Copperheads go 1-1 at home

Sunny South file photo

By Cole Parkinson
Sunny South News

This past weekend saw a pair of home games for the Coaldale Copperheads. The Snakes had been on a five-game losing streak heading into the weekend and the team was looking to gain some points as the Heritage Junior B League continues.

First up on Saturday night, the Snakes welcomed in the Sylvan Lake Wranglers. The first saw tons of shots for the Copperheads and they were able to find the back of the net with as Rylan Bruns had the first, while Adam Kennedy and Rylen Kleist drew the assists. The period would end in favour of Coaldale and the Snakes would take a 1-0 lead into the second period.

In the second, both teams were able to find tons of goals as the game took off offensively. Overall, the Wranglers would score three of their own while Coaldale had two, and the game would head into the final frame tied 3-3. Krishan Stocker and Tristan Miller had the Coaldale goals while Koden Lazar, James Halverson, Kennedy, and Bruns had an assist each.

While the second saw back-and-forth scoring, the Snakes potted an early goal and a late empty-netter to secure a 5-3 win. Derrien Tonin had the first while Lazar had the last goal of the game. Kleist also collected another assist. Nixon Ordway got the start for the Snakes in net and the goalie made 18 saves on 21 shots. The Copperheads fired 31 shots on the Sylvan Lake net and both teams went 0-2 on the power play.

Looking to build off the win against the Wranglers, the Snakes looked to make it a two-win weekend on Sunday when Strathmore came to town. In the first period, the Snakes opened the scoring with a Stocker power play goal and Kaden Booth and Kale Amundrud drew assists. Before the period ended, Strathmore would find a tying goal and the teams would head into the middle frame tied at one. The second would see no scoring for either team and they went into the third and still tied 1-1.

Near the midway part of the period, Strathmore would get their first goal of the lead, but the Snakes would answer back quickly with Amundrud finding the back of the net. Brogan and Kaden Booth had the assists. With under five minutes to play, the Wheatland Kings would score another goal to retake the lead. But the Copperheads fought hard to tie the game and 50 seconds later, Stocker potted the tying goal while Bruns and Amundrud collected assists. Despite a strong push to break the tie late in the period, the Snakes were unable to find a game-winning goal and the game went to overtime. In the extra frame, the Copperheads had a 4-on-3 power play, but were unable to capitalize and the game went into a shootout. In the shootout, Ordway would make a stop on all but one, but no Copperhead was able to find the back of the net and the Wheatland Kings would take home a 4-3 win in the shootout.

This coming weekend sees another pair of games for the Copperheads as they hit the road on Friday to take on the High River Flyers with an 8 p.m. puck drop. On Saturday, the Okotoks Bisons come to Coaldale for an 8 p.m. game. After the weekend, the Copperheads currently sit in fifth place in the Southern Division with a 5-9-2 record and 12 points.

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