top of page

Raiding for Gold: Ice Raiders Take Two from Boston Gold Kings

Writer's picture: Phillip GoodmanPhillip Goodman

Updated: Oct 30, 2024

By Phillip Goodman

October 20, 2024


Season number four of Reno Ice Raiders Hockey fired up in fine fashion with tailgate parties and rabid fans hungry for hockey packing The Jennifer M. O’Neal Community Ice Arena. Reno played an all-around solid game on Friday en route to a 6-2 win and fought their way through some adversity in Saturday's 7-4 win. The Ice Raiders have won eight in a row at home and 19 of 22 since the beginning of the 2023 campaign.



The weekend series presented by Cure Biomedical was completely sold out as fans stood shoulder to shoulder around the end boards and roared with each bone-crushing hit and goal, which they enjoyed plenty of in both games.


Boston struck first halfway through the first period on Jon Hannums' shot assisted by Gold Kings' Captain and former Reno favorite (well, still a favorite) Ryan Drizen. Bobby Watson's wraparound goal sent the teams to the intermission tied 1-1. Ryan Drizen said he was proud of his young squad for hanging tough through 20 minutes.


"We're missing some top line guys and we've got a younger squad this trip," said Drizen. "I told the guys not to hang your heads low after that period. We're keeping up with this good team and we've still got a chance."




The seesaw battle of tight checking and limited space to operate continued through much of the second period. With 10:30 remaining, Bobby Watson won a draw cleanly back to Jeff Jiron and Jiron's blue-line bomb beat Cowell for a 2-1 Reno lead.


Five minutes later, Hunter Sine sniped the upper corner to give Reno a 3-1 lead. Jiron and Weston Nash assisted on the goal. Late in the second, the line of Julian Herrera, Morgan Ellis, and Ramzy Anderson with Nash and Jiron on the blue line put on a high-pressure forechecking clinic. Jiron rifled a cross-ice pass that Julian Herrera one-timed home for the 4-1 lead.


Boston trimmed Reno's lead to 4-2 with an early third period goal and the tension of a two-goal lead remained for the next 16 minutes of play. Morgan Ellis' insurance goal on a rebound gave Reno a 5-2 lead and Matt Robinson added an empty netter for the 6-2 final.



With the exception of a minor tussle between Adam Barba and Russ Childers, the first two periods were penalty free. The third period parade to the box for both clubs started two minutes in and carried on until the final minute. Reno was 0-for-4 on their Brewer's Cabinet Power Plays but a successful 3-for-3 on Peterson Wealth Management Penalty Kills.


Reno ratcheted up the pressure to open Saturday's contest and earned an early power play after Boston's goalie Jeremiah Sylvia tripped Jake Minton. With time winding down on the advantage, Matt Robinson's one-timer beat Sylvia for the 1-0 lead.


Much like Friday's game, Saturday's first period was a low scoring frame and the second period opened up for both teams. Boston reclaimed the lead on an even strength goal by Tony DiPietro and a power play goal by Jack Doherty. Johnny Garrity tied the score 2-2 as a Reno power play had just expired. Watson and Minton assisted on the goal. 



Boston responded two minutes later with a power play goal by Jon Hannums on a bit of a broken play. While it was the second goal allowed by Justin Sand on only five shots, Sand's early exit had nothing to do with performance.


"We were gonna change goalies halfway through the game," said Ice Raiders' Head Coach Tim Tookey after Saturday's win. "That was our plan all along. When we did it, it just happened to be when he got scored on. Momentum was going the other way for the other team and it worked out that Justis came in and stood on his head. It looked like we pulled Sand because he wasn't playing well or the guys weren't playing good in front of him but that wasn't the case. We planned that before the game started."


Chris May extended the Gold Kings' lead to 4-2 on an even-strength goal with 4:30 remaining in the second. It would be the last goal Gyori and the Ice Raiders would allow.


The Goettl Air Assist of the Weekend went to Weston Nash for threading a pass through the neutral zone to Hunter Sine. Sine caught the pass on his backhand in full stride then roofed a breakaway goal cutting Boston's lead to one. Alex Gunnoe tied the game with two minutes left in the second after another furious forechecking shift by Reno. Roger Hutchison and Zeph Fagergren earned assists on the play.



With Ryan Drizen in the penalty box for cross checking in the third, Matt Robinson one-timed Minton's slot pass to give Reno a 5-4 lead on the Brewer's Cabinet Power Play. Bobby Watson added a goal with six minutes left and Jake Minton finished the scoring with under five minutes to play also on the power play. In total, ten different Ice Raiders tallied points in the 7-4 win.


"[Boston] took it to us and we got over confident and started doing some silly things and they put the puck in our net," added Tookey. "I'm really proud of our guys though because I told them, 'You got yourselves in this situation and now you've gotta get yourselves out.' We turned it up and started doing all the little things again and it worked out that we came out on the right side of the game."



"Give a lot of credit to these guys from Boston coming all the way out to Reno," said Matt Robinson after the game. "It's not an easy trip by any stretch so give them credit. But [our] boys stuck with it and we were able to get the two wins this weekend." 


Reno went 2-for-4 on their Peterson Wealth Management Penalty Kills while going 3-for-8 on Brewer's Cabinet Power Plays.


The Ice Raiders will take a couple of weekends off and will return on Veterans Day Weekend to face the Chicago Shamrocks, formerly known as Top Shelf. Do not miss "Rumble in Reno III," Tony Tyrell versus James Brooks. The bouts are tied at one a piece. BJ's Nevada BBQ will be sponsoring the special veterans-approved jerseys featuring some unique designs created by Ice Raiders' guru of graphics Zeph Fagergren.



"I know the boys are really excited about the jerseys that weekend," added Robinson. "Over the last couple of years we've become a bit of a rival with [Chicago] so we're looking forward to having them back out but we'll be looking to get two wins that weekend."


Friday's LT Automotive Three Stars of the Game

  1. Jeff Jiron 1G, 2A

  2. Julian Herrera 1G, 2A

  3. Weston Nash 2A

Saturday's LT Automotive Three Stars of the Game

  1. Matt Robinson 2 PPG including the GWG

  2. Johnny Garrity 1G, 2A

  3. Alex Gunnoe 1G, 2A



Friday, 10.18.24 - Game 1: Reno Ice Raiders vs. Boston Gold Kings Highlights:


Saturday, 10.19.24 - Game 2: Reno Ice Raiders vs. Boston Gold Kings Highlights:


Game Video and Highlights by Jim Dunigan

Photos by Alex Fisher-Wagner

Comments


Commenting has been turned off.

HOME RINK

LIVE STREAM GAMES

WATCH GAMES LIVE ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL
(SUBSCRIBE AND TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS TO GET AN ALERT WHEN PUCK DROPS)

RENO ICE: JENNIFER M. O'NEAL COMMUNITY ICE ARENA

Reno Ice: Jennifer M. O'Neal Community Ice Arena

RENO ICE
15500 WEDGE PKWY
RENO, NV 89511​


EMAIL: INFO@RENOICERAIDERS.COM

Screen Shot 2021-12-15 at 2.49.22 PM.png
download.png
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
IceRaiders_Logo_Skull_whiteStroke.png
FDNY Hockey.png
Logo McCall Mountaineers -  Logo.png
San Diego Super Hornets.png
image0.png
Boston Gold Kings - Logo.png
Santa Rosa Growlers - Logo.png
Mansfield Barracudas - Logo.png

Copyright © 2024/2025 - Reno Ice Raiders Hockey Club

bottom of page