Cochrane Generals are right on target.
With fresh ammo and renewed determination, Gens won their first two battles of the 2015-16 Heritage Junior Hockey League campaign, defeating Strathmore Wheatland Kings 4-1 Sept. 26 on the road a night after doubling Airdrie Thunder 4-2 at Airdrie.
“It was exactly what we wanted to do,” Generals head coach Evan McFeeters said of his road warriors going 2-0 to open the season. “Our team was prepared.
“We have a couple of our big gunners out in (Slater) Ransom and (Chad) Harrison to start the year. Looking around the room, we have a very deep lineup. We needed offensive contributions from some other players. It was great that Goose (Corey Goeson) got three on Friday night. Very typical Goose goals by going hard to the net and taking out the garbage and getting some tips.
“It was Talus Hume’s turn on Saturday in Strathmore with the big ice, which allows him to wheel a little bit more and get to the front of the net.”
Hume bagged a hat trick in Strathmore.
The source of this early-season firepower is coming from veteran defenceman Austin Keller, who’s off the chain, recording a goal and three helpers in Strathmore after dishing out a pair of assists at Airdrie.
“Austin’s going to be our stud back there that we rely on offensively who’s going to quarterback our power play,” McFeeters said.
With Airdire and Strathmore in the rear view, Gens come home to face two top Heritage League teams; Blackfalds Wranglers and Okotoks Bisons. Blackfalds made it to the league final last season before being ousted by Coaldale and Okotoks is Cochrane’s Kryptonite.
“That’s why we felt the opening weekend in Strathmore and Airdrie was so important to our team,” McFeeters related. “Going into our home-opening weekend we have arguably the two best teams in Alberta coming into our rink.
“The boys are fired up. Obviously they are excited to get going at home in front of our fans. Hopefully we can pack the rink and get that added support and energy because these two teams coming in are going to be gunning for the Cochrane Generals and trying to spoil our party.”
Fri., Oct. 2, 7:30 p.m., Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre: Blackfalds Wranglers (1-0, 2nd, Northern Div.) at Gens (2-0, 1st, Southern Div.)
Sat. Oct. 3, 7:30 p.m., Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre: Okotoks Bisons (1-0, 3rd, Southern Div.) at Gens
Gens D Austin Keller. The veteran rearguard has a goal and five assists in his first two games, putting him on pace for a staggering 19-goal, 95-assist season.
Missing regular linemates Slater Ransom and Chad Harrison to injury, Gens F Connor Rendell has yet to record a point. It may not end well for either of the two goalies he faces this weekend. He lives to produce.
Cochrane went 3-0 in preseason and is 2-0 to start the regular campaign. In those five contests combined, Cochrane scored 23 goals while allowing eight. Both regular-season wins were in hostile territory.
Gens goalie Ty Robinson was backed up by Ryan Fisher in Airdrie. Incumbent (third-year Gens) Mack Chalmers returned from a Jr. A tryout in Winkler, Man., to back-up Robinson in Strathmore. Ex-Gens goalie Garrett Iverson was spotted on the Airdrie bench Sept. 25, backing-up Thunder starter Kade Taplin. Iverson joins ex-Gens defenceman Brydon Beston in Airdrie.
Former Bow Valley Midget AA Timberwolves team captain and leading-scorer Colton Wong sniped Cochrane’s first goal of this HJHL regular season in Airdrie, reeling in a lengthy second-period breakaway feed from Keller. From there it was all instinct, as Wonger blazed in alone on goal before beating Taplin with a crafty deke.
Taking a page out of Corey “Goose” Goeson’s playbook from the previous night, scoreless Gens go-to forward Talus Hume dialed in his sights with a hat trick at Strathmore. The kid’s just getting warmed up. The Goose is already flying high.
Gens forward Slater Ransom is week-to-week with an upper-body injury. F Chad Harrison is slowed by a leg injury and is week-to-week, as well. D Logan Brown took a hard shot in Strathmore and didn’t finish the game. He’s a game-time decision.
Gens were 0-2 vs. Blackfalds last season and were 2-2 (including OT loss) vs. Okotoks in the regular season before being swept 4-0 by Bisons in second round of playoffs.
