By Philliip Goodman
January 27, 2025
Despite falling behind 1-0 early in both games, the Reno Ice Raiders battled back to beat the Barracudas from Mansfield, TX by scores of 3-1 on Friday and 5-3 on Saturday. Both games presented by LT Automotive at The Jennifer M. O’Neal Community Ice Arena were sold out before the action started and fans packed the bleachers even with Saturday's winter storm snarling traffic.

Johnny Garrity, making his return from the High Sierra Restorative Health Injured List, set the tone early for the Ice Raiders and got the crowd hyped early by leveling a Barracuda for the Reno Tattoo Removal Hit of the Night. Mansfield's Alex Olson temporarily hushed the arena a few minutes later with a wrister off the rush for the 1-0 Mansfield lead.


Garrity again would be the center of attention when he collected a Matt Robinson pass, that may or may not have been intended for Bobby Watson, and Garrity sniped a corner to tie the score 1-1.
Reno outshot Mansfield 16-6 in the second stanza but could not beat the agility of Barracuda goalie Daniel Ernest. Ernest looked his best when Jake Minton was awarded a penalty shot after being hooked on a shorthanded breakaway and kept the 1-1 tie intact.
Justin Sand was equally impressive especially late in that second frame when forced to make two Maxwell's Barber Shop Close Shave Saves of the Game on Arnie Osuna.
Early in the third after a Barracuda icing, Jake Minton won the draw cleanly back to Jeff Jiron and the Jiron Bomb deflected off Ernest's stick and into the back of net.

Halfway through the final period, Jake Minton added the insurance goal on the Brewer's Cabinet Power Play. Getting the assists were Tony Tyrell and Hunter Sine, who zipped the pass through a seam to a wide open Minty Fresh for the Goettl Air Assist of the Night.
The Ice Raiders defense was solid the rest of the way and Justin Sand only needed to make five saves in the third period to secure the win. In total Sand stopped 22 of 23 shots while Ernest faced 44 shots. Reno won the dots 41-26 The Ice Raiders were a perfect 5-for-5 on the Peterson Wealth Management Penalty Kills and 1-for-4 on Brewer's Cabinet Power Plays.

Mansfield struck early on Saturday on a broken play that gave Igor Mityushin a wide open wrister in the slot for the 1-0 lead.
It took 10 minutes and 13 more shots on net until Alex Gunnoe weaved through the Barracuda defenders and tapped in his own rebound for the 1-1 tie.
On the next shift, Hunter Sine found Jake Minton on top of the crease and Minty Fresh gave Reno the 3-1 lead. Gunnoe also earned an assist.


Early in the second period, Garrity was looking for Robinson curling around the net to the back door and Garrity's pass was deflected in by a Mansfield stick. Gunnoe and Robinson got the assists.
Six minutes later the Barracuda's got one back on a power play after the Ice Raiders were unable to clear the zone.
Reno held the 3-2 lead through the first half of a fast and furious third period. On Reno's second Brewer's Cabinet Power Play, Hunter Sine took a Will McDonnell pass from the goal line and made one step in front of Ernest to backhand the puck by Ernest for the 4-2 lead.
Alex Olson, who was ejected at the end of Friday's game for unsportsmanlike conduct, goaded two Ice Raiders into penalties and Mansfield converted on the 2-man advantage with eight minutes left.
The Barracuda's pulled Ernest for the extra attacker with 1:15 remaining but Reno's great defense got the puck out of the zone. Matt Robinson had a layup for the empty netter and 5-3 win.

The Ice Raiders third period defense was even more stifling the rest of the way as Mansfield only got two shots on Sand, although one did get by on the PK. Ernest did all he could to keep his team in the fight and gave up only four goals on 52 shots.
Reno finished 2-for-3 on the Brewer's Cabinet Power Play and was 1-for-2 on Peterson Wealth Management Penalty Kills. Faceoffs again went Reno's way, outdrawing Mansfield 43-31.
With the four game winning streak, Reno's record is now 10-3-3 overall, 8-1-1 at home and 2-2-2 on the road.
The Ice Raiders have next weekend off then in two weekends wrap up the four-game season series against the Barracudas in Mansfield. Mansfield does have their own YouTube channel and hopefully the games will be streamed, times are TBD.
When the Ice Raiders are away, the Wolf Pack will play. Univ. of Nevada's Men's Hockey will face the Santa Rosa College Polar Bears on Feb. 7 and Feb. 8. Tickets are only $10 here.
Go out for an early Valentines dinner then witness the love between Santa Rosa Growlers and Reno Ice Raiders the 14th & 15th of February. Your Ice Raiders are out for revenge after getting swept in Santa Rosa in December. Tickets for that series presented by Maxwell's Barber Shop will go on sale Feb. 8
Friday's LT Automotive Three Stars of the Game
Jake Minton
Andrew Peterson & Jeff Jiron
Justin Sand
Saturday's LT Automotive Three Stars of the Game
Alex Gunnoe
Matt Robinson
Arnie Osuna
Friday, 1.24.25 - Game 9: Reno Ice Raiders vs. Mansfield Barracudas:
Saturday, 1.25.25 - Game 10: Reno Ice Raiders vs. Mansfield Barracudas:
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Game Video and Highlights by Jim Dunigan
Photos by Alex Fisher-Wagner
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