Copperheads gain three points over holiday weekend

Sunny South photo by Nikki Jamieson

By Cole Parkinson
Sunny South News

After a disappointing second weekend of Heritage Junior B Hockey League action, the Coaldale Copperheads bounced back this past Thanksgiving weekend.

With two home games on the slate, Coaldale hockey fans were treated to a pair of exciting games during the long weekend.

On Saturday night, the Snakes welcomed in the Strathmore Wheatland Kings.

In a back and forth game, Coaldale would eventually skate to a 6-4 win at home, though Strathmore gave them everything they could.

Krishan Stocker put Coaldale up early in the first period, but the Wheatland Kings would score two before the end of the period to take a lead into the break.

Strathmore would add to their lead early in the second period before Kole Fujita answered back to make it a 3-2 game.

After another Wheatland King tally, the Copperheads were down 4-2 with just over 11 minutes left in the period.

The Copperheads would immediately score one of their own off of Derrien Tonin’s stick and before the buzzer rang out to signal the end of the period, Tonin would score another one, but this time shorthanded.

Heading into the final frame, the Copperheads and Wheatland Kings were deadlocked at 4-4.

After over 10 minutes of no scoring, Copperhead forward Brogan Booth would find the back of the net as Coaldale had a lead for the first time since early in the first period.

With just over three minutes to play, Booth would score again this time on the power play, which was Coaldale’s first powerplay marker on the season, which secured the victory for the Snakes.

Coaldale put up 33 shots on net, while Strathmore fired 19 at Coaldale netminder Ethan Barrows.

Thomas Johnson and Tonin each had two assists, while James Halverson, Jason Creighton, and Booth each chipped in with a single assist.

The Copperhead’s penalty kill remained strong as they held Strathmore to 0-10 on the man advantage.

In the second game of the weekend, Coaldale welcomed the Rocky Rams to the Snakepit.

In another back and forth contest, the Snakes would mount a late-game comeback that ended in a 5-4 loss in the shootout.

The Copperheads once again opened the scoring early with Kaden Booth putting one past the Rams goaltender.

Rocky would score two in quick succession to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.

The Rams would add another in the second and headed into the final period up 3-1.

The Snakes would score in the first 20 seconds in the third from a powerplay marker from Koden Lazar, while Stocker would also find the back of the net to tie the game heading into the last 10 minutes of play.

Rocky would pot a powerplay goal with just under nine minutes left, which left the Copperheads hoping for another comeback to send the game to overtime.

With just over one minute left, Stocker would put another puck past the Rams goalie and send the game to overtime.

After five minutes of OT, neither side would end the game which sent the game to a shootout.

Lazar and Tonin were stopped in the shootout and the first and third shooters for Rocky scored, which sealed the victory for the Rams.

The Copperheads went 1-4 on the power play and allowed two goals on the penalty kill as the Rams went 2-6 on the power play.

Coaldale fired 32 shots on net while Barrows faced 27 shots in net.

Booth, Kale Amundrud, Dylan Nevil, and Ryden Rempel each had a single assist on the scoresheet.

The Snakes have another two games on the schedule this coming weekend.

On Friday night, the Snakes head to the ATB Centre in Lethbridge to take on the Kainai Junior Braves with puck drop at 7 p.m.

Saturday sees the Copperheads come home to welcome in the Medicine Hat Cubs with an 8:30 p.m. puck drop.

Early in the season, the Copperheads have five points which has them in fourth place in the Southern Division.

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