The Red Deer Vipers get just one regular-season shot at the Cochrane Generals on Cochrane ice — and they arrive Friday with a loss to shake off.
There will be more than hockey in the spotlight. The Gens are also welcoming the Cochrane-based Rocky Mountain Rage, with fans getting a chance to meet players from the National Ringette League (NRL) team throughout the night.
Gens look to strike after break
The defending north division champions visit the SLS Centre for an 8 p.m. showdown, giving the Generals a stiff test as they return from a bye week.
When the Vipers visited last Nov. 30, the Gens held off a third-period surge in an action-packed 7-5 victory that extended their winning streak to four games.
Red Deer heads into Friday’s matchup with a 4-2 record, sitting second in the north. But the Vipers were bitten in their last outing, dropping a 4-1 decision to the Coaldale Copperheads on home ice Oct. 10.
Both of their losses have come against south division opponents, with the Strathmore Wheatland Kings also getting the better of them.
Now the Generals get their turn.
Cochrane sits fifth in the tightly contested south at 2-2, with games in hand after last week’s break. Friday offers a chance to climb back above .500 while measuring up against last season’s northern champions.
Rage share the spotlight
The Rage bring a different kind of firepower to the evening.
One of 14 teams competing at ringette’s highest level in Canada, the Cochrane-based club is entering its second season after finishing its inaugural campaign with a 7-17 record.
The roster includes Liah Wagner, Dylan Pighin and Emma Dick, all with roots in Cochrane’s ringette association in Zone 2.
The Rage opened exhibition play Sept. 19 by trading 7-6 wins with Calgary RATH. They have since collected a tie and two losses through their first weekend of regular-season hub play in Regina.
Their schedule is about to pick up speed.
Three games at Calgary’s WinSport await next weekend, followed by trips to Winnipeg Nov. 7 and 8 and Leduc Dec. 5 and 6.
Cochrane fans will get their chance to cheer on the Rage at home in December, when the Manitoba Herd, Edmonton Rush and B.C. Thunder come to town.
On Friday, though, the Rage will be meeting fans while the Generals handle the snake pit.
