Cochrane Generals are the hottest team in Heritage Junior Hockey League (HJHL), winning back-to-back games over the weekend, putting their winning streak at six on the trot.
On Nov 13, Gens hosted Okotoks Bisons (11-4, 2nd Southern Division), one of their main rivals. Connor Rendell (two), Slater Ransom, Chad Harrison, Brett Hamer, Talus Hume, Tyler Kinnon, and returning captain Craig Packard all got on the score sheet as Gens swept aside Bisons 8-6.
Gens went 5-1 up in the first period, which allowed McFeeters to play some of his younger, inexperienced team members giving them crucial ice time against one of the best teams in the league.
“We had the (Bisons) game marked on our calendar for a while,” Evan McFeeters, Generals head coach said. “They’re one on the teams we know we’re going to be fighting with to win the division this year.
“The first period was the best twenty minutes we played all season, we came out strong and dominated puck possession. We were able to maintain our structure that we have been working on all season.
“It was a big win on home ice against one of our biggest rivals.”
Nov. 14 saw Gens travel to Stettler Lightning (4-11-1, 6th Northern Division). The Cochrane side ran out 7-1 winners as Corey Goeson, Austin Keller, Dustin Boone, Connor Rendell, Slater Ransom, and Kurt Thrussell (two) lead the charge.
“We knew (Stettler) would give us a run for our money,” McFeeters said. “Our big players stepped up, and we beared down defensively.”
McFeeters cited goaltender McKenzie Chalmers as having an, “excellent” night, facing 19 shots on goal, and stopping 18.
Gens next travel to Coaldale to play Copperheads on Nov. 21. The last time these two teams faced off, it ended in a 12-9 Gens victory (the highest scoring game in the league this season). McFeeters doesn’t expect this time around to be such a freewheeling ordeal, and knows the atmosphere will be a hostile one.
“Coaldale is the toughest arena to play in,” he confirmed. “They get 800-900 people every game.
“We’re not going to see the shoot-out style game we saw last time,” he continued. “Both teams are going to be stepping up defensively. It’s going to be a battle between to southern powerhouses, we know their top line is going to see a lot of ice time.”
Nevertheless, McFeeters says his team is, “looking forward” to the encounter.
“We know that if we want to be in the mix at the end of the season, we have to keep winning games on the road.
Puck-drop for the Coaldale game is 8:30 p.m.
Nov. 21, 8:30 p.m., Coaldale: Cochrane Generals at Coaldale Copperheads.
Nov. 22, 5:30 p.m., Spray Lakes Family Sports Centre: High River Flyers at Gens.
Connor Rendell picked up two goals and an assist against Okotoks Bisons, and one goal and two assists against Stettler Lightning. He now has ten goals and 12 assists in 15 games.
Forwards Patrick Dove and Colton Wong had a slow weekend, recording no points between the two of them.
Austin Keller recorded five assists in two games over the weekend taking his total to a team-leading 19 for the season.
Club captain Craig Packard made a welcome return to the team, after a shoulder injury kept him out for a few weeks. He celebrated his first game back with a goal against Bisons.
McKenzie Chalmers (3.27 GAA) was back to his best against Lightning, facing 19 shots and stopping 18 of them, in Gens’ 7-1 demolition. Ty Robinson (3.41 GAA) started against Bisons, facing 29 shots and stopping 23.
Generals were 1-3 against Coaldale Copperheads last season (1-0 this season), and 3-1 against High River Flyers last campaign and have yet to play them this year.
The Generals are still now ranked second in the HJHL’s power rankings despite winning four games in a row.
