LAKE TAHOE, Nev. – The Tahoe Knight Monsters were greeted by a full house on Friday for their season opener at the Tahoe Blue Event Center. The Knight Monsters won Friday and Sunday, but dropped the Saturday match against the New Mexico Goatheads. The homestand continues for the Knight Monsters Wednesday.
Friday – Dominant First Period Helps Lead Knight Monsters to Victory Over Goatheads
The Tahoe Knight Monsters earned their first win of the season against the New Mexico Goatheads on home ice by a score of 6-2.
In the first period, after enduring an early rush of New Mexico shots, Tahoe turned the tide as Jake Durflinger got the Knight Monsters on the board with his first of the season to give Tahoe an early one-goal lead. Just over three minutes later, the Knight Monsters would build their lead off of a goal from Tucker Ness, making it 2-0 Tahoe. In the closing minutes of the frame, Durflinger scored his second of the night shorthanded to put Tahoe up 3-0; however, that goal would be cancelled out by a power play goal from Jake Chiasson for New Mexico, and Tahoe took a 3-1 lead into the intermission.
After struggling in the second period on the road in Wichita, the Knight Monsters played a complete middle 20 as Noah Nelson scored his first professional goal to make it 4-1, and Samuel Mayer scored Tahoe’s second shorthanded goal of the game to go up 5-1 heading into the third period.
The Goatheads would jump out first in the final frame as Briley Wood scored his first of the season to cut the lead to 5-2, but late in the period, on the power play, New Mexico pulled their goaltender and captain Jake McGrew scored an empty-net, shorthanded goal to extend Tahoe’s lead to four and give the Knight Monsters a 6-2 win.
Goaltender Alex Tracy had a great night in net as well, stopping 40 of 42 Goatheads shots in the win in front of a sold-out crowd.
This win also marked the first win in the head coaching career of Connor Jones. The Montrose, British Columbia native joins the Tahoe staff from Princeton University, where he was an assistant coach for the last two seasons.
Saturday – New Mexico Earns First Win in Franchise History with 5-1 Victory Over Tahoe
The Tahoe Knight Monsters fell to the New Mexico Goatheads on Saturday night by a score of 5-1.
In the first, the Goatheads got on the board first thanks to a goal from Cameron Buhl to make it 1-0. Tahoe would tie the game with just over two minutes remaining in the period off of an impressive top shelf goal from captain Jake McGrew, and the two teams were tied headed into the locker room.
In period two, New Mexico’s Francesco Arcuri was the star as he scored a pair of goals: one on the power play at the 5:44 mark and again at the 18:11 mark of the period to give New Mexico a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes of action.
In the final frame, German Yavaş scored his first goal of the season for the Goatheads to extend the lead to 4-1, and after an empty-net insurance goal from Lynden Breen, the Goatheads skated away with a 5-1 victory, marking their first win in franchise history.
Sunday – Gordie Howe Hat Trick from Tucker Ness Helps Lead Tahoe to OT Win Over New Mexico
The Tahoe Knight Monsters defeated the New Mexico Goatheads by a score of 2-1 in overtime.
The fireworks in the first period came off of a fight in the opening three minutes between Tahoe’s Tucker Ness and New Mexico’s Dakota Seaman to energize the crowd, but both goaltenders- Tahoe’s Alex Tracy and New Mexico’s Isaiah Saville posted shutout periods, and the two teams went scoreless into the second.
In the middle frame, New Mexico got on the board first courtesy of Grant Ahcan’s first goal of the season to go up 1-0. Saville once again held down the fort in the period, and the Knight Monsters entered the third down a goal.
The final frame is when everything changed. Bronson Ride scored his first professional goal at the 8:21 mark of the period to tie the score at 1, and after a few chaotic sequences, both goaltenders stood their ground, and the game went into overtime.
In OT, it was Ness who scored the overtime winner off a pass from Tyler Rollwagen as the Knight Monsters took 4 out of a possible 6 points on the weekend.
Alex Tracy shined in net, stopping 35 of 36 New Mexico shots, earning him Second Star of the Game honors.
The Knight Monsters are back at Tahoe Blue Event Center on Wednesday, October 28, as they take on the Kansas City Mavericks for Pucks and Paws night. Puck drop is set for 7 pm PT.
They continue their three-game matchup with Nevada Day and Halloween games.
Season tickets and ticket packages for the 2026-27 season are now available. For more information on becoming a 1645 Club Season Ticket Member, visit knightmonstershockey.com.