RENEGADES MAKE HISTORY AND PIONEERS TEST ICE RAIDERS IN WEEK TWO!

Alright, listen up folks, you're tuned into another weekend of Mountain Hockey mayhem! We had some absolute barnburners this weekend, let me tell ya! We had two series, four games—yeah, you heard that right— as the San Diego Renegades made history at home, and the Clear Cup semi-finalists, the Reno Ice Raiders, kicked off their season with a wild showdown against the Park City Pioneers! Let's break it down—this was Hockey the way it’s meant to be played!

SATURDAY: BIG BLOWOUTS

It was a full-on goal-fest, and boy, did we see some fireworks! San Diego Renegades, making their home debut in front of a raucous crowd, went absolutely off on the Sin City Kings, hammering them 10-2! That’s right—a massive 10-2 thumping. Matti Lempianen, the kid from Finland, put on a clinic! racking up 6 points (2 goals and 4 assists), while Caleb Travis, you can call him Mr. Hat Trick, put the Kings to bed with a three-spot! San Diego, get ready to pop the champagne because that’s your first-ever home win, and you earned it, fellas!

And over in Reno, it was the same story—The Ice Raiders came ready to show why they're perennial contenders! They put the Park City Pioneers in their place with an 8-2 shellacking. Let’s just say, Reno doesn’t mess around when it comes to home ice! The Pioneers learned the hard way: Reno is here to dominate.

SUNDAY: NOW THAT’S A HOCKEY GAME!

Okay, okay, night two brought a completely different vibe. Both teams, Park City and Sin City, made adjustments, and we saw the game tighten up. Sin City had their heads screwed on right and made it a battle, tying things up three times in the first period! 3-3, folks! But then, here come the Renegades—three unanswered goals in the second period, and that was all she wrote. Sin City couldn’t claw back, and it ended 8-5, as San Diego swept the series! What a way to start the franchise, huh? History made, the Renegades are feeling it—a sweep, and a franchise-first win at home!

But in Reno… hold the phone! I’m telling ya, the Pioneers came out swinging! Louis Poliquin, that guy’s a beauty, scores two unanswered goals and gives Park City a 2-1 lead going into the third. It looked like a massive upset was brewing, but then with just 1:10 left in regulation, Andrew Peterson nails the equalizer! And we're off to overtime, baby!

Now, it was penalties that ultimately sank Park City’s ship in overtime—Reno gets a powerplay, and next thing you know, Alex Gunnoe is flying down the ice and seals the deal for the Ice Raiders! But let me tell you, folks, this game wasn’t just about the final score—it was all about Tony Civello, the Pioneers' netminder. The kid faced a ridiculous 72 shots and still managed to stop 69 of ‘em! That’s a once-in-a-lifetime performance! The guy was unreal—.958 save percentage, and only gave up 3 goals. Hats off to him, no question.

WEEK TWO WRAP-UP

So there you have it, folks. Week two in the books! The Ice Raiders escape with a dramatic OT win, and the Renegades celebrate a historic sweep! And we can’t forget, that Finnish sensation, Matti Lempianen, is sitting pretty at the top of the stat sheet—he’s a guy to watch this season, no doubt about it!

Now, for the Kings and the Pioneers, back to the drawing board. They’ve got a lot to figure out, but don’t count them out—this is Mountain Hockey League, baby—anything can happen!

And guess what? Next week, we’re back at it! The Bozeman Stingers are making their season debut in Reno against the Ice Raiders, and Sin City’s looking to bounce back at home against the Mansfield Barracudas! Four games, two nights, and you better believe it’s going to be an absolute show. This is what it's all about, folks! Get ready to buckle up—Mountain Hockey is HERE!

Photos: - Greg Siller - Active Seven Media

Catch you on the ice, boys and girls!