A Lack of Gunnison Players in Fall Hockey

This year in Gunnison and Crested Butte, coaches, players, and fans are seeing a lack of Gunnison High School students participating in the West Elk Hockey Association fall season with head coach Joey Otsuka. This year only five Gunnison High School students are playing this Fall: sophomore Ryder Church, sophomore Penn Sleightholm, Junior Grady Buckhanan, Junior Marshal Spann, and Junior Carson Zumach; the majority of players are students at Crested Butte Community High School. Coach Otsuaka said, “It’s really the passion at their age group, for whatever reason there are more Crested Butte athletes, but it changes from year to year.” I asked goalie Ryder Church why he thinks there is a lack of GHS players participating in fall hockey. He said, “There are a lot of other sports for others to play and hockey loses attention because of them.”  Practices are held three days a week here in Gunnison and last around an hour and a half. The first game of the fall season is on October 6th vs. Breckenridge. Please try to come to a home West Elk Wolverines game this fall.