The Cochrane Generals are ahead of schedule this Heritage Junior Hockey Season compared to last.
With 15 wins already this season, the Gens (15-8-3) have matched their win total for all of last season and reside in third place in the Heritage League’s Southern Division with 12 games to play. To say January is important for the Gens is an understatement. The team crams 10 of its final dozen games into the first month of 2015, including a make-up home game Jan. 4 against Strathmore that was snowed-out Nov. 28.
Generals captain Chris Hugo says the Gens spent the first 2/3s of the season discovering how good they can be. Now they have to maintain that level of play down the stretch, and improve on the things that could take them over the top.
“You see a team at the start of the year and they can be completely different by mid-season. Look at us,” Hugo suggests. “We are a completely different team. We know we are a better team than every team in this league. We’re not cocky, but we’re confident in our abilities once we put everything together.”
The Gens stumbled out of the gate in September and October, compiling five wins (4 in overtime) and seven losses (2 in OT). The squad then reloaded for November and rocketed up the standings, winning six of seven games, the only loss coming at Okotoks in OT against a team above them in the standings. December wasn’t as successful, but a 4-3 month put them firmly in third in the South.
“We set ourselves up for the second half of the season pretty well,” Generals second-year head coach Evan McFeeters assesses. “It’s all mental right now. Our group has to realize how good they are.”
Part of that realization is winning against teams higher in the standings. On their rise in the South, the Gens have feasted on opponents lower in the standings, going 15-2-2. But against teams with better records, the Generals have one OT win against five losses and an OT loss. Okotoks, Coaldale, Blackfalds and Airdrie are Cochrane’s Kryptonite this season.
“When we play teams above us, we grip our sticks a little tight and try to play a perfect game. Rather than when we are going against other teams we have success against, we play loose and things just happen to go better for our hockey club,” McFeeters observes. “We just have to get over that hump. And that’s part of growing up as a hockey team. Realizing how good we can be.”
Sun., Jan. 4 (make-up game for Nov. 28 snow-out)
Strathmore Wheatland Kings (12-13-2, 5th Southern Division)
at Gens (15-8-3, 3rd Southern Div.)
5:30 p.m., Spray Lake Centre
Gens F Chad Harrison, (3g, 1a in last 3 games)
Wheatland Kings G Bryce Halverson (6-8); 4.34 GAA; .886 saves percentage
Gens Power Ranking
5 (last week, 4)
Gens have 10 games in the first month of 2015, including postponed Nov. 28 tilt. Cochrane ended 2014 with a 7-2 home loss to Southern Division-leading Coaldale Copperheads. The team’s defence has sprung a leak, giving up an average of 4.4 goals per game in December compared to November’s 3-goals-per average. Still, the team has as many wins (15) now as it had all last season.
“The first 2/3s of the season have gone, I guess you could, say according to plan,” says Gens head coach Evan McFeeters. “We’ve set ourselves up for getting home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. We really think this team can take a run at it and play deep into March. So that’s what we’re gearing up for after the break.”
Cochrane beat Strathmore 5-2 in Strathmore on Dec. 13 and 3-2 on the road in OT on Oct. 25.
