The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
One more tournament to go
The West Elk Wolverines fell one goal shy of complete domination of the Colorado Prep Hockey League (CPHL), losing in a shootout to the Boulder Bison in the league tournament finals. The second-place finish left the Wolverines wanting more and they look to close the season out with the CAHA high school state tournament this weekend.
The Wolverines finished the regular season on top of the CPHL league standings with a record of 10-0-4 and were the number one seed heading into the post season. They carried that momentum in the first round of the league tournament cruising to an 11-2 win against the Columbine Junior Eagles on Friday, March 6. While the expectation was that the game would be easy, coach Joe Otsuka reminded players of their plan for the easy opening tournament draw.
“I told the kids that we just have to go out there and stay in our framework,” says Otsuka. “We were able to display our game during the whole game. I think the kids did a really good job.”
Sam Reaman opened the scoring three minutes into the game and the Wolverines closed the first period scoring three goals in two minutes as Isaac Evans and Josh Wallin each scored and Reaman netted his second of the game for a 4-0 lead.
Wallin scored two more in the second period, Ethan Shaw added two goals as well and Nicholas Koch scored, while the Wolverines gave up two goals to Columbine. Reaman completed his hat trick in the third and Brady Wilson joined the offensive onslaught capping the 11-2 win with a goal in the third period as well.
With that easy opener out of the way, the Wolverines returned to the ice on Saturday, March 7 to face their new league nemesis, Cherry Creek. The two teams faced each other in a double header just one week prior and the Wolverines came away with a win and a tie but not without some contention. While the Wolverines had an easy game in their first showdown, Cherry Creek boosted their roster for the second game to tie the Wolverines.
Otsuka did some number crunching prior to the Cherry Creek game and discovered that their goalie, when peppered with shots, tends to start giving up goals. As a result, Otsuka laid out a fairly straightforward plan for his team.
“I realized that if we get 36 shots, we’re going to get four, maybe six, goals,” explains Otsuka. “So I told the guys, let’s make a commitment to get 36 shots and we do that through puck possession, seeing lanes and seeing the shooting lanes.”
After an initial 10 minutes of scoreless hockey, the Wolverines broke the seal scoring two goals in one minute. Ethan Shaw and Gage Meredith teamed up to set up Wallin for the first strike while Reaman scored off an assist from Ian Obanion.
Cherry Creek took advantage of a power play situation four minutes into the second period to pull back into the game and another goal by Cherry Creek could have swayed the momentum but the Wolverines remained undaunted in their drive. Seven minutes into the second period the Wolverines rebuilt their two-goal lead as Evans scored off an assist from Reaman and the Wolverines were sitting comfortably on a 3-1 lead heading into the third period.
Continued effort and quality play from the Wolverines would seal the win during the third period. While the back of the net proved elusive for the first 10 minutes of the third period, it was really just a matter of time and that time came with another two-goal in two minutes outburst. Obanion finished on an assist from Reaman and Jordi Nichols capped the Wolverines’ dominating 5-1 win, scoring off another assist from Reaman. In the end the Wolverines ended up with 40 shots to Cherry Creek’s seven.
“They brought a really good team and we did a really good job,” says Otsuka. “We probably had the puck 70 to 80 percent of the game. We went out there and executed to the T.”
With two wins under their belt, the Wolverines took to the ice on Sunday to face the Boulder Bison in the league tournament finals. The two teams met twice during the regular season with the Wolverines winning both games but Boulder had a short bench for both of those games. When they met in the finals, Boulder brought a full squad with a league tournament title on the line.
What ensued was one of the most hotly contested games of the season for the Wolverines as the two teams traded the lead three different times in regulation before being decided in a shootout.
