The Crested Butte Titans hockey team suffered back-to-back defeats to league rival Summit at home on Jan. 3 and 4.
Despite controlling the tempo and creating scoring chances, the wheels fell off for the Titans in the final minutes on Friday, and continued into the doubleheader on Saturday. The results marked seven consecutive defeats for the boys, but Head Coach Joey Otsuka said he is hopeful the team can overcome the challenges both on and off the ice.
“I thought we played more consistently across three full periods in both games,” Otsuka said. “We had a hard time sustaining offensive pressure and getting the puck out and could only survive by the skin of our teeth for so long.”
The Titans traded blows with the Tigers during the first two periods of the matchup on Jan. 3. Senior goaltender Gustav DesAulniers quenched early chances from the Summit attack and weathered a power play in the waning minutes of the first period. Heading into the first intermission down 1-0, the Titans were within reach of the 2024 state finalists.
Crested Butte conceded a second goal in the following period, and two fruitless powerplays ripped the wind out of the Titan sails. Shots from seniors Carson Zummach and Marshall Spann forced saves out of the Tiger goalie. Still, the Titans returned to the locker room empty handed. Summit sealed the victory in the third period with two unanswered goals, and completed the 4-0 shutout over Crested Butte.
The results told a similar story on Jan. 4 when the Titans struggled to find the back of the net. Summit, soaring with confidence, put the game out of reach in the first period. The Tigers punched three goals past the Titans in the opening minutes, and increased the lead to eight by the end of the second period. It ended as an 8-0, consecutive shutout for the away side.
The scoring drought haunted the Titans during the weekend defeats. Over holiday break, the Crested Butte senior captain and key goalscorer Grady Buckhanan stepped away from the ice indefinitely. Now, the Titans will rely on captains Spann and Zummach to right the ship ahead of a key home matchup against Caprock Academy on Jan. 10.
“We have to start from square one, work on our fundamentals and try something different,” Otsuka said. “But it’s all just words on paper unless we connect with our players. We’ll have honest conversations this next week and create a new plan, and then head into a key game against Caprock.”
(Alex McCrindle can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or alex@gunnisontimes.com.)
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