ICE RAIDERS SWEEP BARRACUDAS IN THE LONE STAR STATE

Alright you beauty hockey fans, grab the cowboy boots and the winter jackets because we had MHL hockey right in the Lone Star State! and let me tell ya, it wasn’t country music echoing through Mansfield… it was the sound of the Reno Ice Raiders slammin’ the door!

Now listen — the Barracudas wanted revenge. They remembered what happened in Nevada at the end of 2025. Nobody forgets a sweep, especially not in Texas. Pride on the line, standings on the line, playoff positioning on the line, that’s Clear Cup hockey, baby!

Reno’s trying to keep Santa Rosa off top spot, Mansfield’s got San Diego breathing down their neck for that big third-place playoff spot. This wasn’t just a couple of games! this was statement time.

GAME ONE – FRIDAY

McDONNELL IS THE DIFFERENCE 

Reno rolls in short-handed. Short bench. You think that scares ‘em? Not a chance! First period is tight, cagey, not much room out there. That’s playoff-style hockey in February, kids. Then boom! Ryan Robinson on his debut game…  jumps on the scoresheet. Now that’s how you introduce yourself!

But then… oh boy… Will McDonnell.

FOUR. UNANSWERED. GOALS.

That’s not a good night — that’s a takeover! Reno’s up 6-0 and the Cudas are looking shell-shocked. Now I’ll give the Texans credit, they didn’t fold the tent. They claw back two late ones. That’s pride. But it’s 6-2 Reno when the dust settles! And of course little bit of last-minute rough stuff. Sticks get heavy, gloves start thinking about coming off… You don’t sweep a team quietly. That set the tone for Saturday night, no question.

GAME TWO – SATURDAY

FOUR POINTS HEADED BACK TO RENO!

This is why we love this game… you always get another crack at it. Barracudas make adjustments. Lineup set. Crowd ready. Let’s go!

But Reno? They come out flying again. Johnny Garrity pots TWO in the first! That’s a brace, folks! Ice Raiders rolling right? But then  with ONE SECOND left in the period, Michael Tatum buries one. 00:01 on the clock! That’s heartbreak if you’re Reno, momentum if you’re Mansfield. That’s hockey timing right there!

Second period? Back and forth. Good stuff. But then Reno hits another gear.

FOUR unanswered again.

That’s depth. That’s killer instinct. That’s a team that knows what first place feels like and doesn’t want to let go. Ryan Robinson? Three points on Saturday. Caps off his debut weekend with a goal late in the second. That’s how you earn your stripes, kid! Chris Blake gets a power-play one in the third for Mansfield… but it’s too little, too late.

Final score: 7-3 Reno.

That’s four points. That’s a sweep. That’s business taken care of.

STANDINGS UPDATE!

Ohhh boy, now we’re talking standings drama!

Reno now sits SEVEN POINTS clear of Santa Rosa. That’s breathing room… but not comfort. Growlers heading to Breckenridge this weekend looking to make up ground. And Mansfield? Still holding that crucial third spot aka post season hockey! but they’re only TWO points up on San Diego. And guess what… The Renegades are back in action in Breckenridge also March 6/7!

Every shift matters now. Every blocked shot. Every faceoff. This is when real teams show who they are.

Playoff hockey is coming, kids.

See you at the rink!