The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The Norman Vipers '04 (Major Novice) had a strong showing in Portage La Prairie this past weekend, but fell short of the finals and finished sixth of the eight teams playing. The Portage Cup is an extended season AAA Hockey tournament hosting teams from all over Manitoba. The Norman Vipers entered as the only northern Manitoba team and consisted of players from Flin Flon, The Pas, Thompson and Swan River. The local Flin Flon players were Rogan Bacon (Goal), Caiden Simard (Goal), Magnus Pearson (Center), Nolan Rideout (L. Wing), Austin Weseen (Defence) and Michael Rideout-Watling (Defence/Forward). In their first game, the Vipers got in tough against a strong Brandon team and lost 8-1. The game remained close through the first two-and-a-half periods, but the wheels came off late in the third when Brandon scored four quick goals sealing the win. In game two, the Vipers showed their scoring touch and pulled off an exciting victory against Morden winning 9-7. The third and final game of the round robin against The Pembina Valley Ice Hawks was a heart breaker. Anticipating that a win would put the Vipers into a tie for second place in their pool and give them a shot at the playoff round, the team played strong through the first period. The teams were tied 3-3. The second period was also tightly played, but a 4:00 collapse mid period and the Hawks scored three unanswered goals and ended the second period with the Vipers trailing 6-3. After an inspirational speech between periods from coach Travis Rideout, the Vipers came out to prove they were contenders. Both Pearson and Rideout-Watling scored goals while Rideout added a helper and Weseen played solid on the point. Bacon played stellar between the pipes making several stops allowing his team to catch up until a late controversial goal that hit the post and seemed to not cross the line sealed the Vipers fate. The Vipers added the extra attacker, but couldn't score and fell 8-7 to the Hawks. At the conclusion of the round robin, the Vipers were in third place having them play the fifth place game against the Junior Oil Capitals from Virden. Simard got the nod as the keeper and playing strong kept the game close for the Vipers through two periods. The Caps scored five unanswered goals in the third and the Vipers fell 9-3 finishing the tournament in sixth place.
