The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Senior Night game Thursday, February 12 at 7:30 p.m.
By Than Acuff
The Crested Butte Titans hockey team kept their post season hopes alive with a 5-3 win over the Aspen Skiers on Saturday, February 7 and look to keep the momentum rolling into their final regular season game on Thursday, February 12 in Gunnison at 7:30 p.m. for Senior Night.
The Titans handed the Skiers a 7-1 loss earlier this year in Aspen but expected a much tougher challenge the second time around as the two teams have quite the ski town rivalry.
The Titans were handed a blow during warm-up as they lost second line forward Cobin O’Connor to an injury tasking the coaching staff with some last-minute adjustments.
“It was a rattler for sure,” says coach Paul O’Connor. “It took us off our game plan as we had to figure out who would move into his spot. He’s a top six player.”
An Aspen five-minute penalty 55 seconds into the game offered a chance for the Titans to strike early and they threatened right off the bat as Emery White’s shot pinged off the post 15 seconds into the powerplay. But chaos eventually ensued for the Titans as they struggled to find their footing during the powerplay until four minutes in when Jackson Moore won a faceoff in Aspen’s zone and dropped it to Floyd Sedunov at the point and Sedunov fired a low wrister past the Aspen goalie for a 1-0 lead.
Due to the five-minute major penalty on Aspen, Crested Butte remained on the powerplay, and Jake White had a chance on the doorstep 40 seconds later, but his backhand hit off the crossbar.
Moments later, the Titans were issued a five-minute major as well and spent the next six minutes playing one man down, and for a minute, two men down. But their penalty killing prowess was on full display and JD Huresky came up with three saves to deny Aspen a goal. Due to additional penalties the teams closed the period playing four-on-four and Crested Butte held onto their one-goal lead at the close of a frantic first period.
“It was chaotic for sure,” says O’Connor. “It took the whole period for everybody to get themselves back together, which is to be expected.”
The second period was not much different as the teams traded penalties. Crested Butte’s penalty kill created chances and Huresky continued to make saves including “heading” the puck clear of the upper corner. But Aspen’s commitment to pressuring the puck higher up the ice eventually paid off and they seized on a turnover near the Titans net to score 11 minutes into the second period.
Jonah Zobs put in key shifts on defense for the Titans bringing some calm, composure and crafty passing to the ice, but the Titans still remained a bit off balance. The two teams traded shots off the post in a 10-second span late in the period, but a fortunate puck bounce landed on a Skier stick, and he scored to put Aspen out front 2-1 with a minute left.
But just as they have done so often this season, Crested Butte answered back soon after as Max Dukeman carried the puck up the boards to create a two-on-one with White. He passed it off to White for him to finish but White went back to Dukeman and he buried the puck to tie the game 2-2 heading into the third period.
The game looked to be falling in Crested Butte’s favor for good at the start of the third period as an Aspen penalty had the Titans on a powerplay 30 seconds in and Ethan Suazo slipped a diagonal cross-ice puck to Dukeman open on the far post for his second goal of the game.
But the Titans still couldn’t shake Aspen and the Skiers tied it up a minute later. Yet, once again, the celebration was short-lived as Crested Butte answered back when Luke Hartigan corralled a shot from Colby Wark and stuffed the puck in with a backhand to retake the lead. Four minutes later White struck after circling through the Aspen zone to square up and ping the puck in off the post. The Titans killed off a penalty and then Huresky came up with another big save down the stretch to seal the 5-3 win. Huresky finished the game with 34 saves and the two teams combined for a total of 19 penalties.
“JD stood up strong and helped us get the win,” says O’Connor. “If there’s one area where we are consistent it’s that we’ve been pulling it together in the third period. They’ve got some gumption when their backs are against the wall.”
The Titans now look to avenge a loss to Glenwood Springs when they host them in Gunnison on Thursday, February 12 at 7:30 p.m. A win there should guarantee Crested Butte a spot in the 4A state tournament and possibly set them up to host a first-round playoff game next week.
“We’re looking forward to it,” says O’Connor. “They’re definitely a good team. We’re really hoping to host a playoff game.”
