VALLEY CITY, ND (Submitted by Viper Hockey) The Valley City Vipers squirt team garnished their second tournament championship in as many weekends when they bested a field 16 teams to win the Grand Forks B-Dubs Shootout B1 championship last weekend.
Like the weekend before, the Vipers would roll through pool play beating MacDonald Manitoba 11-0 Friday night, West Fargo, ND 7-1 Saturday afternoon and Sioux Falls, SD 7-0 Saturday night.
Championship Sunday opened with a matchup against Grand Forks, ND in the semifinal game. Although the Vipers would outshoot GF 50-15 in the game they’d enter the 3rd period tied at zero. Gray Kasowski would finally find the back of the net early in the third (assist Riley Roelfsema) and Gavin Wiebe would put it on ice midway through the third (assist Brody Metcalf) and they’d hold on for a 2-0 win. Goalie Tyler Olsen would finish with 15 saves.
In the championship matchup against Mandan, ND the Vipers would again be on the good side of 2-0 win with both goals coming way of Brody Kalbrener (both assisted by Riggs Kasowski). Olsen, capping off his phenomenal tournament, would collect his fourth shutout in the five game tournament as he turned away all 28 shots he faced. Olsen would allow just one goal in the five games.
VC 11 vs. Mac. Man. 0: Kalbrener (4A), R. Kasowski (2G, 1A), Corbin Petersen (2G, 1A), Beck Dietrich (2G), Wiebe (1G, 1A), Metcalf (1G, 1A), G. Kasowski (1G), Braxler Chase (1G), Nixon Langemo (1G), Roelfsema (1A), Ben Johnson (1A), Kayson Ziemba (1A),
VC 7 vs. WF 1: G. Kasowski (2G, 1A), Wiebe (2G, 1A), Ziemba (1G, 2A), Chase (1G), Roelfsema (1A), Kalbrener (1A)
VC 7 vs. SF 0: Kalbrener (2G, 2A), G. Kasowski (1G, 3A), Roelfsema (2G), Ziemba (1G, 1A), Metcalf (1G)
VC 2 vs. GF 0 (semifinal): G. Kasowski (1G), Wiebe (1G), Roelfsema (1A), Metcalf (1A)
VC 2 vs. Mandan 0 (championship): Kalbrener (2G), R. Kasowski (2A)
The Vipers improve to 18-4 on the season and will hit the road again next weekend to face Watford City, Mandan and Devils Lake (doubleheader).