The Cochrane Generals will give it everything they’ve got at tonight’s all-or-nothing Game 4 in Red Deer as they continue their quest for the Heritage Junior Hockey League championship.
“We know we’re the better team,” Gens captain Logan Brown said this week. “We’ve just got to work our butts off.”
The Generals trail the Red Deer Vipers in the final series 2-1 after a heartbreaker of a loss at Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre Sunday afternoon in front of a loud and proud crowd at Totem 1 Arena.
Cochrane came out of the gate hard, with Brown and teammate Connor Rendell both pushing the puck past Vipers goalie Cole Sears to gain a 2-0 lead by the end of the first period.
In the second, Red Deer answered back with three in a row, taking over top spot until Generals’ rookie Will Gretton tied it up at 3-3. The final period saw both teams move up to 4-4 – but Red Deer’s Logan Linnell sealed the deal with a scoop past Gens goalie Ty Robinson with less than a minute left in the game.
“We played really well. It’s not frustrating that we lost – it’s frustrating that we made mental mistakes and it cost us the game,” said Brown, adding as captain, it’s important for him to help his team stay focused on moving forward when the critical league championship is on the line.
“I’ve just been trying to lead by example … I just want to make sure that every single guy is in a positive mindframe. We’re here for a reason.”
The bleachers at Sunday’s game were filled – and it was standing room only around the boards – with fans wearing Generals hats, toques, and shirts in a show of support for the team. Brown said the love the Gens are receiving from Cochrane has not gone unnoticed from ice level.
“You looked up and you couldn’t even find your family,” he said of the packed house, adding fans, friends and relatives who are making the trek back and forth to Red Deer are also adding energy to the players.
“It’s cool. It’s a lot louder and just more fun to play in front of everyone.”
Tonight’s puck drops at Collicutt Centre in Red Deer at 7:30 p.m. Game 5, if necessary, will take place at home in Cochrane on Saturday night.
