Titans’ soccer open season with 2-0 scrimmage win against Aspen

Head into teeth of the lion this weekend

The Crested Butte Titans high school soccer team closed out their preseason workouts with a team hike, followed by a scrimmage against Aspen.
While in past years the team hiked West Maroon Pass to face Aspen in Aspen, this year the Titans stayed in the valley to traverse Scarp Ridge to the summit of Mt. Emmons on Friday, where they gathered to vote in seniors Nolan Blunck and Ben Reaman as captains for the 2011 season.
“It was a great team-building experience,” says coach Mike Martin.
The Titans then took the field on Saturday to host the Aspen Skiers, giving Martin and coach Than Acuff a glimpse of how the team was looking.
“We were hoping to get a good feel of what kind of talent we had,” says Martin.
The Titans looked sluggish through the first 15 minutes of the game, apparently still fatigued from the hike the day before.
Nevertheless, the efforts of a handful of individuals led by Blunck helped the Titans maintain control of the game. Senior strikers Luis Aguirre and Colin Dill worked hard up top to find some gaps in the Aspen defense, but struggled to establish any teamwork.
Twenty minutes into the first half, Aguirre slipped through Aspen’s back four to chase down a loose ball and drive it past the charging Aspen keeper for a 1-0 Crested Butte lead.
The Titans held onto their slim one-goal lead into the second half when Aguirre struck again, taking a pass inside the penalty box and driving it top shelf for a 2-0 advantage.
Fatigue set in on both sides but the Titans numbers helped maintain fresh legs on the field as they closed with a 2-0 win—their first win over Aspen.
“We saw some good points but learned that we need to work on defense, pressuring the ball and movement,” says Martin. “It wasn’t the strongest Aspen team we’ve faced, but a win is a win.”
The Titans head to the Front Range this weekend for the annual Titan Cup tournament at Classical Academy. The tournament brings in some of the top 3A programs from the Colorado Springs area and will give the Titans and their coaching staff an even better idea of how the team is progressing.
Their first home game is Tuesday, September 6 against Montrose at Rainbow Field. The varsity plays at 3 p.m. and the JV at 5 p.m.