The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
“They’re seeing the results of practice and the path forward”
By Than Acuff
It’s almost always a tough start to the season for the Crested Butte Titans hockey team as they face programs that have spent far more time on the ice to prepare. This year is no different as the Titans opened with home games against Standley Lake out of Westminster and Colorado Academy on Friday and Saturday, November 21-22, dropping both. Nevertheless, coach Paul O’Connor was far from despondent following the opening weekend.
“I saw what I wanted to see, good things happening,” says O’Connor.
The Titans held their own against the Standley Lake Gators through the first two periods. The Gators scored first but the Titans closed the first period with a powerplay goal as Jake White spun to fire the puck in sending the teams into the locker room tied 1-1.
While the penalty bug bit the Titans in the second period, Crested Butte remained resolute in their play and despite the numerous minutes playing one, and sometimes two, men down, they gave up just one goal to stay within striking distance of the Gators heading into the third period.
All of that hard work killing penalties, paired with some adjustments made by the Gators, led to a scoring outburst from Standley Lake as they netted three goals in the opening four minutes of the third period to skate away with a 5-1 win. Titans’ goalie Ryder Church finished the game stopping 44 of the Gators’ 49 shots.
“They beat us off the rush and found a way to get behind our defensemen,” says O’Connor. “We had a penalty problem and too much time in the box creates chaos.”
The Titans looked to regroup the following day as they took on Colorado Academy. Again, the Titans looked solid against a well-disciplined and technical Colorado Academy team closing the first period tied 0-0 with just one Titans penalty. Crested Butte remained on point through the first six minutes of the second period as well, but penalties started cropping up again and Colorado Academy seized on the opportunity to score five goals, two during powerplays.
“Those quick goals caused some undisciplined play,” says O’Connor.
Crested Butte settled down during the break between the second and third periods and came out giving up just one goal, and one penalty, and scored during a powerplay when Floyd Sedunov assisted Ethan Suazo but eventually fell 6-1.
“Overall, I saw some good stuff during our powerplays and they were moving the puck better in the second game,” says O’Connor. “That lets me know we are progressing. They’re seeing the results of practice and the path forward. It’s just the undisciplined play that gets a hold of us. We need to play more strategically than emotionally.”
Crested Butte has a break from games over Thanksgiving but will be back in action and at full strength at practices with players returning from injuries and then hit the road for two games the first two weeks of December.
“We will be back to full strength so that may change up some things,” says O’Connor. “It’ll be interesting to see how we deal with playing on the road. Sometimes that helps bring the team together.”
