The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Another stunning success
By Than Acuff
Despite the shortage of refs late in the season, not due to the DOGEbag mind you, the C/B league closed out another successful season on Sunday night as REG battled Ska Brewing through three periods of play and one overtime before winning the 2025 C/B town league title in a shootout.
It was the second shootout of the night as the Talk of the Town took third place after beating GB&T in a shootout the first game of the evening.
Ska Brewing came into the post season tournament the fifth seed out of six teams while REG was ranked third and both teams won a game and tied a game in the playoffs to reach the finals. Pre-game prognosticators gave the edge to REG as they had the top two scorers in the league as well as the comeback player of the year Michael Blunck on their team but there’s a team dynamic amongst Ska Brewing that doesn’t translate to the stat sheet so really, it was anyone’s game.
And it was anyone’s game for three periods in what was certainly the highest paced game of the season in the C/B league, bordering on the speed seen all season in the A/B league.
REG’s strategy, whether intentional or not, seemed pretty clear as they left a player up ice looking to break loose at a moment’s notice. And it played out as hoped early on as REG had two breakaway opportunities early, but their shots missed the mark entirely.
Meanwhile, Ska’s composed team play would soon provide an opportunity as Matt Gutter has a penchant for attacking play and a pass up ice sent him on his horse only to have Blunck dive and sweep the puck off his stick.
Neither team could crack the seal on the other’s goal though as REG’s netminder Ryan Houseman, playing his 256th game of the season between the Crested Butte and Gunnison leagues, and Ska’s goalie Jordan Silva were on point. REG suffered a setback late in the first period when Junior Silva was sent to the sin bin with a penalty and then, somehow, suffered an injury while in the penalty box.
They successfully killed off the penalty, but Ska’s diligence eventually paid off in the final second of the first period when Melanie Whiting and Julie Nania battled for the puck in the corner to feed Jen Moore in the slot and Moore lifted it over a sprawling Houseman for a 1-0 Ska lead.
As the second period started, the crowd had grown to near capacity numbers, and the two teams did not disappoint in entertaining the onlookers. REG started turning the screws during a powerplay to open the second period and while the defense of Nania and Moore staved off two clear chances from REG, the constant attack soon paid off for REG as Gary Huresky slipped a puck up ice to Brian Carney and Carney buried a wrister in the bottom corner to tie the game.
Ska had their chances with players on the doorstep with the puck at their stick but Houseman’s penchant for stacking the pads, sprawling and sweeping denied their chances and REG took a 2-1 lead as Huresky set up Clay Meyer for a goal.
Dan Loftus, showing no signs of fatigue from his Al Johnson race effort earlier in the day, energized the Ska team with his work rate to open the third period. While initial Ska shots were turned away by Silva, Ska would eventually tie the game when Whiting set up Loftus for a goal in the seventh minute of the third period.
Both teams had their chances down the stretch and through the 3v3 overtime format but neither found the game-winner sending the game into a penalty shootout to determine the title. With the first three Ska shooters denied and the first two REG shooters shut down, it came down to Meyer for REG and Meyer delivered scoring on his penalty shot attempt to seal the 2025 C/B league title for REG.
