Wolfpack falls to Gunnison Blades 4-1

Close league play in Telluride this weekend

The Gunnison Blades continue to dominate the Gunnison Valley hockey rivalry, with the Blades handing the Wolfpack a 4-1 loss on Friday, February 3.
The last time the two teams met, the Wolfpack played some of their best hockey of the season and goalie Montana Wiggins had one of his best games, to finish with a 2-2 tie. But that’s what it takes to stay with the Blades—three periods of their best hockey with Wiggins standing on his head in net.
The two teams came out like they always do when they face each other: fast. The Wolfpack did what they need to do stay in stride with the Blades, fore-check, creating chances for Crested Butte early.
“The first period was good,” says coach Sean Kelly. “We were fore-checking and that created opportunities for us.”
The Wolfpack got on the board first when Ian Dethloff fired a shot on net as the Wolfpack surged into the Blades’ zone. Blades goalie Zachary Smith made the initial save but the puck dropped in front and Collin Dill followed to stuff the rebound through for a 1-0 Wolfpack lead.
Play remained even up and down the ice until Blades skater Quinn Travis found the net to tie the game 1-1. A bad penalty by the Wolfpack immediately following the goal then switched the momentum, and while the Wolfpack killed the penalty, the Blades gained steam heading into the second period.
Travis struck again in the third minute of the second period on an assist from Taran Reinecke and the Blades started pinning the Wolfpack in their own zone.
The Blades scored two more goals within a minute each later in the period as Andy Howard blasted a shot from the point and Travis finished his hat trick to put the Blades on top 4-1 heading into the third period.
The Wolfpack continued to struggle in the third period as constant pressure from the Blades handcuffed the Wolfpack breakout. While the Wolfpack defense and Wiggins managed to hold off the attack, Crested Butte failed to generate an offense to climb back into the game.
“We struggled from the end of the first period on,” says Kelly. “Our fundamentals kind of broke down. We really struggled with our breakout and they just stuffed us in our zone. We played one period out of three.”
The Wolfpack will return to league play this weekend as they head to Telluride for their final three games of the regular season. If they can take all three, they will finish the season undefeated in league, but Kelly knows one team that is determined to ruin Crested Butte’s perfect run.
“Durango/Telluride will be gunning for us,” says Kelly. “Our guys will have to bring their A game.”
But a perfect league record is not at the top of the list for the coaching staff as they head into the final weeks of the season and start the postseason.
“We want to go undefeated in league play,” says Kelly. “But I think our ultimate goal is to gear up for a playoff run and put three full periods together against a good team.”