My St. Louis Vipers Homepage

This page is dedicated to the St. Louis Vipers roller hockey team.

The St. Louis Vipers are in their fifth season. The team is one of the original teams left. I started to watch them play during their third season, because their All Star game was in St. Louis. Ever since then I have been a season ticket holder. You could say that I went to one game and got hooked. The only problem is that the Viper have suspended operations for 1998, since the league is falling apart. The coach, Perry Turnbull, has said that they will be back next year, when the new league starts up.

My retired favorite Viper player is Rik Wilson. Rik use to  play for the Blues before he injured his knee, when he was brought back to play on defence  with Jeff Brown. Rik's son,Brock, was the water boy for the  team. Rik also liked to bring his daughter, Kelsey, with him too. Rick is not playing for the Vipers this year. I miss seeing him on the floor, but he is coming back to play in the 1997 play offs because of all the injuries to the roster.

My favorite current player is Brian Casey, if he comes back. He plays defence, and right know this team really needs defence. Brian has only scored once in the 1997 season, but it was a great goal. And last but not least, Here's a picture of us from a long time ago.

Another player that I like is Kevin Plager. Kevin has played for the Vipers for the past two years, and is one of our best scorers. He received a hat trick in the first game this season. Kevin has been plagued by injuries this season.

One player who always put his heart into his game was Martin Sekera. He only played half a season. Due to the fact that he didn't know English very well. He is currently playing roller hockey for the Czech Republik. He is hoping to make the Czech National Roller Hockey team, so he can play in the tournament in Anahiem this summer. Martin was also recently married on June 19th, 1998, to his long time love Lucie. They have been blessed with a daughter named, Laura.

Vipers Win RHI Championship

Posted: Monday, August 23, 1999 | 5:33 a.m.  E-mail this Story to a friend

Vipers defeat Anaheim for championship Special To The Post

Two late goals combined with three early ones to give the St. Louis Vipers their first Roller Hockey International championship Sunday night.

Mike Martens' two goals in the final three minutes led the Vipers past the Anaheim Bullfrogs 8-6 in front of 6,143 at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim.

Anaheim had been looking for its third consecutive professional championship and fourth overall. The Bullfrogs won RHI titles in 1993 and 1997 before taking Major League Roller Hockey's championship last year.

"They're the Montreal Canadiens of Roller Hockey," said Vipers coach Perry Turnbull, named the league's coach of the year Saturday night.

But the Bullfrogs played more like the Broad Street Bullies. Anaheim tried to intimidate the Vipers with a physical style that proved costly early.

With 2:14 gone, Bullfrog defender Chad Seibel hit Ryan Aikia in the knee. The injury forced Aikia off the court for the rest of the game.

Seibel received a double-minor penalty and a game misconduct that gave the Vipers a 4-minute power play -- which would stay in effect regardless of the number of goals St. Louis scored.

Anaheim goalie Rob Laurie saved Christian Skoryna's resultant penalty shot, but Jocelyn Langlois, Kevin Plager and Martens scored on the power play to give the Vipers a 3-0 advantage with 5:14 gone.