They knew it would take something special.
More than one-third into the 2022-23 Heritage Junior Hockey League (HJHL) regular season, the Cochrane Generals inflicted the first loss of the campaign on the dominant-thus-far Okotoks Carstars Bisons Nov. 5, beating the table-toppers 5-4 at the Cochrane Arena.
"We came and showed up to play a full 60 minutes," said Generals head coach Kurtis Jones. "Structure-wise, we had everyone on board and got a bounce early. Everything went our way, so it was good to see that.
"It's a cat-and-mouse game and we play well at home, so it was nice. We played very well as a group."
The win moved Cochrane's junior B team's record up to 11-5-0, while Okotoks now sits at 14-1-0. The Bisons and Generals are in first and second place in the HJHL's south division, respectively.
It was the two divisional rivals' third encounter against each other already of the HJHL season. In their other two battles earlier this fall, the Bisons beat the Gens 5-1 and 6-4. The 6-4 game in Okotoks produced a chippy affair, showcasing the two teams' ongoing animosity.
Jones said the competitive spirit of both teams is what has fuelled the rivalry.
"Off the ice we're fine, but when it gets to game time, we put our heads down and everyone wants to win," he said.
The two teams' rivalry dates back beyond last season, when Okotoks and Cochrane finished first and second, respectively, in the HJHL playoffs. The Bisons ultimately won the 2021-22 league championship by sweeping the Gens in a best-of-five series last March. Both teams went on to compete at the junior B provincials.
The Bisons have proven to be just as powerful this season as they were last season, racking up a 14-game winning streak to start the 2022-23 campaign before their record was finally blemished by their south division foes.
"That team over there is a very good hockey team and I have a lot of respect for the way [Okotoks] played that third game," Jones said. "But our guys played well and we deserved to win that one."
Cochrane's next two HJHL outings will be on the road this weekend. They'll be in Didsbury Friday night to face the Mountainview Colts, who are currently second in the north division. On Saturday, they'll head east to Medicine Hat to take on the Cubs.
The Generals lost to the Colts the last time they played the Didsbury team, and Jones is predicting another tough match-up on Nov. 11.
"We didn't play very well [against the Colts]," the coach said. "They outplayed us. They're a good hockey team as well. We don't have an easy schedule, let's put it that way, for a long time here."
The Gens' next home game will be the following Friday, Nov. 18, when they host the Rocky Rams. Puck-drop for that game will be 7:30 p.m. at the Cochrane Arena.
