Copperheads split two weekend preseason contests

Posted on September 17, 2026 by Sunny South News

By Garrett Simmons
Sunny South News

The Coaldale Copperheads kicked off the 2026/2027 preseason with a home-ice win and a lopsided defeat on the road.

Saturday featured an exciting 6-5 win over Medicine Hat, as Coaldale held on despite a furious third-period comeback attempt from the Cubs.

Madyx Skrypnyk put Coaldale on the board in the first with a goal assisted by Riley Preachuk and Kobe Fujita.

After the Cubs tied things up, Chase Stronge made it 2-1 Copperheads with an unassisted marker. Fujita extended the lead to 3-1, as Drake Olineck drew the assist.

Brent Coleman took things over for the Copperheads in the second period, as he scored two straight goals in the middle frame to make it 5-1. Fujita assisted on both goals.

The Cubs made it 5-2 before Ethan Siemens extended the lead to 6-2, as  Skrypnyk picked up the assist.

Medicine Hat scored three times in the third, which included a goal with 25 seconds left, to make the final 20 minutes a little more dramatic.

In the end, Coaldale held on for the win, as the Copperheads outshot the visitors 41-28, as Dakota Hurst earned the win with a 23-save performance.

It was a different story Sunday back in the Hat, as the Cubs rolled to a 10-0 win, as the home side dominated on the score clock and on the shot clock. The Cubs fired 40 shots on net to Coaldale’s 14, as Copperheads goaltender Cole Lavorato was tested early and often.

The preseason continues this weekend with a Saturday road game in High River. On Sunday, High River will head south for a 2 p.m. game in Coaldale.