The Cochrane Generals crushed their pre-season exhibition games over the weekend taking back-to-back wins against the Strathmore Wheatland Kings.
The team played home and away against the Kings and impressed as they continued their freewheeling scoring that marked them out last season in the Heritage Junior Hockey League (HJHL).
On Sept. 10, the Gens smashed Strathmore 7-1 at Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre.
Star forwards Slater Ransom and Connor Rendell bagged two goals each, while Chad Harrison, Brett Hamer Talus Hume each grabbed one a piece.
Hamer, Ransom, Rendell, and Corey Goeson all picked up helpers.
The Gens continued their hot run the next day smashing the Kings 6-1 in their own arena.
Hume (assisted by Harrison and Rendell) opened the scoring in the first period, before second-year blueliner Hamer (Rendell and Chris Sambrook assisting) gave the visitors a 2-0 lead early on.
Ransom made it 3-0 in the second period, before Harrison (Rendell picking up another assist), Rendell (Hume bagging the helper) and newcomer Ty Milligan made it 6-0 going into the final period of action.
The Kings got a consolation goal in the third but it was too little too late as the Gens coasted to the win.
“We tried to employ some new systems in practice on Tuesday and Thursday before the games and we focused on that a lot,” said Gens head coach Dan Gendur. “All I wanted from the guys was some effort and I thought in the first game the effort was there.
“When it came down to the system the guys were a bit nervous but it just takes time to get everything down. On Sunday, it was kind of a role reversal with us playing the system well but not putting in as much effort.”
Despite that, Gendur says the most important thing was to pick up the two wins to start the season off on the right note. It’s also encouraging his star players on offence have come out all guns blazing – in particular Ransom, Rendell and Harrison – after a few months off and didn’t look like they’ve missed a beat.
“We’re going as far as those types of players are going to take us,” Gendur said. “If they stick to our system and the details we’ve implemented we’ll get to where we want to be. If they don’t we are going to get the same disappointing result as last year. None of us want that.”
The Gens are going to face a tough test this weekend as they open up the HJHL regular-season with an away trip to the High River Flyers (Gens had a 3-1 record against them last year) on Sept. 16 before their home opener against the Medicine Hat Cubs (3-0 win record in 2015/16) on Sept. 17.
“High River is always a hardworking team and they have good goaltending,” Gendur said. “We’ve got to use the first game of the season energy to attack them and get on the forecheck.
“As for Medicine Hat, I don’t really know what to expect after the problems they had off-ice last season. All indications though are they’re ready to go and they’re going to be a good team.”
