Vail Yeti hockey team’s final home game of the season is Friday against Breckenridge
Local hockey team saves best for last in final series against rivals in Breckenridge
Madison Rahhal/Courtesy image
The Vail Yeti hockey team has enjoyed an evolving rivalry against the Breckenridge Vipers in recent years, and that rivalry will culminate this weekend in a pair of matches in Vail and Breckenridge on Friday and Saturday.
The Friday match at Dobson Arena in Vail will be the Yeti’s final home game of the season, and it’s expected to be another sellout, one of several this season. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance at VailYetiHockey.com. If tickets remain available at the door on Friday, the price will go up to $15.
Left-wing Dom Panetta said in recent years that the Vail matchups against Breckenridge have proven to be the most exciting, which is why the Yeti and the Vipers have scheduled more matches against one another this season. Friday’s will be the fifth game of the season against the Vipers, with the Yeti enjoying a 3-1 record so far.
“And our loss against them in Breckenridge was definitely because we had a short roster due to the difficult driving conditions on Vail Pass,” Panetta said with a laugh.
Panetta said the players on the Yeti and the Vipers have been forming mutual respect for one another in recent years.
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“We’re not yet drinking in the bar with them after the game, but we’ve definitely got to know them a little better,” he said. “The two teams know it’s a rivalry, and we have to put on a good show. There’s blood, sweat and tears, we go through it all with them. And the stadium ignites it.”
Panetta said large crowds in Vail have been reliable, helping the Yeti to boast a 13-3-1 record at home.
“We’re hoping to make it 14-4-1 after the next game, which will be one of the best records we’ve had in a long time,” he said. “I think the fact that we attract big crowds at home helps us play harder.”
The Vail Yeti’s 4-0 record against the FDNY team has especially helped bolster their record, Panetta said, which was among the highlights of the season. In one of those games, the Yeti was trailing FDNY with 1:20 remaining, but managed to score two quick goals in the final minute of the game to win 5-4.
On Saturday, the Yeti won its second of two games against the Phoenix Desert Dogs, with Panetta scoring two goals. Both games went into overtime.
The Yeti’s final regular season game of the season will be Saturday in Breckenridge. A non-league charity game will take place on April 8.
