Wolfpack charges through the opening weekend of league play

“Our defense was on”

The Rocky Mountain Youth Hockey League went through a bit of upheaval over the off-season, with the Gunnison Blades leaving to join another league, Telluride and Durango joining forces, and Glenwood Springs entering the fray.
Questions lingered concerning the two new squads and their effect on the league and their talent.
Those questions were answered this past weekend as the Crested Butte Wolfpack hockey team headed to Durango and rattled off three wins— one over Telluride/Durango and two against Glenwood Springs.
The Wolfpack attack was firing on all cylinders in the team’s opening game against Durango/Telluride on Saturday, November 19, opening the game with four unanswered goals in the first period.
Ben Reaman broke the seal four minutes in, Ian Dethloff added a second 30 seconds later on an assist from Sam Reaman and Collin Dill, and Ben Reaman closed the first with two more strikes for a 4-0 lead.
The second period was rife with penalties, though Reaman completed his hat trick for the day and Durango/Telluride slipped a power play goal through.
The Wolfpack finished off the rout with four more goals in the third period as Peter Bright scored two and Sam Reaman and Dethloff netted one apiece for the 9-1 crushing.
“I scouted them in Vail and I thought they were going to bring our kids a game,” says coach John Mortell. “But we were on fire. Once we got those first goals, the other team just deflated.”
The win was more than just offense though, as the Wolfpack defense did a number on Durango/Telluride’s power line.
“Our defense was on,” says Mortell. “They were sweating this one guy and our defense just shut him down. Anytime he came across the blue line, Liam, Ian or someone else was hitting him.”
 Crested Butte got a wake-up call in their next game, skating against Glenwood Springs as discipline and new USA Hockey rules, and their interpretation, resulted in some early penalties by the Wolfpack.
Glenwood took advantage of the Wolfpack penalties to open the game with two early goals.
The team underwent a paradigm shift led by the captains to keep the team focused and away from the negative.
“That’s when the screws turned,” explains Mortell. “They kept it positive and the captains had everyone fired up.”
Ben Reaman then went to work at the start of the second period. After getting free in the opening minute of the second period to score he tied the game 2-2 with an unassisted goal five minutes later, but Glenwood responded 15 seconds after that to take a 3-2 lead into the third period.
“Their goalie was playing well and we had a lot of opportunities,” says Mortell.
Enough was enough though, as the team maintained pressure and Ben Reaman finished the job with three more strikes in the third period for a total of five goals on the game.
“Every one of his goals was on a breakout of some sort starting low with our defense,” says Mortell. “We just kept sending him and they couldn’t keep up with Ben.”
The two teams met again on Sunday and this time, Reaman was marked every time he took the ice.
“They were draped all over him the entire game,” says Mortell.
As Ben Reaman distracted the Glenwood defense, Sam Reaman, Dethloff , Isaac Evans and Emerson Wohlers went to work.
After a scoreless first period, Dethloff put the Wolfpack on the board nine minutes into the second period.
Evans scored midway through the third period and Sam sealed the win with an empty net goal in the final minute. Wohlers got the assist on one of the goals.
“In came the freshman—all four of them had points,” says Mortell.
Goalie Montana Wiggins recorded the shutout, turning away 24 shots by Glenwood Springs.
“He played great,” says Mortell. “He was aggressive the entire weekend and never lost focus.”
About the only thing holding the team back right now is ice time. With one scheduled practice a week right now, Mortell expects the team to truly start clicking once they get a more consistent practice schedule.
“So far it’s coming together because the team has been together, on the same program for one season already,” explains Mortell. “Once we get ice time, I expect the team to get a whole lot faster.”
The Wolfpack return to action in the Gunnison Valley when they compete in the Drop the Puck tournament in Gunnison December 10-11.