The Cochrane Generals can’t seem to stop winning when it matters most.
Star forwards Connor Rendell and Slater Ransom combined for seven points as Gens steamrolled Coaldale Copperheads in a 6-2 win in Game 1 of their HJHL (Heritage Junior Hockey League) best-of-seven Southern Division finals series on Mar. 1.
“We didn’t expect to put up the goals that we did, and keep their chances down,” said Gens head coach Evan McFeeters. “If we can continue to play like this for the whole series then we’re going to have a lot of success.”
It wasn’t all smooth sailing however, as Copperheads opened the scoring early in the first period through Clay Spencer.
Brett Berndt grabbed his second goal of the playoffs (Tyler Kinnon assisting) to level things up for the home side, before both teams again swapped goals with Clay Vogt scoring for the visitors and Colton Wong (Logan Brown with the helper) making things 2-2.
Rendell hit the post with a shot so hard, they must have heard it in Coaldale, but Gens were unable to add to their tally with the score staying 2-2 going into the second.
From there, Gens began to assert themselves, with Ransom banging in Gens third (Rendell and Craig Packard assisting), before Rendell (Ransom returning the favour) added a fourth making it 4-2 with the third period left to play.
Ransom and Rendell struck on the power-play (Rendell scoring, Ransom and Austin Keller assisting), before Chad Harrison (Ransom and Brett Hamer with helpers) added insult to injury, knocking in Gens’ sixth goal of the game (his sixth of the playoffs) to take the game.
“During our week off, we talked about playing sound hockey,” McFeeters said. “We knew if we were defensively responsible against Coaldale, our skill would take over, and we’d get our goals and opportunities on the power-play.
“Our biggest goal was for us to shut down their high powered offence. They have the best offence in the league, and their series against Okotoks showed that. It was 7-6 hockey games night after night. We knew if we played from our goal-line out we would do well.”
Goalie Ty Robinson continued his stellar playoff form, with 20 saves from 22 shots on target, warranting a player of the game accolade from his coach.
“Robbie was our best player tonight,” McFeeters said. “He was awesome. He’s been our guy since the playoffs started, and as long as he keeps playing like that, he’s going to keep getting starts.”
Even though it was a perfect start to the series, Gens aren’t going to let it go to their heads, and McFeeters knows they are playing an opponent that can turn it on and cause upsets if given the slightest chance.
“They’re the defending Heritage League champions, so we’re not taking any chances,” he said. “We don’t expect to sweep them, they score a lot of goals, but we have a chance next game to solidify our home ice advantage. Then hopefully we can go to their rink and get a stranglehold on the series with a win.
“However, just like the Strathmore series, we expect this to go seven games.”
Friday, Mar. 4, 7:30 p.m., Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre: Coaldale Copperheads (26-10-2, 3rd Southern Division) at Gens (29-5-4, 1st Southern Division).
Saturday, Mar. 5, 8:30 p.m., Coaldale: Gens at Copperheads.
Wednesday, Mar. 9, 8:30 p.m., Coaldale: Gens at Copperheads.
Goalie Ty Robinson has been sensational for Gens so far in the playoffs, continuing his regular-season form, winning all five games he’s started, stopping 119 out of 129 shots faced, with a GAA of 1.97 and a save percentage of .922 in 305 minutes of playing time.
Gens were 3-1 against Copperheads in regular-season action (1-3 during the previous year) outscoring them 29-23.
