The Cochrane Generals have been on quite the streak. With their Heritage Junior Hockey League (HJHL) season just over a month old, the Gens currently sit in third place in the tight Southern Division with an 8-4-1 record, good for 17 points. Thirteen of those 17 points have come in the last seven games with Cochrane winning six of their last seven games, with their one loss during that stretch coming against the division-leading Okotoks Bisons on Nov. 8 which was followed up with a bounce back 4-1 victory over the Lomond Lakers on Nov. 11. Cochrane trailed for most of the game, as the Bisons scored midway through the second period. The Generals had opportunities to knot the game up but couldn't solve the Bisons goaltender before Sam Norris scored with just over two minutes left giving the fans five minutes of free hockey to enjoy. The overtime period was pretty back and forth but Cochrane only generated one shot in the frame while Okotoks capitalized on their fourth shot in overtime giving the Bisons a 2-1 victory. With the game against Okotoks taking place on a Thursday night, the Generals were able to rest and recharge their batteries before heading to Claresholm to face off with the Lakers for the third time this season. Lomond scored the game's first goal but Cochrane tied it up very late in the first off a power play goal from Harry Osler, which was followed by goals from Jordan Marks, Braden Bain and Osler getting his second of the game while Knute Loe was perfect the remainder of the night stopping 26 shots on the evening. "We had a few games where there was a chance for a higher rate of success then you'd normally have in a six or seven game stint, but regardless of who you play, you need to two points each game that you play," said head coach Travis McMillan of his team's last seven games. "You can't really sleep on anyone in the south (division) it's a hell of a lot more tight going from the first ranked team from the last compared to last year so I think the competition has gotten stiffer. In the three games we've played, Lomond we've taken six points from them, but the games have started to get closer and closer where the guys have to work that much harder to get two points." McMillan said going into Okotoks and being able to take a point away from the top team in the division should give the team confidence moving forward that they can play with anyone in the south. "I think we can (play with any team in the division). We haven't played Strathmore yet, nor have we played High River but right now, we like to make things hard on ourselves and what I mean by that is that we'll put 40 or 50 shots on net and we'll lose by one goal or we'll win by one or two goals," McMillan said. "If we're not using our shot selection and I've made it clear to the boys that we need to be better at doing that. We're making goalies look good right now ... we're putting 60 shots on them and having these close games. I'd like to think we could take Okotoks and we have the ability to do so and being able to put pucks in the back of the net. We've had chances, we just have to be better at putting pucks in the back of the net." Cochrane will play the High River Flyers on Nov. 16 as well as Stettler the following night before closing out their five game road trip on Nov. 23 against the Mountainview Colts.
