VIPERS SWEEP ICE RAIDERS IN HOME OPENER

VIPERS SWEEP ICE RAIDERS IN HOME OPENER

Lemme tell ya somethin’ folks — hockey season is BACK and boy, oh boy, did we get a BEAUTY of a weekend in the MHL. None of this jumpin’ around from rink to rink nonsense — just one good, honest, old-fashioned rivalry. Breckenridge Vipers. Reno Ice Raiders. Ten-plus years of history between these two and boy can you tell on the ice! 

Reno hops on the bus — FOURTEEN HOURS, imagine that — all the way to the Rockies to face the Vipes. The boys from Breck aren’t exactly puttin’ out the welcome mat either. You knew this was gonna be a war.

GAME ONE – FRIDAY

Stands were PACKED at the Steve — I’m talkin’ vipers faithful loud enough to rattle the dasher boards. And right off the hop, what happens? Little tic-tac-BOOM — Eli Kendall goes five-hole on a breakaway a minute-twenty in. Crowd goes bananas. He loves it. That’s how you start a home opener!

Reno answers back — kid named Austin Boyd, first game, nice goal. But then comes this young fella the Vipers picked up from New England — Eison Nee. Passive range? No, no — this kid’s smoother than butter on a hot griddle. Feeds Kendall for his second, then dishes a gorgeous little backhand sauce to Bernstein. That’s three-one after one, Vipers rollin’!

Second period, Reno sneaks one back, but the third? Oh mama — CHAOS. Reno ties it, then Hunter Sine walks in on the odd-man rush, makes it 4–3 Ice Raiders with six minutes left. Crowd gets nervous — but the Vipers? No quit in ’em. Kendall gets the hat trick — tips one home like the BIG time player her is. And then Mitch Bailey, clutch as they come, buries the winner with under two to go. The place EXPLODES.

Ivory pots the empty-netter, and that’s all she wrote — 6–4 Vipers. Start the home record off with the W.. Thats how ya do it boys!

GAME TWO – SATURDAY

Alright, so the Vipes shuffle the deck — couple rookies, couple new faces. Teddy George, Jonah Hawkins, Micah Reid, Mike Fisk — welcome to the team, boys. And in net? Young Brady DeVries. Kid looked good last week, now he gets the home crowd.

And let me tell ya — if you thought the new squad was gonna look shaky? You’re wrong. DEAD wrong. These boys came out lookin’ like they’d been playin’ together since peewee.

Kendall and Nee again — they’re dancin’ out there. Eight points between ’em on night two. Reno’s got some rookie defensemen back there tryin’ to plug holes, but it’s like patchin’ drywall with a wet napkin. Vipers’ chemistry is just too much.

And DeVries — the kid’s a BRICK WALL. Stops breakaways, stops scrambles, stops stuff he’s got no business stoppin’. That’s how you make a name for yourself in this league.

Last goal of the night? PURE FILTH. Acensio on the breakaway, courtesy of Bailey — little backhand, shelf, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. That’s going straight to the highlight reel.

Credit where it’s due — Reno’s goalie Gyori stood on his head all weekend. Tough barn to play in. Kid held his team in it both nights. But it’s the Vipers who take the game 7–4, And the series, Bragging rights stay in Summit County… for now! 

MVP TIME

Now, You could give it to DeVries — .929 save percentage, big moments, big saves, cool as a cucumber.

Or.. You could give it to Kendall — Friday night hat trick, steps up on first like he’s always belonged there! 

BUT NO.

Remember this name folks.. Eison Nee.

Twenty years old and plays like he’s been in the league a decade. Eight points on the weekend — two goals, six apples — climbs to second overall in league scoring with TWELVE points in four games. Rhode Island kid. First season in the men’s game. Mark my words: this kid’s a beauty.

So there ya have it: Vipers sweep, Ice Raiders go home sore, and the MHL standings are tighter than a new pair of skates. Santa Rosa’s perfect record? Gone. FDNY smokes ’em 6-1 on Saturday night. We got ourselves one heck of a season shaping up here, folks.

See ya out there next time!