Rocky Mountain Trees skates past Bliss

Two days in and I’d say it’s a success

By Than Acuff

I’ll admit it’s a little too early to tell, but from what I saw Monday night and from what I’m hearing on the street, the new two-league format of Crested Butte town league hockey looks good so far. Not only that, but it was single digits cold out for the opening weekend, so it appears everything is back to normal.

The new look of Crested Butte town league hockey started on Sunday, January 7 with the inauguration of the C/B league (basically a less serious recreation league) as REG, aka the schoolteacher team, faced the Talk of the Town to open the 2024 season.

The C/B league was created to bring back players to town league who left when the league started getting faster and more competitive. The idea is such a success that five teams are registered, and it even brought Jack Turner’s second cousin Jack Walker into the fold as an official.

That same C/B league energy continued into the first game Monday evening as REG returned to the ice to face CB Electric and shook off their opening 5-1 loss to the Talk with a 2-0 win over CB Electric.

Then the A/B league took to the ice in the second game Monday night for their season opener with a showdown between Rocky Mountain Trees and Bliss Chiropractic. The A/B league provides an opportunity for the better players in the valley to compete without the ramifications of running over a newbie. Not only that but there are no scoring limits on players so the best players on the ice are allowed to score at will, but with everyone having at least two of the best players on the ice each game, that probably won’t happen.

Pre-game prognosticators gave the edge to Bliss, and it appeared that way one minute into the game as Ethan Jervik tipped in a shot by Jake Laramie for a 1-0 Bliss lead. But as the game continued, and finally sped up, Rocky Mountain Trees started taking control. With Eric DiMarco in net and a game plan committed to protecting the house, Rocky Mountain Trees started to set a faster pace and take control tying the game four minutes into the first period when Ryan Fitzsimmons skated straight to net, Nicholas Mikeska denied the chance but Zach Bever was there to score on the rebound.

Thirty seconds later Mike Preston finished off an assist from Mitch Bever for a 2-1 Rocky Mountain Trees lead but both DiMarco and Mikeska came up big in net in the final four minutes of the period to keep the game close heading into the second period.

Bliss came out stronger in the second period and came close to tying the game back up but the team effort of Rocky Mountain Trees on defense proved impenetrable. Rocky Mountain Trees then stepped up their effort midway through the second period relying on heavy forechecking to create turnovers. The switch proved fruitful as Oliver Houseman scooped up a loose puck and fed Ethan Johnson for a third Rocky Mountain Trees goal. Two minutes later Mitch set up Preston and Rocky Mountain Trees was up 4-1 and in control.

Bliss Chiropractic did recover to respond in the final 16 seconds of the second period as Jervik scored his second goal of the game off an assist from Laramie and they looked to climb closer with another strong opening to the third period.

Their effort eventually backfired though as Rocky Mountain Trees transitioned wide off a Bliss attack and a cross ice pass from Houseman found Dylan Curtiss flying up the opposite wing and Curtiss scored for a 5-2 Rocky Mountain Trees lead.

Bliss did capitalize on some cherry picking when Laramie slipped a pass up ice to Jervik all alone in neutral ice and Jervik scored but when Bliss pulled their goalie, Zach scored an empty net goal to finish off Bliss 6-3.

You can catch all of the town league hockey action Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at Big Mine Ice Arena.

Good to be back.