The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Willy Miller nets game winner in final minute
by Than Acuff
Hockey continues to take hold of the Gunnison Valley, edging closer and closer to the same calendar as the NHL season. The latest incarnation of local hockey, the Monarch Cup, kicked off on Sunday, October 23 as Crested Butte faced Gunnison for the first of six games spread out through the 2016-2017 season.
The Monarch Cup is the brainchild of West Elk Hockey Association director Joey Otsuka. Since Otsuka got to the valley a little over two years ago, he noticed a level of talented adult players looking for a competitive outlet not seen since the old Pigs, Storm, Northerners, Cutters days, all the while stoking the rivalry between Crested Butte and Gunnison.
His brainchild came to fruition with the creation of the Monarch Cup and Sunday did not disappoint, as the Crested Butte team came back from a three-goal deficit to edge out a 7-6 win in the final minute of play.
It was an auspicious occasion and while the stands at Jorgenson Ice Arena were far from packed, the day did draw the attention of the local hockey fans, including Jim Browder, former professional goalie.
As was to be expected, the game opened a bit disjointed as several players from both teams had not been on their skates since March of last year, and the younger crew set the pace of the game from Gunnison.
Their pace paid off four minutes into the game when Mike Spallone hustled back on defense to break up Crested Butte’s odd man rush and then helped turn the puck back up-ice. Gunnison charged forward and Dylan Storz set up in the slot for a pass. His initial shot was turned away by Crested Butte goalie Devon Carillo but Storz jumped on the rebound and roofed the puck for a 1-0 lead.
Crested Butte tied the game five minutes later, but Storz and Spallone each netted one to put Gunnison up 3-1. Crested Butte came right back three minutes later when a shot by John Barron from the point flew wide of the net and off the boards. Mike Lauerman seized the opportunity to skate in on the loose puck and punch it past Gunnison netminder Ryan Taylor to close the lead, but Gunnison had the last say of the period as Storz struck again for a 4-2 Gunnison lead.
Crested Butte struck first in the second period when Deuce Wynes picked the near post two minutes in, but Gunnison then took over, rattling off two more goals. The first goal came when Gunnison caught Crested Butte pressing high and broke up ice ahead of the Crested Butte players. Jack Greene took the puck and fed Luke Johnstone for the goal and Shane McGuinness capitalized on a power play three minutes later to give Gunnison a 6-3 lead heading into the third period.
Given the youth of Gunnison and the lead, it looked as if they would skate to the win. But during the break, the teams agreed to play a longer 20-minute period in the third and that made all the difference in the world. After being a step off through most of the first two periods, Crested Butte regrouped and came out in the third faster and better than ever.
Gunnison held off the Crested Butte surge for the opening 10 minutes but when Chris Faust jumped on a rebound and scored, the momentum started to swing for good. Seven seconds later Lauerman blasted a slapshot over the shoulder of the Gunnison goalie to then cut the Gunnison lead down to one. Carillo came up with two huge saves down the stretch for Crested Butte to keep the game tight and Crested Butte tied the game up on a power play when John Fitz fed Faust sneaking in off the point and Faust finished to tie the game 6-6 with two minutes left in regulation.
Crested Butte spent the remainder of the game on attack, pinning Gunnison in their zone and the difference came with 40 seconds left in regulation as Joe Erikson found Willy Miller parked on the far post and Miller stuffed the puck through for the win.
The Monarch Cup will continue all winter long, with the two teams set to meet next in Gunnison in November.
