The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Focus on development
The Titans high school spring soccer team dropped their first two games of league play in Montrose on Saturday, April 4.
Spring soccer started for the Titans just two weeks prior to the opening weekend of games and consisted of three workouts indoors. While numbers are strong for the Titans at 22 players, touch remains rusty and fitness somewhat dubious. In addition, the coaching staff of the spring team uses the season to hone in on developing younger players and experimentation with the older players.
As a result, expectations were somewhat tempered heading into the games on Saturday, especially since the team would be facing two of the top teams in the Western Slope Soccer League.
They kicked off against Glenwood Springs Ice, who were fresh off an 11-0 crushing of the Montrose “B” team earlier in the day and often prove to be some of the more talented players the Titans see.
Excitement to play outside on grass carried the Titans through the first ten minutes of play as Patrick Seifert and Noah Dumas worked well in the midfield to bridge the gap between the back four and strikers Alden Watkins and Justin Smith.
The early surge paid off ten minutes into the game when Dumas received a throw-in 30 yards out, turned to catch the Glenwood net minder off his line and floated a shot over his head and into the far corner for an early 1-0 lead.
Glenwood responded five minutes later to capitalize on a Titans turnover in their defensive third and tied the game up 1-1. Glenwood also sank a corner kick three minutes later, and accepted a Crested Butte own goal to take a 3-1 lead by halftime.
With the Titans coaching staff shuffling in players to get them experience at a higher level of play, Glenwood dominated possession and set up shop on the Titans’ half of the field. Veteran defenders Thomas Taaca, Nate Hoskin and Henry Sunter proved strong in the final third and goalie Abram Nute turned away a number of Glenwood shots to keep the game from getting out of hand.
Unfortunately, Crested Butte suffered a second own goal to put Glenwood up 4-1 midway through the second half and with the Titans offense somewhat disjointed, counterattack chances were limited to nonexistent.
Nevertheless, the Titans battled to keep things from getting too out of hand and held off the constant barrage of Glenwood’s attack, eventually falling 4-1.
The Titans then stepped out of the pan and into the fire to face an extremely talented Montrose “A” team an hour later. Montrose spent a majority of the first half in complete control of the game. Oliver Houseman and Seifert provided the few highlights at midfield with hustle and composure on the ball and Taaca, Hoskin and Sunter got the Titans out of several jams, but the relentless pressure proved too much over an extended period of time.
Montrose built a 2-0 lead early in the second half and then erupted to score four goals in a span of 15 minutes. Smith continued to work hard up top and his efforts resulted in a penalty kick with 15 minutes left in regulation. Smith converted on the play for the Titans’ lone goal of the game and Montrose finished the game with possession play to finish the game off well in control with a 6-1 win.
The Titans take a break from action for the next week as they head into their April break and then will return to league play back in Montrose on Saturday, April 25.
