Altitude Painting rolls to win over REG in town league hockey

Playoffs begin now

By Than Acuff

REG went all in early on against Altitude Painting in C/B town league hockey Sunday, March 2 but as the game continued, their short bench eventually spelled their demise as Altitude Painting emerged with a 4-1 win.

With a commitment to heavy forechecking and holding the blue line, REG opened the first period in the driver’s seat pinning Altitude Painting in their defensive zone for much of the first period. The effort of Niki O’Connor at the blue line was clutch to REG’s game plan and with Gary Huresky posted up in the slot, REG was on attack. Meanwhile, REG ombudsman Michael Blunck appeared to have found the source of the fountain of youth covering the rink like a 20-something attacking on offense and still getting back on defense to hold Altitude Painting at bay. Makes sense, this is the same guy that rode a townie bike from Denver to Crested Butte which is arguably the greatest display of mental and physical endurance in Crested Butte in the past 30 years.

The women of Altitude Painting then turned the tide in their favor with their effort, and Altitude Painting soon found some success on attack as both Bobby Crimi and Bronwyn Walton came close to breaking the seal on the REG net. But goalie Lucas McMullen made the stops, and the REG defense cleared the puck from harm’s way.

Altitude Painting had a little more spring in their skates in the second period and got a break six minutes in with a powerplay. While they set up shop to fire shots, REG held them off but the effort by Altitude would eventually bear fruit in the final minute of the second period. Tim Poppe got free on the wing to fire a shot and while McMullen made the initial save, the puck slipped behind him to sit on the line for Mallory Briggs to push in for a 1-0 Altitude Painting lead.

Junior Silva came close to tying the game for REG early in the third period with a backhand shot but Altitude Painting goalie, and Junior’s son, Jordan Silva stuffed his dad’s attempt to keep their one-goal lead.

Brian Hawley read the REG breakout moments later to pick off a pass and shoot but McMullen was there for the save to hold Altitude Painting’s lead to one goal. That is until the eighth minute of the third period when Crimi took a pass from Jack Foersterling to break loose and score for a 2-0 Altitude lead.

Blunck continued his youthful ways to protect the house and set up Clay Meyers for him to attack but to no avail and Altitude Painting scored a third goal as Crimi scored off an assist from THE Jack Gibbons for a 3-0 lead.

Walton’s effort along the boards and Emmy Luna’s battles in the neutral zone would soon lead to a fourth Altitude Painting goal when Foersterling scored on a rebound for a 4-0 Altitude Painting lead with two minutes left to play.

Blunck eventually reaped the rewards of his efforts all game when Meyers won a faceoff in the offensive zone and dropped it to Blunck for him to score for REG’s lone goal of the game before the final whistle to end the 4-1 Altitude Painting win.