Titans soccer closes regular season with two wins

Head into postseason ranked third

By Than Acuff

The Crested Butte Titans soccer team came out of an extended break refreshed and ready, winning their final two games of the regular season. They enter the 2A state tournament ranked third and will host their first game of the postseason on Saturday, November 2 at the CBCS field at 11 a.m.

Following a week of workouts with no games before the October Break and then a week of no workouts or games during the break, the Titans returned to practice on Monday, October 21 with games against Ridgway and Telluride that week. It can be a mixed bag in the first sessions following the break, but the Titans returned to their hard-working ways to prepare for the two matches.

“Our sessions coming off the break were better than we could have ever imagined,” says coach Matt Wilson. “The boys were sharp with their touches, on point with their passes, and conditioning overall didn’t seem to be an issue. The entire coaching staff recognized this and couldn’t have been happier with that level of commitment shown from the boys coming out of the break.”

They carried that energy into their home game against the Ridgway Demons squad on Wednesday, October 23. While the Demons did give the Titans some trouble earlier in the season, a series of injuries had depleted the Ridgway team and the Titans looked to set a fast and furious pace from the start.

 They opened the scoring in the first two minutes when Marin Gardner played a ball to Wyatt Cook and Cook scored. Crested Butte continued to press in the Demons’ half and push the pace and their efforts paid off 10 minutes later as a cross from Eli Hulm glanced off a Ridgway defender and into the goal for a 2-0 lead.

The Titans then closed the half with a third goal as Max Naughton scored off a pass from Gardner to take a 3-0 lead into halftime and then scored three more in the second half with goals coming from Cy Buckel, Magnus Sandusky and Naughton for the 6-0 win and sealing the league title.

“In past seasons you kind of hold your breath not knowing which team will show up to play after a long break like that, but the boys looked as sharp and focused as they ever have,” says Wilson. “They had a spring in their step and a recharged desire to dominate their opponent. It really was a beautiful game of football that we played against Ridgway.”

The win over Ridgway sealed the league title for the Titans and they turned their attention to their final game of the regular season, a road game two days later against the Telluride Miners. The Titans edged out a 2-1 win over the Miners earlier in the season and expected an even tougher challenge from the Miners on their home field.

Crested Butte came out on the front foot to open the game as Tor Jennison scored in the sixth minute. The Titans extended their lead in the 23^rd minute when a handball gave Crested Butte a penalty kick and Shawn Moran converted for a 2-0 lead at halftime.

The Miners are notorious for climbing back into games and the Titans knew they needed more if they wanted to hold off Telluride in the second half. Crested Butte got the crucial third goal nine minutes into the second half when goalkeeper Jakob Klemme hit a big punt, and Moran ran onto it to tuck the ball into the corner. Two minutes later Will Harpel drifted a set piece into the upper corner from 35 yards out and the Titans finished with a 4-0 win.

“Coming into the final game of the regular season certainly felt like a lot more than a normal game,” says Gardner. “Expectations were high to take down Telluride at their home turf. The boys and I were completely ready for anything to happen, but our coaches prepared us perfectly as they always do. From this, we were able to hammer home two in the first half and two in the second half, taking down Telluride in an atmosphere that never fails to be full of competition and grit.”

The Titans enter the postseason seeded third and have their first game on Saturday, November 2 at 11 a.m. at the school field with their opponent to be determined in a game the day before. A win sends them to play in the quarterfinals the following Saturday. A loss ends their season.

“The boys are well aware of the target on their backs and the stout competition that’s just dying to knock them out of the playoffs,” says Wilson. “The boys have all been here before and are locked and loaded playing exactly how you want a team to play when heading into a difficult playoff landscape like this.”

“We are extremely excited coming into this post-season run,” adds Gardner. “Energy within practice has been at an all-time high and the hype is real. We are wired to get at our first opponent this Saturday and show everyone we came to play. The hunger for another title continues to grow as we are underway in this post season run.”