Two-game road trip this past weekend for Copperheads

By Cole Parkinson
Sunny South News

The start of the month saw the Coaldale Copperheads hit the road for their first two games of December. After a 1-2 finish to November, the Snakes had a tough start to the new month as they took on the Heritage Junior ‘B’ Hockey League’s top team in the Okotoks Bisons on Friday night.

The Bisons would kick off the scoring with a pair late in the first, but Tristan Miller would find the back of the net for Coaldale as Brandon Creighton and Nathan Verloop had assists and the period would end 2-1 in favour of the Bisons. Okotoks would once again open the scoring in the period as they potted the first two goals once again. Rylan Bruns would cut the lead to two for the Copperheads with Riley Potts and Koden Lazar drawing the assists. In the third period, the Snakes would score a power play goal off the stick of Lazar to make it a one-goal game as Caden Heins found the score sheet with an assist. The Snakes were unable to find a tying goal and Okotoks would pot an empty netter to take the game 5-3.

Nixon Order made 37 saves on 41 shots while Aidan Low got into the game and made a stop on the single shot he faced and the Snakes were outshot 42-31 in the game. Coaldale went 1-3 on the power play and 2-2 on the penalty kill.

Looking for a rebound on Saturday, the Copperheads were in Didsbury taking on the Mountainview Colts. The first period saw neither team break the ice. In the second, the Colts opened the scoring early in the period, but Coaldale would answer seconds later as Lazar had his second of the weekend. Krishan Stocker and Bruns had the assists on the first goal. Midway through the period, the Colts scored once again to take the lead, but Nolan Price scored an unassisted goal just over a minute later to once again tie the game. Late in the period, Drew Constant was able to score and give Coaldale their first lead of the game. Kaden and Brogan Booth had the assists.

With a 3-2 lead in the third period, the Snakes would extend that lead just under five minutes in as Bruns scored a power play goal with Michael Lawson and Kale Amundrud collecting an assist each. Late in the period, the Colts would cut the lead to one, but that would be all they could muster as the Snakes took a 4-3 win. Aidan Low got the start and made 37 saves on 40 shots and the Copperheads outshot Mountainview 60-40. Both teams would score a power play goal in the game as Coaldale went 1-5 while the Colts were 1-4.

The Copperheads are now gearing up for another two-game weekend as they head to Medicine Hat on Friday for an 8:15 p.m. game to take on the Cubs. The Snakes return home on Saturday as Cochrane comes to town for a 6 p.m. puck drop. In the Southern Division, Coaldale is currently in fifth place with a 7-13-3 record and 17 points.