Titans lacrosse rolls to big win in season opener at Eagle

“We have a lot of weapons”

By Than Acuff 

While the season opening game wasn’t a test from a competitive standpoint for the Crested Butte Titans boys’ lacrosse team, it was an indication of how they’re looking and they’re looking much better than they have at the start of previous seasons cruising to a 15-1 win over the Eagle Valley Devils on Saturday, March 7.

“We picked up right where we left off last year,” says head coach Carter Brock. “All of our starters know exactly what they’re doing and what their job is. We have a lot of weapons.”

The Titans got to work early on as Dawson Eastep scored in the first minute of the game. Ninety seconds later Luke Walton took on his defender and fired for a 2-0 lead. Titans’ goalie Mason Colucci came up with a big save and moments later defenseman Vinnie Sciortino scooped up a groundball and sprinted up field to set up Donovan Gagen for a goal. Eastep then closed things out as he cut in front from behind the goal to take a pass, turn and fire for his second goal and the Titans were up 4-0 by the close of the first quarter.

Wyatt Cook put the Titans up 5-0 but the Devils capitalized on a man up situation to finally crack the seal on the Crested Butte goal for their first goal of the game. But the Titans had the last say of the first half as Walton scored his second goal of the game and Crested Butte carried a 6-1 lead into halftime.

Crested Butte opened the third quarter in a man up situation that would spark a seven-goal outburst. Cook scored during the man up and the Titans continued to pour it on as AJ Hegeman scored the next two, Gagen and Eastep followed with a goal each and Mario Ladoulis and Buzz Yost joined in with a goal each to put the Titans up 13-1. Eastep and Cook then scored in the fourth quarter to put the finishing touches on the big win. Assists on the goals throughout the game came from Eastep with four, Walton with four, Hegeman had one assist and Sciortino had two assists as a defenseman.

“We started man up and having that extra attacker helped us build confidence at the start of the second half,” says Brock. “They just started gelling. I was most happy with the defense. They were just having fun and doing everything right all game.”

Crested Butte remains on the road for their next two games as they face Fruita Monument on Thursday, March 12 and then head to Montrose on Saturday, March 14. Their first home game will be on Thursday, March 19 against Telluride.

“Fruita is a good team and it’s going to be tough,” says Brock. “Our whole division is tough, we’re going to have to work hard to compete.”