Copperheads fall in overtime to Cochrane Generals

By Garrett Simmons
Sunny South News

It was an exciting contest Saturday in Cochrane, as the Coaldale Copperheads dropped a heart stopping 5-4 overtime decision against the Generals.

After a scoreless 20 minutes, Coaldale trailed early in the second period as the home side struck less than five minutes into the middle frame, before Peyton Twigg and Caden Heins scored to make it 2-1 Copperheads after 40. Nolan Price set up Twigg’s opening goal for the Copperheads. Twigg was the set-up man on the second goal.

Early in the third, Cochrane tied the game at two before Drew Constant regained the Coaldale lead with a goal assisted by Nathan Verloop and Rylan Milo.

But that the was just the start of the back-and-forth period, as Cochrane scored two straight goal to take a 4-3 lead with seven and a half minutes to play.

The one-goal lead would not stand up, as Price scored for the Copperheads, on a play set up by Heins and Brogan Booth, to tie the game late in the third period.

The Coaldale comeback was all for not, as Tristan Ripplinger scored for the home side at the 3:40 mark of overtime, to cap off a high-scoring game.

The Ripplinger goal was the first shot of the overtime period for the Generals, as Cochrane ended the game with 30 shots on goal. Coaldale recorded 25.

Coaldale finished 0/4 on the man advantage while the Generals scored once on three powerplay opportunities.

The OT loss came on the heels of a two-win segment the weekend before, as the Copperheads defeated the Mountainview Colts in overtime on Saturday, Oct. 7 by a score of 5-4. Coaldale’s offence was in high gear on Oct. 8 in an 8-6 win over the Rocky Rams.

Next, the Copperheads prepare for the Friday game in Okotoks against the Bisons and a Saturday game in Red Deer to face the Vipers.

Coaldale is now 4-2-1 on the season, as Heins leads the way through seven games with 11 points on two goals and nine assists. Twigg is second in scoring with five goals and five assists for 10 points.

Despite picking up nine points in the standings, Coaldale is in fifth place in a very strong South Division. Medicine Hat is 6-0 to top the standings, while Okotoks is 6-1, Strathmore is 5-1-1 and Cochrane is 5-1.

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