoring on another breakaway for an 8-2 Talk lead.
The Eldo closed strong as Rachael Miller fought to win the puck behind the Talk net and feed Paul O’Connor in the high slot. O’Connor picked the upper triangle clean and the Eldo surged for the final minute but Bodell closed his first town league hockey game in net strong with a big save in the final seconds sealing the 8-3 Talk of the Town win.