It has been many years since the Valley City Vipers squirts have played Fargo’s top level squirt A teams, historically playing lower level B/B1 teams.  This year’s team, full of talent and experience, will play a primary squirt A schedule and Saturday they proved that’s where they belong as they beat Fargo Freeze A Black 4-2 and hung with Fargo Freeze A Blue but fell 1-5.

Gray Kasowski and Brody Kalbrener, both fourth year squirts, provided all the scoring on the day. Kasowski scored (assist Kalbrener) to give the Vipers a 1-0 lead 10 minutes into the afternoon game vs. Fargo Black and that’s how the first period would end.

Fargo would score two goals in a 40 second span midway through the second period to take a 2-1 lead, but Kasowski would answer late in the second (assist Beck Dietrich and Gavin Wiebe) to square things up going into the third. Kalbrener would score the only two goals in the third (one unassisted, one assisted by Riley Roelfsema) to secure the 4-2 win.

Goalie Tyler Olsen was rock solid turning away 43 of 45 shots on goal, including 17 in the third period.

In the evening matchup the Vipers, faced with heavy legs and up against a stout Fargo goaltender, could only find the back of the net once (Kasowski from Kalbrener) and would fall 1-5. Olsen was able to keep them in the game, collecting 28 saves.

The Vipers will host Grafton PR Northstars Friday night at 7:00 at the Youth Sports Complex.