Lake Tahoe Lakers faceoff against Long Beach Bombers at Tahoe Blue Event Center
STATELINE, Nev. – The Lake Tahoe Lakers look to continue elevating their game as they take the big stage at Tahoe Blue Event Center against their Pacific Conference rivals, the Long Beach Bombers, for what is expected to be a competitive series between two evenly matched United States Premiere Hockey League foes.
While the Lakers faced their fair share of growing pains during the first half of their season, they finished the calendar year off strong with an impressive showing at the USPHL Pacific Holiday Showcase going 3-1 in four games played in Henderson, Nev. in late December.
The 2026 leg of the Laker’s season started off with the daunting challenge of taking on the Fresno Monsters, a team ranked 2nd overall out of 81 teams in the most recent edition of the USPHL Power Rankings. Unfortunately for Lake Tahoe fans there were no upsets in Fresno. But while the Lakers went down in the series, they didn’t do so without a fight. Literally. Lakers goalie Brooks Smyrski put an exclamation point on the Fresno roadtrip by squaring off with opposing netminder Noah Hammarstrom for a rare goalie fight at center ice, a spirited bout much to the crowd’s delight.
Now the attention turns to the Long Beach Bombers who defended their home ice well when the Lakers visited Long Beach in early November. Eagerly, the Lakers await the opportunity to return the favor in Lake Tahoe, steadfast in their belief that they are a much better team now than they were when they last faced the Bombers.
They will get the opportunity to prove it in what they hope will be a packed house all weekend at the Tahoe Blue Event Center. And with a break in the NFL playoff schedule and the Knight Monsters on the road, why not come out and support the local junior hockey club?
Dickie Dunn is the Lake Tahoe Lakers beat writer for the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
