The Cochrane Generals ended the first-half of their Heritage Junior Hockey League (HJHL) season with a hard-fought loss against Blackfalds Wranglers.
Gens travelled to the Wranglers on Dec. 20 after playing in an exhibition the previous night against a Gens Alumni team, losing 16-3.
The visitors ran up a 3-0 scoreline within the first period through Corey Goeson, Slater Ransom, and Talus Hume. Craig Packard, Patrick Dove, Hume, and Goeson all had assists.
The lead was not enough though, as Wranglers grabbed two back in the second period, and before adding an equalizer late in the third.
Wranglers won 1-0 in the shootout, to take the game 4-3 as Ransom, Hume, and Colton Wong all failed to score.
“After only playing one game a week for the past two weeks, we were happy with the start, but then we ran out of steam later on,” said Gens head coach Evan McFeeters.
The lose marked Gens’ second in a row, Does McFeeters think that the players’s minds are elsewhere due to the Christmas break?
“We’re in the same boat as every other team,” he said. “A lot of players have had exams this time of year so hockey has kind of been put on the backburner.
“The break will be good for us, when we come back there are twelve games left in regular-season play, we’ve discussed as a group that we need to win ten of those to be sure of a play-off spot.”
Sunday, Jan. 3, 1:30 p.m., Bob Snodgrass Recreation Complex: Gens (18-5-1, 1st Southern Div.) at High River Flyers (8-17-3, 6th Southern Div.)
Friday, Jan. 8, 8 p.m., Murray Arena: Gens at Okotoks Bisons (18-6-0, 2nd Southern Div.)
Saturday, Jan. 9, 7:30 p.m., Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre: Mountainview Colts (20-6-0, 1st Northern Div.) at Gens.
After some stellar form, forward Talus Hume has taken over the leader position on the Generals scoreboard, as he recorded a goal and an assist against Wranglers over the weekend. His total for the first half of the season is 15 goals and 23 assists for a total of 38 points in 25 games. Slater Ransom is in second place with 37 points (19 goals, 18 assists) in 23 games played.
Veteran forward Dustin Boone has been lighting up the scoreboards in the first half of the season, recording just eight points (four goals, four assists) in 23 games.
Gens have dropped to second in the HJHL’s power rankings behind Colts after losing their last two games.
Levi Barker and Tyler Kinnon are ranked sixth and tenth for the most penalty minutes in the Heritage league so far this season with 109 and 98 PIM, respectively.
Hume, Ransom, and Corey Goeson are all ranked in the top ten overall for power-play goals scored. Gens have scored 35 power-play goals this season, and have added five short-handed ones as well through Ransom (two), Patrick Dove, Joey Stensland and Dustin Boone.
Gens were 3-0 against Flyers last season (2-1 this year), 3-5 against Bisons last year (2-1 this year), and 1-1 against Colts last season (0-1 this season).
