Copperheads drop pair of weekend games in HJHL competition

Posted on February 6, 2025 by Sunny South News

By Garrett Simmons
Southern Alberta Newspapers

The weekend kicked off with a high-octane, offensively-explosive game for the Coaldale Copperheads and Medicine Hat Cubs.

Friday evening in the Gas City, the Cubs skated to a thrilling 8-6 victory, which featured a five-goal first period and six more goals in the final frame.

After the Hat opened the scoring, the Copperheads stormed back, as Eric Price tied the game on a goal assisted by Heath Hansen and Brett Hudey. Coaldale then made it 2-1 on a Caden Heins goal. Nathan Verloop and Griffin McCulloch had the helpers.

After the Cubs tied things up, Kobe Fujita made it 3-2 Copperheads, on a marker assisted by Price.

Things calmed down a bit in the second, as Medicine Hat tied things up a three before Caden Heins made it 4-3 on a setup from Verloop, and John Vanden Elzen made it 5-3 on a goal assisted by Heins and Bill Houenagnon.

But that momentum did not carry over into the third, as Medicine Hat ended the contest with four unanswered goals.

The Cubs made it 5-4 before a Verloop power play goal restored the two-goal lead. Heins and McCulloch had assists on the sixth goal.

Then, the Cubs rattled off the next four goals, as the home side stormed to victory. Brylin Noble made 30 saves in the game, as the Copperheads ended the game down on the shot clock by a 38-32 count.

Saturday back at home, the Copperheads dropped a 4-1 decision to the Sylvan Lake Wranglers.

This one never seemed to be in doubt, as the visitors skated off with a 1-0 lead after 20 and held a 4-0 advantage after two periods, as the Wranglers lit the lamp three times in the second. Ryan Millo got the Copperheads on the board with a goal in the third, assisted by Hansen and Hudey but in the end, it was too little, too late.

Noble made 25 saves in net, as Sylvan outshot Coaldale 29-18.

This weekend, Coaldale will host the Wheatland Kings on Saturday at 8 p.m. On Sunday, the Copperheads will be back in the Hat for a 4 p.m. game.