The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
String of home games this week, weather permitting
By Than Acuff
The Crested Butte Titans lacrosse program just reached another benchmark winning its first varsity game in its first year as a varsity program taking down the Durango Demons 6-4 on Tuesday, March 28.
It hasn’t been an easy start to their inaugural season at the varsity level as weather and rampant illness have hampered the development of the program thus far this year.
“If we had consistency, we’d get better,” says head coach Buck Seling. “But we’re missing eight or nine kids almost daily.”
Regardless, morale was good going into the Durango game. The Titans arrived early to help shake off the lengthy bus ride and to be outside after so much training and play happening in a gym with local fields covered in snow.
In addition, after playing a couple of heavy hitters early in the schedule, Durango offered the Titans an opportunity to compete.
“We’re two evenly matched teams and the game could have gone either way,” says Seling.
The Titans got on the scoreboard first as Brendan Hartigan scored his first of four goals that afternoon, but the Demons responded last in the first quarter to tie the game 1-1.
“We were just feeling each other out a little bit in that first quarter,” says Seling.
Crested Butte then scored two more goals in the second quarter as Hartigan scored again and Blue Gardner scored in the final minute for a 3-1 Titans lead at the half.
“We had some good long possessions in that first half,” says Seling.
Hartigan struck again in the third quarter to put the Titans up 4-1, but Durango clawed their way back into the game scoring the next two goals to pull within one goal midway through the fourth quarter.
The Titans starting trio of defensemen Ty Pulliam, Otto Billingsley and Weston Miller continued their effort and goalie Gavin Fischer came up with a couple of big saves to help quash the Demons’ momentum before Hartigan netted two more goals to help seal the Titans’ 6-4 win.
“Our defense played really well and Gavin had some key saves in the second half,” says Seling. “We’re still not getting a lot of scoring. We’re getting shots off, we’re just not taking good shots.”
Hartigan finished the game with four goals, two assists and led the team scooping up nine ground balls. Fischer finished the day with 10 saves and Fraser Birnie won 10 of 14 faceoffs in the game.
The game had extra incentive for the Titans as they dedicated it to Cruise Verdecchia, a younger player coming up through the ranks in the West Elk Lacrosse club program.
“It was a big motivating factor,” says Seling. “It’s something outside of ourselves and was meaningful that our guys got the win.”
The Titans now have a string of home games lined up, weather permitting. They face Vanguard on Saturday, April 8 at 2 p.m., Durango on Tuesday, April 11 at 4 p.m. and then Montrose on Thursday, April 13 at 4 p.m. All games will be played on the field behind the Gunnison Middle School.
“Hopefully we can string some wins together and improve our play,” says Seling. “If we play competitive lacrosse against these guys, that’ll make me happy.”
