Cochrane Generals have sent a clear message to, and shivers down the spines of, Heritage Junior Hockey League opponents seeking a soft target.
Starting 4-0, Gens appear ready to blast through the league with 34 regular-season games remaining. The latest wins showcase Cochrane’s determination to dispatch all comers, with Gens blanking perennial pain-in-the-rear-end Okotoks Bisons 3-0 a night after edging Blackfalds Wranglers 4-3.
The Oct. 2-3 home-opening weekend went according to plan.
“Four-and-0,” Gens head coach Evan McFeeters said. “It’s the dream start we could ask for. We’re just taking it week by week and we’re happy we got two wins against two perennial powerhouses in the Heritage League. But we feel we can compete with any team and that we should be a favourite. We’ve built a good enough squad this year that, really, we’re just trying to take care of business on game nights.”
With a goalie, Ty Robinson, seeing beach balls playing behind a defenceman, Austin Keller, who’s come completely unhitched, the Generals look unbeatable.
Robinson is Heritage League player of the week with four wins, a 1.50 goals-against average, a .950 save percentage and a shutout – against Okotoks. Keller has two goals and seven assists in four games for a 2.3 points-per-game average.
Throw in over-achieving forward Corey Goeson’s five goals in four games and you haven’t even scratched the surface of this team’s depth and potential.
But is there a chance the Generals, at this early blitzkrieg pace, could run out of ammo before season’s end?
“I don’t think so,” McFeeters answered. “We go into each weekend with a game plan. We always have the expectation we’re going to win a hockey game.”
That platitude is older than Wally Hume, and way more stale. When prodded, McFeeters opens the door a little more on how he intends to keep his troops playing at the top level for a full season.
“We aren’t even talking about the playoffs in our dressing room right now. We’re just talking about Medicine Hat and Strathmore coming up and how important those points are early in the season.
“We break our games down to five-game segments. We want to come out on the better half of them, winning those mini-series.”
Despite the early-season domination, McFeeters insists Gens aren’t playing anywhere near their potential right now.
“It’s October, we have a long process ahead of us. We still have to get our systems in place. As a coaching staff, we’re happy with what we’ve been accomplishing in terms of wins and losses. But we still have a lot of work to do on our forecheck and defensive-zone coverage.
“We’re nowhere near where we need to be to compete as the season progresses.”
Connor Rendell, Slater Ransom and Talus Hume scored Cochrane’s goals Oct. 3 vs. visiting Okotoks. Goeson scored twice and added an assist Oct. 2 vs. Blackfalds. Keller had a goal and an assist and Rendell sniped one.
Fri. Oct. 9, 8:15 p.m., Kinplex
Gens (4-0, 1st Southern Division) at Medicine Hat Cubs (1-6, 7th Southern Div.)
Sat., Oct. 10, 8 p.m., Strathmore Family Centre
Gens at Strathmore (3-3, 3rd Southern Div.)
Gens starting goalie Ty Robinson is Heritage League player of the week for his work right out of the gate. Cochrane’s key keeper is 4-0 to start the season with a gaudy 1.50 goals-against average, .950 save percentage and a shutout.
Gens rookie F Ty Milligan. The former Midget AA Timberwolves sniper has been spied in a top-6 role alongside Connor Rendell and Slater Ransom, and has yet to produce. Coach McFeeters feels the 17-year-old is due to bust out.
Cochrane went 3-0 in preseason and is 4-0 to start the regular campaign, including home-opening weekend victories over top teams Blackfalds Wranglers and Okotoks Bisons. Cochrane has out-scored opponents 15-6 to start the regular season.
Rookie Gens F Levi Barker is bringing the true grit in an effort to own a roster spot. The diminutive (5-foot-7), 150-pound 19-year-old dropped the gloves with Okotoks F Taylor McNeil in the chippy Oct. 3 affair at Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre and has 15 penalty minutes from four games.
Shooting blanks in his first two games, Gens F Connor Rendell hit the target in games 3 and 4 with a goal in each. A go-to sniper, the 19-year-old’s contribution to the scoresheet is pivotal. Look for more from Rendell as he and returning-from-injury linemate Slater Ransom get reacquainted.
Veteran Gens D Austin Keller is running the show; the only reason he’s not player of the week is because he’s making G Robinson and everyone else look good. At the same time, the 19-year-old is padding his stats with a goal and two assists Oct. 2-3. He’s on target for a 19-goal, 66-assist season and should have his own brand of breakfast cereal by Christmas.
Gens forward Chad Harrison is healing a lower-body injury.
Gens were 4-0 vs. Medicine Hat last season and 4-0 (including 3 overtime wins) vs. Strathmore.
