Copperheads drop pair of games in HJHL weekend competition

Posted on January 16, 2025 by Sunny South News

By Garrett Simmons
Southern Alberta Newspapers

It was a tough weekend on the ice for the Coaldale Copperheads.

The Heritage Junior Hockey League team dropped both contests, which started Friday with a 4-0 loss to Sylvan Lake.

Saturday featured a 5-4 overtime loss to Red Deer, as the team fell to 11-16-3 on the season.

Sylvan Lake controlled Friday’s contest from start to finish, as the Wranglers got out to a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.

Sylvan scored twice more in the middle frame and then cruised home to the finish line.

In the end, the Wranglers outshot the Copperheads by a 38-17 count, thanks in part to five powerplays. Coaldale only went to the man advantage once.

Brylin Noble made 34 saves in net for the Copperheads.

On Saturday, it was a back-and-forth contest, as Nolan Prince opened the scoring for Coaldale, on a marker assisted by Carter Dersch and Kobe Fujita.

Red Deer tied the score and then, right before the period was up, Nathan Verloop scored to make it 2-1. Dersch and Caden Heins added the assists.

The Vipers tied the game in the second but once again, Coaldale scored to regain the lead, as Landon Howg lit the lamp.

Red Deer struck on the powerplay to tie the contest, as the teams skated into the locker rooms tied at three after 40.

Price scored early in the third to put the Copperheads ahead once again, as he scored an unassisted marker early in the period.

That 4-3 lead held until 45 seconds were left in the final frame, as Red Deer tied things up late.

The Vipers then won it in the extra frame.

Joseph Rolfson made 34 saves in net for Coaldale.

Red Deer fired 39 shots on goal to Coaldale’s 35, as the Vipers went 2/8 on the powerplay. Coaldale scored once on eight powerplay opportunities.

This coming weekend, the Copperheads head to High River on Friday to face the Flyers, and then host the Cochrane Generals on Saturday at 8 p.m.