The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Face Hotchkiss Thursday
Complacency continues to plague the Crested Butte Titans soccer team but the hope is that after an overtime win this past weekend, they can ramp up their play for the rest of the season.
The Titans have a habit of letting off the throttle after scoring the first goal in games. Their rollercoaster effort has resulted in two draws and a loss in their last three games.
“It’s the M.O. [modus operandi] of the Crested Butte Titans,” says coach Mike Martin. “They play hard when they want to. The head coach and I are trying really hard to squash their inability to be intense 80 minutes a game, all season long.”
On Saturday, September 24 they were headed in the very same direction once again as they faced league opponent, the Pagosa Springs Pirates.
“Morale was kind of low,” says Martin. “Lower than we expected it to be.”
Pagosa brings intensity for every minute of every game, every time the two teams meet.
The Titans came off a solid practice on Friday and were looking to shake off their latest overtime tie and return to their winning ways.
They opened against the Pirates setting a fast pace and attacking the flanks for numerous crosses but the passes slipped by the front of the Pagosa net untouched.
Fifteen minutes into the game, the Titans finally connected as junior Jesse Reeves carried the ball down the sideline and sent a low, hard cross into the Pirate penalty area.
A Pirate defender got a touch on the pass to deflect it but senior Ben Reaman was crashing the far post and stuffed the ball through for a 1-0 Titans lead.
Pagosa Springs took the game over for a majority of the first half, attacking the Titans net for several set play opportunities.
The Titans defense held off the attacks and Crested Butte carried their 1-0 lead into halftime.
The Pirates maintained pressure on the Titans through the second half as Crested Butte struggled to find their possession-oriented style of play. Pure hustle was the difference as the Pirates battled for loose balls and fought through 50/50 challenges to take over the game.
Their efforts paid off in the 65th minute when they converted on a direct kick from 25 yards out to tie the game 1-1.
The goal woke the Titans up and they took back the momentum for the final 10 minutes but they failed to put the game away and headed into overtime for the third time in the past four games.
Sick of kissing their sister and determined to turn their season around, the Titans opened the first half of extended play with renewed energy.
They pushed the pace from the opening kick-off and 90 seconds in, senior Colin Dill broke free up field.
A Pirate defender hustled back to shut him down but Dill cut the ball back and fired a shot to the low corner beating the Pirate keeper for the 2-1 Titans win.
“We came away with the ‘W,’ which was a good morale booster,” says Martin.
The Titans get another opportunity to hone their intensity against non-league opponent Hotchkiss on Thursday, September 29 at 4 p.m. at Rainbow Field. They return to league play on Saturday, October 1 when they host Bayfield at 1 p.m.
