Santa Rosa Growlers Josiah Nikkel takes a slapshot against the NorCal Ice Raiders on November 16, 2019. (Photo: Mike DeWald)
Mike DeWald (@mike_dewald)
The Santa Rosa Growlers kicked off their inaugural season of semi-pro hockey at the newly re-opened Snoopy’s Home Ice Saturday night with a 7-3 victory against the defending champion NorCal Ice Raiders. The Growlers headlined a big weekend for the rink, which also includes a ribbon-cutting and celebration of the completion of a months-long renovation that included new ice, dasher boards, benches, and among other improvements.
“We put in full glass so we can have this kind of hockey here,” said Huntsinger, “we’ve put in new ice, I’ve heard it’s very fast so it’ll be much better for people who skate, we’re really excited about that.”
The Growlers join the twelve-team Mountain West Hockey League, a Senior A league with teams spanning from Texas, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and across California. Founded in 2012, MWHL players come from North America and Europe and have experience ranging from junior, college, to professional. The action on the ice is fast and high intensity, with the rules allowing for full-contact, checking, and the occasional spirited hockey fight.
“We need this kind of sports and entertainment here in Sonoma County,” said Snoopy’s General Manager Gina Huntsinger, “we just don’t have it, so it’s really exciting.”
Interest in Saturday night’s game was high, with tickets selling out well in advance of the inaugural event. Over 600 Sonoma County hockey fans filled the historic Santa Rosa rink to catch a first glimpse of what Senior A semi-pro hockey looks like.
The Growlers donned maroon jerseys, with the name and logo honoring the areas more recent craft beer legacy. Much like the Sonoma Stompers for baseball, the Growlers provide authentic hockey action mixed with an accessibility for causal fans and affordability for locals. Huntsinger says the rink’s capacity provides the right mix of buzz and energy with enough room to provide a family friendly atmosphere.
“Because we have the right team in place here, we can do it,” said Huntsinger, “I feel very confident that’s it’s going to be a fun and safe place for people to come to.”
The Growlers made their way to the ice, walking through the crowd and onto the ice for introductions. The two teams took the ice along with some ceremonial moments to ring in the inaugural game at Snoopy’s, with a group of first responders being honored by dropping the ceremonial first puck. The teams kept their play relatively close to the vest for the opening minutes of the game, as players got acclimated to the electric environment and feeling out their opponent. The Growlers got on the board first with defenseman and captain Blake Johnson putting in the first goal in team history on a point
shot through traffic to put the team up 1-0.
The Growlers carried much of the momentum through the first period, jumping out to a quick 3-0 lead through the first. The intensity of game heightened as the Ice Raiders upped the physicality to try to get back in the game. Teams traded punishing hits at each end of the ice. The Growlers were aided by a string of penalties by the Ice Raiders to keep them on the man advantage for an extended period to close out the first.
The action evened out in the second, with the Ice Raiders battling their way back to cut the deficit to 2, evening
using a fight behind the play to put up their first goal of the night. The Growlers added one goal and took a 4-2 into the final the frame. The third period was marked by some of the most physical play of the night as tensions between the two teams rose to their highest point of the game, with players testing out just how forgiving the newly-installed glass around the rink is. The Growlers took control in the third period and closed out the game with a 7-3 victory, saluting fans at center ice as they made their way back to the locker room.
The sixteen game season will provide at least eight opportunities to see the Growlers as the regular season runs through the end of March. Fans that missed out on the sold out inaugural affair will have to wait, with the next home games coming on January 17th and 18th against the Las Vegas Jesters.
Photos from the Santa Rosa Growlers v. NorCal Ice Raiders:
