2023 WV Vipers Middle School State Champions

                                          Vipers Middle School Team Wins State Title

The Journal

Jan 31, 2023

WHEELING — The West Virginia East Vipers middle school ice hockey team brought home the squad’s second state championship this past weekend.

The Vipers defeated three teams to win the crown and were pretty dominant in a 6-3 final over Wheeling Park at WesBanco Arena. The Vipers outshot Wheeling Park 44-16.

In earlier games, the Vipers defeated Wheeling Central 3-1 and Morgantown 6-0.

The team is coached by two of the Vipers alumni, Nate Snyder (2020), Greencastle, Pennsylvania, and William “Beansy” Harris (2019), Charles Town.

The players are David Aird, Jonathan Berkey, Gavin Delauney, Kelon Everhart, PJ Fagan, Ethan Hayden, Trevor Kochel, Zack Kuntz, Dylan Naill, Nathaniel Nadelberg, Wesley Stoops (goalie), Dom Studlo (goalie), Luca Valentine, Gavin Welsh, Josh Kellerman (injured) and Liam Kline.

The Vipers high school team fell short in its state tournament bid by a heartbreaking loss in the first round to Wheeling Park, 3-2 in overtime. The Vipers held a 2-1 lead before Wheeling Park rallied.

Morgantown won the state high school championship.

The Vipers are a co-op team representing the Eastern Panhandle with both high school and middle school squads that have existed for seven seasons.

— Staff reports