Crested Butte gets the best of Summit hockey team in 6-3 win

Fueled by its first win of the season earlier in the week, the Summit High School hockey team prowled for a league win against Crested Butte High School on Friday, Jan. 13. 

In the days leading up to the game, Summit knew it would have to be on top of its game in order to beat one of its biggest, mountain-town rivals. 

Crested Butte came into the game at Stephen C. West Ice Arena in Breckenridge with a better record of 6-1-1 and the wins showed. Outskating Summit, the Crested Butte Titans skated to a 6-3 victory over the Tigers to get its seventh win of the season.

The game began with both teams quickly skating down the ice, trying to catch the other off guard. A few minutes into the contest, Crested Butte went on its first power play after sophomore Karston Kerr tripped up a Crested Butte skater.

Crested Butte got several chances on the power play, but sophomore goalie Matthew Tater kept the puck in front of him to keep the game scoreless.

After the penalty was killed off, Summit got its first real chance to attack the goal. Senior Noah Eland and senior Dana Bradford recorded several shots on net before senior Boone Steinebrg found himself in front of the net after a crisp pass.Steinberg fired the shot into the back of the net to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead seven minutes into the game.

It was not long before Crested Butte scored a goal of its own. Two minutes after Summit scored its first goal of the game, a Crested Butte athlete cut across the middle of the Titans’ offensive zone and scored. 

For the remainder of the period the two teams battled up and down the ice until with under a minute remaining the Titans scored two quick goals. Crested Butte headed into the first intermission leading 3-1.

Coming out of the first intermission, Summit tried to bring the game back within a goal.The Tigers dominated its offensive zone for the first seven minutes of the period and during a Summit power play the Tigers scored off of a shot by junior Henry Calvin.

With Summit now trailing by just a goal, the Tigers kept up the intensity while in search for an equalizer.Summit’s search for a game tying goal was halted by a four minute unsportsmanlike conduct penalty committed by junior Cole Stuckey.

Less than a minute into the penalty, Crested Butte brought the score to 4-2. Despite the goal, Summit continued to hunt for a chance.

On another Summit power play, freshman Ollie Dixon scored after firing a beauty of a shot from the blue line. The Tigers enjoyed being one goal closer to the Titans for less than a minute before a shot from Crested Butte slipped through the pads of Tater.

Crested Butte headed into the third period with a 5-3 lead.

“I think the big thing for us was calming down knowing that we can’t just let ourselves get out of the game,” senior forward Roman Berger said of the team’s play in the second period. “We had to stay in the game and play strong as a team. One big thing today was coming together, and I think we did better at that as the game went on.”

Summit put in several strong drives to score in the third, but failed to put the puck in the net. With a sole, empty net goal for Crested Butte in the final period, the Titans defeated the Tigers 6-3.

“I think it was just defensive breakdowns,” Berger said of the loss. “We had a couple. I know personally on one I wasn’t back checking. I think we need to work on it still.”

Summit ended the week by playing Kent Denver High School on Saturday afternoon. Berger led the charge for the Tigers recording three goals, but it was not enough to salvage a win.Summit fell to Kent Denver, 8-5.

Summit will now have six days off before it travels to Battle Mountain High School on Friday, Jan. 20. 

Puck drop is scheduled for 5:15 p.m.