“Every single kid was motivated and flying”
The Crested Butte Wolfpack erupted for a total of 30 goals over four games last weekend to kick off league play with two wins and two ties.
They opened the weekend Saturday, January 8 with a 12-0 drubbing of Steamboat. The Wolfpack came out fast and furious against the struggling Steamboat squad as Sam Evans scored twice in the opening minute of play. Ben Reaman added a third midway through the period and Dakota Wiggins closed the first period with a successful strike to give the Wolfpack a 4-0 lead.
Dylan Curtiss and Max Molitor joined the scoring assault with goals in the second period, and Evans finished it off scoring four in the second period and two in the third for a total of eight goals in the game. His fellow lineman, Reaman, did most of the set-up work finishing the game with a goal and six assists.
“Every single kid was motivated and flying,” says coach John Mortell. “We had a solid week of practice and everything we did in practice, they did in the game.”
The Wolfpack met their match later that day facing off against the physical Kremmling Cattle Kings. The game started off much like the previous one, as Reaman netted a goal in the first ten seconds but the Cattle Kings stampeded their way to four consecutive goals, taking a 4-1 lead early in the second period.
“They were taking advantage of every one of our mistakes,” says Mortell.
Down 4-1, Mortell made the move to pull Montana Wiggins from goal and put in Nicholas Mikeska. The break in the action also allowed him to make some changes in his lines and stalled the Cattle King attack.
“I just had to do something to mix it up,” says Mortell.
The Wolfpack recovered to fire off the next three goals. Curtiss scored in the sixth minute of the second period and Evans took a pass from Ben Frame to cut the Cattle Kings lead down to one by the end of the second period.
Molitor scored his second goal in as many games in the second minute of the third period to tie the game 4-4. One minute later, Reaman found the back of the net and the Wolfpack was back on top 5-4.
But Kremmling was far from done and they capitalized on another miscue to tie the game 5-5. Two minutes later they retook the lead 6-5.
Fortunately, the Wolfpack refused to fold as well. Reaman finished off his hat trick for the game at just the right time, netting the game-tying goal in the ninth minute and the two teams left the ice notched in a 6-6 tie.
“We dominated the third period and should have won that game but I was really pumped that they came back from a 4-1 deficit,” says Mortell.
Crested Butte and the Cattle Kings squared off again the following morning with a near similar result. This time Kremmling took the lead early scoring in the opening minute, but the Wolfpack responded on goals from Danny D’Aquila and Reaman.
Backed by some outstanding play from their goalie, the Cattle Kings took a 3-2 lead in the second period.
“Their goalie was on fire,” says Mortell. “We had everything going—we just couldn’t get the puck in the net.”
Evans broke free during a penalty kill situation in the third period to score the game-tying goal as the two teams finished again with a tie.
The Wolfpack closed the four-game stretch that afternoon with another cruiser past Steamboat winning 6-0. Reaman scored twice and Jake Grogg, Molitor, Curtiss and Ian Kelly each netted one as the defense, led by the work of Liam Mortell and Ian Kelly, held Steamboat to four shots.
The Wolfpack heads to Breckenridge this weekend to face Kremmling two more times before returning home to face Gunnison at Big Mine Ice Arena on Saturday and Sunday, January 22-23 at 3:30 p.m. They face a non-league opponent from the Front Range those same two days down in Gunnison at 11:30 a.m.