The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Top of A/B table packed
By Than Acuff
While the Eldo and Lacy’s Construction are currently tied at the top of the A/B league standings with records of 4-1, Kochevar’s is lurking just below in third place and continued to pressure the top spots with a 4-1 win over Alpine Lumber on Monday, January 27 in town league hockey action at Big Mine Ice Arena.
Kochevar’s netminder, playing his 15th game of the past week or so, Ryan “Deny’n” Houseman and Alpine Lumber’s goalie Nicholas Mikeska were the difference between a 4-1 game and what could have easily been a 10-9 scoreline as there were three of the top four scorers in the league on the ice.
Kochevar’s franchise players Isaac and Sam Evans were the first to test Mikeska as both fired shots off early in the first period only to be turned away. Don Turner for Alpine Lumber returned the favor moments later as he skated to net only to have Houseman make the initial save as well as the rebound save losing his stick in the process of going full commit.
Both Houseman and Mikeska continued trading off saves until the eighth minute of the first when Sam Reaman set up Dodson Harper for a 1-0 Kochevar’s lead. Houseman continued his acrobatic ways in net channeling his legacy of local youth sports playing goalie in soccer and catcher in little league and by the close of the first period it remained anyone’s game for the taking.
Defensive efforts then were the toast of the first two minutes of the second period as Oliver Houseman sprinted back to disrupt a one-on-one from Reaman and Jeff Snyder did the same to shut down Cole Hanson.
While mostly back-and-forth hockey ensued, Kochevar’s eventually set up shop in Alpine Lumber’s defensive zone and a series of passes found Jack Seiver open in the slot and Seiver stuffed it past Mikeska for a 2-0 Kochevar’s lead. Four minutes later Harper netted his second goal of the game breaking loose up the ice and slotting the puck through the five-hole on Mikeska.
Yet, just when Kochevar’s was in position to blow the game even wider, or is it more wide, open, Alpine Lumber had the last say of the second period as Oliver found what the roster says is Kent Preston open and Preston shot wide, followed his own miss off the back boards and scored in the final minute.
Alpine Lumber jumped out in the opening minute of the third looking to pull even closer to Kochevar’s with an odd man rush, but Isaac’s defense stalled the attack to preserve the Kochevar’s two-goal advantage.
Turner for Alpine Lumber continued his wide-open high-speed skating ways looking to create when he took on three Kochevar’s players and spun for a shot just wide of the net. Reaman had a chance to put the game out of reach when he took on Mikeska one-on-one only to have Mikeska deny his triple move attempt. One minute after that though, the third time was the charm as a pinpoint pass from Isaac to Reaman up ice sent Reaman loose again and Reaman went with a quick wrister rather than a series of moves to score for a 4-1 Kochevar’s lead which held until the final horn.
