For the first time since last season, the Cochrane Generals are in first place in the Heritage Junior Hockey League (HJHL) Southern Division. The team won a pair of crucial games on Jan. 12 and 13 against teams in their division to boost their record to 18-11-1 on the season.
On Jan. 12, Cochrane travelled to Okotoks to take on the then first-place Bisons. The game was a rough affair, as the two teams combined for 13 penalties with over 75 minutes being served including four majors and three game misconducts. Cochrane won the game 4-1. Talus Hume got the party started very late in the first period, beating the Bisons goaltender with just 18 seconds remaining in the first period. Austin Keller stretched the visitor’s lead to 2-0 on a power play marker midway through the second frame. Okotoks got a goal back, but that’s as close as they’d come, with Brandon Aab and Slater Ransom scoring the back breakers in the third period.
Ransom and Hume continue to pile up the points and play the part of Batman and Robin for the Generals, as Ransom finished with a goal and two assists and Hume added a goal and an assist. The dynamic duo has now combined for 115 points so far this season, and sit second and third in the league’s scoring race.
Goaltender Knute Loe was very impressive for Cochrane facing a heavy workload all game long. Loe turned aside 45 of the 46 shots he faced in the contest.
The Generals returned home the following day to take on the 11-14-2 Strathmore Wheatland Kings, a game that was close until the final buzzer. There was no scoring in the first period, but Colton Wong scored his sixth goal of the season early in the second period to give Cochrane a 1-0 lead. The lead didn’t last very long, Strathmore tied the game less than two minutes later to kick off a flurry of four goals in a 10-minute span.
The Kings broke the 1-1 deadlock at the 13:22 mark, which was short lived when Talus Hume tied the game at two on a power play marker that was his 24th of the season. Austin Keller would score the eventual game winner just minute’s after Hume’s goal to give the Generals a 3-2 victory.
Hume finished the night with another multi-point game, Ransom had two assists and Austin Keller scored the game winner. Three other Generals players finished the game with at least a point.
Knute Loe got the call once again, and made 23 of the 25 saves against a dangerous Strathmore team looking for the equalizer late in the contest.
Loe was named the HJHL’s Player of the Week after his strong weekend in which he went 2-0, stopped 68 of the 71 shots and finished the weekend with a 1.50 goals-against average and a .958 save-percentage. Loe is currently 5-1 on the season with a 2.55 goals-against average, .918 save percentage and one shutout. Forward Talus Hume says Loe has been great in between the pipes for Cochrane and his numbers have shown that.
“Knute’s been a great addition to the team. He’s pretty hard on himself so we know he’s going to battle hard for us every game and that really showed over the weekend,” Hume said of his goaltender.
“We are really happy with the depth we have in net now and hopefully it’s going to make for a long and successful playoff run.”
Cochrane will get this weekend off before returning to action on Jan. 26 where they’re in High River to take on the Flyers in what could be a battle for first place, and Jan. 27 where they’ll once again take on the Strathmore Wheatland Kings at Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre. Puck drop for the Jan. 27 game will go at 7:30 pm.
