The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
There’s a new Red Army in town
by Than Acuff
Sean Hartigan must be one of the happiest guys in town. I mean, he usually is anyway, but these days he must be even happier. His Kansas City Royals just won the World Series, his Kansas City Chiefs went on an 11-game winning streak before falling to the New England Patriots last weekend in the divisional playoffs and he has amassed one helluva town league team this year. Suffice it to say, there’s a new Red Army in town and it’s the Last Steep.
They play fast-paced, wide-open hockey that leaves teams spinning in their skates. Still, with all of their talent from who knows where, REG still managed to make it a game before falling 6-5.
I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it again, but it may have been the best town league game ever.
As I mentioned, the Last Steep opened the game flying but REG had the first say as Kris “Bruunatic Fringe” Bruun skated to net and looked to pick the near post. Roan Perschke made the initial save to push the puck past the post but Bruun followed and played the rebound off the back of Perschke’s pads and in.
The Last Steep evened it up 40 seconds later as Pat O’Hara scored off a rebound and then set up in the REG zone to fire at will for a majority of the first period. REG goalie Zach Vandyke took the pummeling in stride, turning away a majority of the shots, but both Jake Grogg and Kevin Williams managed to find seams in the Vandyke wall for a 3-1 Last Steep lead.
REG remained diligent in their tasks though, and waited for just the right opportunity to counter. That chance came in the closing seconds of the first period as Dodson Harper broke free to chase down a loose puck. Perschke came off his line to swipe it clear but Chris Hensley followed to finish it off and cut the Last Steep lead down to one.
REG continued to hold off the Last Steep barrage in the second period. Miller put the Steep up 4-2 two minutes into the second period but REG responded when Kurt Olson received the puck in the high slot and dropped it to Todd Carroll at the point for a low blast through traffic, rattling the Last Steep net.
The Last Steep then took complete control as both Williams and O’Hara scored to rebuild a 6-3 Last Steep lead heading into the third period.
Vandyke continued to stand on his head in net in the third period despite the six goals, to keep the game within reach and REG started picking its way back into the game. Perschke proved stout in net as well to hold off REG until the final minute as Bruun netted two goals in the final 45 seconds, but time ran out on the heroic effort and the Last Steep finished with a 6-5 win.
