NAPHL Showcase San Jose: Roughriders 4 Pittsburgh Viper Stars 2

Roughriders Celebrate the Win!

San Jose, CA - Sunday morning brought together a much anticipated rematch between the Rocky Mountain Roughriders and the Pittsburgh Viper Stars. The last time these two team met, September 16, 2010 in Blaine, Minnesota, they skated to a regulation tie at 1-1. What followed next was unbelievable as each team had to send out 20 shooters to decide a shootout. In the end of that match, Colin Biebel grabbed the game winner.

The Viper Stars entered the game with a record of 4-3-2 while the Roughrider's record sat at 5-4-0. The two teams skated pretty evenly throughout the first period until the 13:26 mark when Clayton Bouchard threw the puck of off Joakim Jutras back and into the net for the first goal of the game.

The Roughriders got on the board early in the second period when Yannick Crete got a beautiful power play goal at 4:27 of the second from a great setup from Lance Pennington.

Things started heading south for the Roughriders just after the intermission ice make. As a sidebar, the NAPHL Showcases are a little different than most tournaments, in that there is an ice make exactly halfway through the game. At the 8:30 mark of the second period, the game is stopped, the teams exit to their respective locker rooms and the ice is remade. Just after both teams resumed play in the second period the Roughriders were on a power play. After a bit of trouble getting the power play setup, Peter Karney poked the puck free for the Viper Stars and ran the length of the ice for a short-handed goal. Momentum had swung strongly in favor of the Viper Stars for the remainder of the second period.

The third period, however, brought out the Roughriders that we have come to love. They attacked the ice with passion and enthusiasm and a will that would not be denied. The Roughriders were rewarded on the scoreboard. After missing a wide open net on his previous attempt, Michael Bounincontri made no mistake on his second chance at paydirt when he buried his shot at 4:39 into the third period. A few shifts later Bounincontri is blessed with an exceptional pass up the boards from Maxwell Ross just as he is coming onto the ice from an expired penalty. All alone on the far boards he scoops up the pass and comes into the offensive zone all alone, three dekes and one toe drag later and he is dancing up the ice celebrating the go ahead goal giving the Roughriders a 3-2 lead.

With just over a minute left to go in the game, the Viper Stars pull their goalie to get the extra attacker on. The Viper Stars rifle a few shots at Jutras before Lance Pennington grabs the puck, flicks it up to Crete who finds Robert "RJ" Salvato streaking through the middle of the ice. Salvato breaks through 2 Viper defenders and leaves the puck in the empty net for a nice insurance goal.

The Rocky Mountain Roughriders U16 AAA ends the weekend with a respectable 3-2-0 record. For all the Showcase information check out the NAPHL Showcase website here. The Roughrider's currently sit in 7th position after 10 games with 12 points. The Motor City Metaljackets sit atop the leader board after ten games with 17 points.

Official Gamesheet