GB&T deposits four in win over Altitude Painting

The Winter Olympics are here

By Than Acuff

C’mon Altitude Painting, there’s a win in you somewhere. Just not yet I guess as, despite opening the scoring Sunday night in their C/B town league game against Gunnison Bank & Trust (GB&T), they would eventually fall 4-1.

It looked like another long game for Altitude Painting as GB&T set the tone for hustle and intensity in the opening minutes. Prawit Durgan came into the game inspired and showed that with his efforts early on chasing down pucks for GB&T to create scoring chances. GB&T linemates Drew Holbrook, Scott Reamer and Lee Pownall took a page from Durgan’s book and added in some pinpoint passing to create two more scoring chances early on but Altitude Painting had the right attitude to fend off the initial surge.

Brian Carney and William Brunner provided some early action for Altitude Painting once the team settled into the pace of the game and when Erik Berglund and Krista Powers both broke free for Altitude to fire successive shots, they had seized the momentum and were full of not just vim, but plenty of vigor.

Their vimous (first made-up word of the 2026 season) and vigorous efforts set the tone late in the first period as Altitude Painting pressed on the gas even more and when Rusty Thompson found Nick Catmur breaking loose with a pass, Catmur took the opportunity in stride to score for a 1-0 Altitude Painting lead.

Unfortunately, their celebration was short-lived, in fact the shortest lived possible, as GB&T won the ensuing faceoff and scored six seconds later when Adam Chater assisted Reamer to tie the game 1-1.

Committed to making sure they were not the first team to lose to Altitude Painting, GB&T opened up the ice with longer passes and additional speed. League commissioner Bill Frame threaded a pass cross ice to Durgan to get the puck in the offense zone. A brief stint of chaos ensued but eventually resulted in a shot from Thomas McLean that Altitude netminder Lucan McMullen stopped with his mask. Altitude Painting hung on to hold off further GB&T attacks until the ninth minute of the second period as McLean worked his magic along the boards and set up Reamer for his second goal of the night and a 2-1 GB&T lead.

Altitude Painting still had some artistry left though and when Gary Huresky saucered a pass to Brunner on a two-on-one, Brunner was set to tie the game until GB&T goalie Ryan Houseman came up with the point-blank stop to keep their one-goal lead.

Frame would then block not one, not two but three shots in the waning moments of the second period to ensure GB&T would remain in the lead as the two teams headed into the third period.

Altitude could still taste their first win of the season though and came into the third period looking to make it happen. A mid-period surge opened up Berglund for a slapshot from the point worthy of A/B league play but a deflection denied him the upper corner.

Hope remained alive for Altitude Painting until GB&T decided enough was enough with five minutes left in the game. GB&T player Molly Frame created a diversion in neutral ice to draw a defenseman out of position creating an open lane for Holbrook. Holbrook carried the puck to goal and then dished it across the slot to Durgan for him to bury and a 3-1 GB&T lead.

Three minutes later GB&T scored again as McLean set up Holbrook for a goal, a just reward for Holbrook’s effort all game, to close out the 4-1 GB&T win.