It was an exciting final stretch to the Cochrane General’s season as the team jockeyed for top of the division with Coaldale and Okotoks.
The Generals will now head into the Heritage Junior Hockey League (HJHL) playoffs in third place with a record of 24-11-1 record and 49 points, one point back of Coaldale and Okotoks.
Cochrane finished the season with a nine game winning streak after pair of wins on Feb. 9 and 10 on the road against two divisional teams – the Strathmore Wheatland Kings and Medicine Hat Cubs.
In the first game, after an early goal from Strathmore, it was all Cochrane as they scored six unanswered goals en route to a 7-2 victory. Talus Hume netted a hat trick while Brandon Aab, Braden Bain, Taylor Girard and Austin Strang also scored for the Gens. Slater Ransom finished the game with three assists. Goaltender Erik Garber was hardly tested throughout the contest, stopping 11 of the 13 shots he faced.
The following night, the Gens fell behind 2-0 to the Medicine Hat Cubs before rallying for a hard fought 3-2 victory thanks to a Brandon Aab goal with four seconds remaining in the game, his second of two on the evening. Talus Hume also found the back of the net for the Generals. The generals peppered the cubs goaltender all night, firing an astounding 65 pucks on net. Erik Garber was in net for his second consecutive start, making 28 saves for the win.
The game was an early playoff preview, as the Generals will face Medicine Hat in a best-of-three first round series. Cochrane won all four meetings between the two teams, outscoring the Cubs by a score of 17-4 and finished 23 points ahead of the 12-22-2 Cubs.
With that said, Generals forward Talus Hume said records are thrown out the window once playoff time hits and he expects a battle from Medicine Hat.
“We’re expecting them to play gritty and try to get under our skin,” Hume said.
“We know their goalie can keep them in games so we just need to limit our mistakes and put a lot of pucks on net.”
Hume finished the season first on the team and fourth in the league in points and goals with 71 and 33 respectively. He hopes that he can carry that success over into the playoffs.
“For us to be successful we need to keep scoring the way we have during our (nine game) winning streak,” Hume said.
The Generals leading scorer is also in his final year on junior hockey along with Slater Ransom, Austin Keller and Will Gretton. The team has come very close to winning the league championship in the last few years, Hume hopes that this is the year the Generals are able to get over the hump.
“Everyone needs to buy in and commit to winning. There can’t be any solo efforts or selfishness because it can really cost you,” Hume said.
“I’m hoping we can all come together with that in mind and get us one step further. But for now we’re focused on Medicine Hat and taking it one game at a time.”
Game one of the series is scheduled to go Feb. 15 at Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre with puck drop going at 8 p.m. Game two will be in Medicine Hat going on Feb. 17. If necessary, game three will take place on Feb. 18 in Cochrane.
