Kickers soccer takes second in Grand Junction tournament

Youth movement spurs the start of a new era

by Than Acuff

This could very well be the start of a new era in Crested Butte Kickers soccer, thanks to a recent infusion of youth. Paced by said young players, the Crested Butte Kickers placed second in the Grand Junction Hotter Than Hell adult coed soccer tournament.

“Nothing against players from the past, but this is our first young team in a while,” says veteran player/manager Brian Fenerty who, at 53, is the last remaining player from the days of yore.

The Kickers have been in existence for at least 25 years. In the span of those 25 years, the team has been through numerous ups and downs, mostly downs. While fun was always a big part of the equation, the Kickers often found themselves floundering through tournaments, finishing a frustrating weekend of soccer in Sunday’s infamous loser bowl. Things got really bad when the Kickers, who had dominated the loser bowl for years, started losing that game too, and the club was sent into a tailspin.

After the past weekend though, it appears they’ve emerged from some of the darkest days in Kickers history, scoring seemingly at will, paced by youth, speed and a strong corps of women.

“We had a stellar group of women and the speed of Brice, Graham and Cole made the five midfield system a great fit,” says player Ian Elder.

The weekend got off to a rough start though, as the Kickers lost their keeper during pick-up in town Thursday night. Then, when the Kickers armada of vehicles arrived in Grand Junction Friday night, all of the hotels were full and camping was sparse. Following the advice of a “local,” they headed to some BLM land off of 27 Road by the airport and were treated to an all-night Grand Junction party.

“It was like Fury Road,” says Fenerty. “There was a rave party going on until 5 a.m. and we didn’t get any sleep. Fortunately, we got out of there before the sand fleas woke up.”

Half asleep and already overheated, the Kickers lined up at 8 a.m. on Saturday, June 4 for their first match against McAllister’s Deli, an all-star team from the Grand Junction adult league.

Fueled by donuts and coffee, the Kickers jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals from Tom Lewis and Graham Koval but gave one up near halftime. Cole Britton slipped loose to put the Kickers up 3-1 in the second half, but as the donuts and coffee wore off and the heat took hold, the Kickers started melting. McAllister’s netted two late goals, including a game-tying penalty kick, but held on for the 3-3 draw.

The Kickers then went from the frying pan straight to the fire, lining up for their next game at high noon against Winter Park.

“High noon on Hades pitch—we were dying,” says Fenerty.

The Kickers often notch wins against Winter Park and this time was no different. Graham netted two goals, the sister/brother team of Polly and Marty McGrane each scored one, and Brice Koval tacked on one as well, as the Kickers cruised to a 5-1 win.

The Kickers lost Fenerty and Elder to injury but picked up an additional player from Grand Junction for their third game of the day against their longtime rival, Grand Junction Orange.

“They’re our old nemesis,” says Fenerty.

Orange always poses a frustrating challenge for the Kickers. While the Kickers are typically the better team player-for-player, Orange plays a disciplined style of soccer that proves the difference-maker.

With temperatures soaring, the Kickers were melting into their cleats and fell behind 2-0.

“We were dying—we couldn’t drink enough water,” says Fenerty. “Our boots were like infernos.”

The Kickers rallied and set up numerous scoring opportunities, only to have their shots miss the mark. They finally broke through early in the second half and when the comeback started slipping away, the Koval brothers came to life, spearheading one final surge while Britton and Jeff Jaquith held down the fort on defense. Graham ended up breaking free to net two goals in 10 minutes and the Kickers snuck off with the 3-2 win, capping their most successful Saturday of soccer in a long time with two wins and a tie.

With a title in reach, the Kickers held off of their usual Saturday night antics in Grand Junction. Instead, they pulled together to camp out on the field as a team, dodging the sprinklers through the night and waking up Sunday morning for their final game of the tournament.

Again fueled by donuts and coffee, and the addition of Allen Smith to the roster, the team came out strong from the opening kick-off against Montezuma. While Montezuma proved technically solid, the Kickers’ pace was the difference-maker as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals from Brice and Graham.

Unfortunately, Montezuma proved too much as the game wore on and some questionable calls further strapped the Kickers’ effort. Montezuma managed to net two goals, with the game-tying goal coming in the final minutes to secure one last point and edge out the Kickers for the title.

“It was a heat wave off of Fury Road on Hades pitch and the refs were the devil,” says Fenerty.

Despite falling one point shy of the title, the effort on the weekend has the Kickers primed for some success this summer, especially in the upcoming home tournament in Crested Butte June 18-19.

“We had a really good weekend, kept it really positive and we’re trying to keep the same team together for the home tourney,” says Fenerty.