The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Face Gunnison this Friday night
By Than Acuff
After falling on the road to the Delta Panthers last Friday, the Crested Butte Titans soccer team opened their new turf field in fine form with a win over the Salida Spartans on Monday, September 8.
After a couple of down years, Delta is back and a 3A force to be reckoned with that always presents a non-league challenge for the Titans and they proved a troubling opponent once again.
The Titans came out a bit lethargic and a couple of team breakdowns opened the door for the Panthers and they took advantage taking a 2-0 lead by the end of the first half.
“We didn’t start with the urgency we needed,” says coach Matt Wilson. “Delta punished our mistakes early, and we struggled to connect in the final third. Credit to Delta because they were organized and took advantage of the chances we gave away.”
The halftime break allowed Crested Butte to regroup, and they came out in the second half far more organized and matching Delta’s pace. After a couple of close chances, the Titans finally broke the seal when Magnus Sandusky ran onto a pass up the middle and slid it across to Shawn Moran for him to bury it. Crested Butte kept pressing throughout the second half, but the Panther defense and keeper proved stout as Delta hung on for the 2-1 win.
“The response after halftime was stronger. The boys tightened up defensively and created better chances, but we were still a little rushed and never quite found our rhythm and composure to get back into the match,” says Wilson. “Losses are always tough, but they reveal what needs work. We saw flashes of quality in the second half and learned lessons about starting sharper and executing under pressure when chasing the game. We’ll use it to get better moving forward.”
The Titans were then in the spotlight on Monday, September 8 when they hosted the Salida Spartans for the first game on their new turf field in front of a big crowd. The Spartans are coming into the 2025 season having reached the state finals last year and getting numerous players back from their successful 2024 season, so Crested Butte knew they were in for their toughest test of the season.
The Spartans took immediate control of the game from the opening kickoff with quick play and tidy touches throughout the first 15 minutes. Crested Butte’s defense stood up to the test and as the game wore on, Crested Butte started to match Salida’s play, and they turned a short goal kick into a driven pass up field to striker Max Naughton. Naughton took the pass and slid it to Moran and Moran carried it straight to goal to score for a 1-0 lead. Eight minutes later, Moran struck again as a foul in the penalty box gave the Titans a penalty kick and Moran converted for a 2-0 lead.
“We knew Salida would come out flying, so we waited patiently for our moments,” says Wilson. “Then once we settled in and found our rhythm, the boys started dictating the tempo. Our mid-block and quick transitions flipped the momentum.”
Crested Butte carried their energy through the final 10 minutes of the first half to take a 2-0 lead into halftime against an opponent that could undo the advantage in a moment’s notice. Fortunately, the Titans showed no signs of slowing down and they scored 90 seconds into the second half as another quick transition got the ball to Sandusky’s feet up field, and he hit Moran with a pass for Moran to finish for a 3-0 lead.
Crested Butte continued their patient effort defensively and counterattack efforts and when Naughton served up Moran again, Moran netted his fourth goal of the game for a 4-0 lead in the 60th minute.
The Spartans responded with a goal but, moments later, Will Harpel clipped a long pass diagonal pass to Wyatt Cook and Cook drove to the goal to beat one defender and finish for a 5-1 lead.
Salida did have the last say with a second goal, but Crested Butte closed it out for a 5-2 win in their first game on the new field.
“At halftime we emphasized the importance of staying focused and not letting up,” says Wilson. “The boys stayed aggressive, trusted the buildup and kept creating chances. On our new home turf, there was a lot of energy and belief, and that helped us finish the job with a commanding result.”
It doesn’t get any easier for the Titans this week as they head to Gunnison to face the Cowboys on Friday, September 12 at 7 p.m.
“Gunnison is always a battle, and with the rivalry growing, we know they’ll be hungry,” says Wilson. “Playing them under the lights on their field will be a tough test. We expect a physical, high-energy battle, and we’ll need to match their intensity from the first whistle if we want to come away with a result.”
Crested Butte ends the week-long, early season test back on their turf when they host Fountain Valley on Saturday, September 13 at 4:30 p.m.
