Copperheads still in third place after 1-1 weekend

Posted on February 1, 2024 by Sunny South News

By Garrett Simmons
Sunny South News

It was another 1-1 weekend for the Coaldale Copperheads in Heritage Junior Hockey League play. It all started Saturday with a 3-2 overtime win over the Cochrane Generals, and wrapped up in a 5-2 Sunday loss to the Medicine Hat Cubs.

Saturday’s dramatic victory had Drew Constant score the overtime winner for the Copperheads, on a goal set up by Caden Heins. In a game where Coaldale only mustered 19 shots, the Copperheads had the only two shots of the overtime period.

Caden Heins got Coaldale off to a 1-0 lead with a goal in the second frame, assisted by Bill Houenagnon. Cochrane tied the game at one late in the second, and the Generals took the lead with a goal 6:16 into the third period. But with time running down in the final period, Brogan Booth scored to tie the game for the Copperheads, as Constant and Rylan Bruns drew the assists. Kaiden Fulton earned the win in net for Coaldale, as he turned aside 26 shots.

Sunday’s game lacked Saturday’s drama, as the Cubs scored twice in the third, which included one into an empty net, to take a three-goal victory. But the game was all tied at one after the opening period, as Nathan Verloop’s goal from Bruns and Peyton Twigg put the teams on even footing heading into the second. 

A Cubs powerplay goal made it 2-1 and an even-strength marker extended the lead to 3-1, before Koden Lazar brought Coaldale to within one with a goal assisted by Adam Kennedy. A comeback was not in the cards for the Copperheads, as Medicine Hat shut things down in the third period, and held Coaldale to only eight shots. The Cubs held a 39-36 advantage on the shot clock when all was said and done, as Medicine Hat was also handed four powerplays to Coaldale’s two. Fulton made 34 saves and took the loss in goal for the Copperheads.

Now, five games remain on Coaldale’s February schedule, which includes a Friday game in Okotoks and a Saturday home game at 8 p.m. against Medicine Hat. With 33 games in the books, Coaldale sits in third place in the South Division with 46 points and a 22-9-2 record.