Boys’ soccer notches two wins over past week

“I’m super happy with the team performance against Gunnison”

by Than Acuff 

The Crested Butte boys’ soccer team jumped into league play last week with games against Ridgway and Gunnison and rattled off two wins paced by strong second half performances.

They opened the two-game stretch on Wednesday, September 2 hosting the Ridgway Demons and after a disjointed start to the match including a lightning delay, Crested Butte came out of the break re-energized resulting in a goal from Kyle Moran to take a 1-0 lead into halftime.

Additional tweaks to their plan during the break resulted in a more cohesive effort from the Titans resulting in a second goal 10 minutes into the second half. After getting the ball deep into the corner, the Titans moved it back through the midfield and Moran slid a pass to Tor Jennison to blast his shot into the upper corner for a 2-0 lead.

Ten minutes later the constant pressure of Crested Butte in the attacking zone created a third goal as Isaac Arell pressured a Demon defender to cough up the ball and Tucker Pritchett seized on the opportunity to fire a low shot just inside the near post to put Crested Butte up 3-0. They would then close the game with another midfield combination as Will Stitt set up Jennison for his second goal of the game to close out the 4-0 shutout.

“What went well was our ability to slow the ball down and control it in the final third,” says captain Tor Jennison. “We combined between defense and attack, which led to more scoring.”

Crested Butte then returned to their home field on Friday, September 4 to host the Gunnison Cowboys for what would be a tough test. The Cowboys were coming into the game off a hard fought 1-1 tie with Salida, one of the top 3A teams in the state, and looking to continue their high-paced play against the Titans.

“I expected a full-on battle,” says coach Matt Wilson. “Being right down the road, there’s always been a healthy competitive spirit between these two teams. I knew it would be a physical, emotionally charged game and our first true test of the season.”

After a tepid start to the game, Gunnison looked on point as they paired pace with possession to pressure the Titans back line of Wyatt Anders, Isaac Jennings, Cody Oleson and Brier Wight. The four defenders held tight though with additional help from midfielder Tanner Harpel and goalie Jakob Klemme made two big saves to help the Titans weather the storm and go into halftime tied 0-0.

“I was content, but I thought we played a bit timid at times,” says Wilson. “We have a very smart team though, and the boys did a good job working through the Gunnison puzzle. Not conceding a goal was important because we didn’t want to give Gunnison any momentum going into the half.”

With a more concerted effort to pressure the ball higher up the field, Crested Butte struck first five minutes in as Moran followed on a shot by Pritchett to punch it into the back of the net. The Titans scored a second goal three minutes later as the Gunnison goalie stopped two shots in close, but the third touch was the charm as Jennison poked it in.

Gunnison started to find their feet and stop the bleeding, but Crested Butte remained on full throttle in the attacking third and scored a third goal midway through the half as Tyler Jeffery snuck in on the back post to score for a 3-0 Titans lead.

“All three were hustle goals,” says Wilson. “They came from heart, determination and simply finding a way to put the ball in the back of the net. We pressed much better as a team, won a lot of second balls and put Gunnison under more pressure, and that created the scrappy goals we were looking for.”

Despite playing a man down, the Cowboys refused to fold and eventually had the final say scoring with eight minutes left but the Titans were poised to manage the clock and seal the 3-1 win.

“I’m super happy with the team performance against Gunnison,” says Jennison. “We implemented our team defense throughout the game and were able to maintain our composure.”

The Titans remain in the hot seat with a home game against 3A powerhouse Salida on Thursday, September 10 and then another home game Saturday, September 12 against 2A stronghold Lotus School for Excellence at noon.

“I think it’s time for this team to start hitting their stride and having both games at home is a huge advantage,” says Wilson. “We’re still not overly concerned with wins and losses at this point, but we’re getting closer to that mindset. I want to see us get our mid-block dialed in, find different ways to break down defenses, and start solidifying some positions on the pitch.”