The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
“The effort is there for sure, too bad the wins aren’t coming”
[ by Than Acuff ]After what may have been one of the best quarters of lacrosse for the Crested Butte Titans, Fruita Monument went on a heater in the second quarter and eventually finished with a 15-5 win over Crested Butte.
The Titans got back together after the April Break on Monday and coach Carter Brock was psyched with what he saw from his team following the week off.
“We had a good practice, everyone was there which was great to see and we put together a little bit of a game plan,” says Brock.
That game plan came to fruition in the opening quarter as the Titans focused on keeping the ball on offense and remaining patient to create chances. Their play paid off immediately as Luke Walton fired a low shot from distance to beat the Fruita goalie for a 1-0 lead. Crested Butte’s defense handcuffed Fruita Monument on their possessions and got the ball up field for the Titans to set up shop again and Walton scored a second goal for a 2-0 lead.
The penalty bug then bit the Titans toward the end of the quarter and Fruita Monument capitalized to score one goal, but Crested Butte finished the opening quarter up 2-1.
“We were possessing the ball, playing smart and playing confident,” says Brock. “It was good lacrosse.”
Fruita Monument then went on a heater in the second quarter scoring in the opening minute to tie the game and kept on rolling to score nine goals over the course of the quarter before Walton scored late leaving the Titans down 10-3 at halftime.
“They started spreading us out on defense and taking the one-on-one match ups,” says Brock. “The boys were just exhausted in the second quarter.”
The Titans kept the energy high in the third quarter and Brock used the situation to mix things up for the team.
“It was an opportunity to try some new things and play some other players,” says Brock.
Crested Butte’s effort slowed the Fruita Monument attack down somewhat and Crested Butte had the final two strikes of the game in the fourth quarter as Walton netted his fourth goal of the game and goalie Mason Colucci played a long pass to Dawson Eastep who beat two players to score but Fruita emerged with a 15-5 win. Fraser Birnie ended up winning all but one faceoff all game long.
“I liked how we were just sticking to the game plan,” says Brock. “But, just like any coach, I didn’t like the silly turnovers and subbing at the wrong time. You gotta do the little things right for 48 minutes.”
The Titans head to Telluride on Thursday, April 24 to face the Miners and then host Summit on Tuesday, April 29 for Senior Night. They wrap up the season on Saturday, May 3 when they head to Glenwood Springs.
“The effort is there for sure, too bad the wins aren’t coming,” says Brock.
