Copperheads in fourth place after a 1-1 weekend in HJHL play

Posted on October 3, 2024 by Sunny South News

By Garrett Simmons
Sunny South News

It was the tale of two games last weekend for the Coaldale Copperheads.

On Friday, the Copperheads suffered a huge 7-0 defeat at the hands of the Okotoks Bisons.

But on Saturday, it was Coaldale’s offence that exploded in a 5-3 win over the Three Hills Thrashers.

The Bisons games went sideways early, as Okotoks scored twice in the first period and led 2-0 after 20. It could have been worse, as Okotoks fired 21 shots on net in the opening frame.

Coaldale outshot Okotoks 12-11 in the second but the result was the same – two more Bisons goals.

Okotoks scored three more times in the third, as the Copperheads matched the Bisons 11 shots on goal.

Saturday was a different story, as Coaldale put four goals on the board in the first, as the Copperheads outshot Three Hills 14-8.

Nathan Verloop got the team on the board with a goal assisted by Lucas Alexander and Carter Dersch.

After Three Hills tied the score, Brett Hudey put Coaldale ahead with a goal assisted by Alexander and Koden Lazar.

Jon Vanden Elzen made it 3-1, as Verloop and Lazar drew the helpers.

Kobe Fujita wrapped up the scoring with a goal assisted by Hudey and Riley Potts.

Three Hills responded with a goal in the second, as the teams skated to the locker room after 40 with the score 4-2 for Coaldale.

Vanden Elzen quickly snuffed out any comeback hopes, as he opened the scoring in the third on a goal assisted by Hudey and Griffin McCulloch.

Three HIlls put another one on the board later in the third but in the end, that was as close as the game would get.

As the calendar flips to October, Coaldale will open the month with a game on the road against Medicine Hat on Friday. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

Saturday will have the Copperheads host High River at 8 p.m.

After four games, Coaldale sits in fourth in the South Division with a 2-1-1 record, good for five points. Medicine Hat sits at the top with eight points, while Wheatland and Okotoks both have six.