Rocky Mountain Season Kicks Off with Showdowns in Colorado Springs

The 2025–26 PIHA Rocky Mountain season got underway Friday night with a full slate of opening matchups at Pepsi Roller Sports Arena. Each league — Minor, Semi-Pro, and Pro — saw its first game action, highlighted by a hard-fought home-and-home series between the Falcon Vikings and Monument Thunder in the Centennial Minor Division, and a high-scoring Pro Division split between the Colorado Springs Thunder and the Denver Demon Dogs.

Minor Division: Falcon Vikings Sweep Season Opener

The Falcon Vikings opened their season in front of a home crowd and made the most of it, sweeping both games of their back-to-back with the Monument Thunder. After falling behind early in Game 1, the Vikings caught fire in the second half, rallying behind goals from Eric Casile and Kelly Miyamoto to edge the Thunder 4–3.

Game 2 saw a much more dominant performance from the Vikings, who outshot Monument 19–18 and held the Thunder to just one goal in a 3–1 win. Cody Osmon led the way offensively, scoring twice — once in each period — while Kevin Haltom made 17 saves in net to help seal the sweep.

Despite the losses, the Monument Thunder showed moments of promise, especially in the opening game where Jordan Bechelheimer and Forest Keller connected for early scores. Nate Screpesi turned away 16 shots in Game 2 to keep the Thunder within reach throughout.

Pro Division: Thunder and Demon Dogs Split Opening Doubleheader

The Colorado Springs Thunder and Denver Demon Dogs delivered two high-intensity games to officially kick off the PIHA Pro season.

Game 1 was a thrilling back-and-forth contest, with both teams exchanging goals throughout the opening period. CJ Yoder and Alec Fish helped the Thunder jump ahead, but Denver’s top line answered back. A third-period goal from Adam Trunko gave the Demon Dogs a 4–3 win in a game that featured elite play from both goaltenders.

In the rematch, the Thunder flipped the script. Christian Perry and Brian Mikkelsen notched key second-period goals as Colorado Springs pulled away with four unanswered in the final frame. Goaltender Noah Vanderbeck was strong between the pipes with 25 saves in the 6–3 win, helping his team earn a split to start the season.

The Demon Dogs saw offensive flashes from Alex Payne and Kyle Phelps, but struggled to regain momentum after allowing the Thunder to take control in the second half of Game 2.

What’s Next

The Rocky Mountain Division is officially underway, with the first taste of competition setting the tone for an exciting 2025–26 campaign. The Falcon Vikings start 2–0 in the Minor Division, while the Thunder and Demon Dogs leave the weekend tied 1–1 in the Pro Division standings.

More action is expected across all three divisions in the coming weeks as the schedule continues at venues across Colorado.

Stay tuned to thepiha.hockeyshift.com for full stats, scores, and upcoming schedules.