Thanksgiving weekend was a busy one for the Cochrane Generals. They had a pair of back-to-back games on Oct. 11 and 12 against the Strathmore Wheatland Kings and the Medicine Hat Cubs before a Thanksgiving Day matinee with their division rivals in the Coaldale Copperheads at the Cochrane Arena.
The weekend started out on the wrong foot when the Gens fell to the Wheatland Kings 4-3 despite outshooting the opposition by a wide margin. Strathmore scored three goals in the second period and one in the third. Cochrane responded with three third period goals, but failed to find the equalizer. Rookie Patrick Forde continued his strong play as he recorded his second goal of the season after the weekend was tied for the team lead in points with eight in nine games. Scott Shugg and Taylor Girard also had goals for Cochrane while Erik Garber and Jordan Lott combined to make 28 saves.
The Gens had little time to reflect on the previous outing as they welcomed the Medicine Hat Cubs to their home rink, a game in which the hometown team battled to a 3-2 overtime victory. Scott Shugg scored both goals for the Generals in regulation while Ryan Davis scored the overtime winner at the 2:06 mark to give his team the extra point. Erik Garber was very solid in net, kicking away 31 of the 33 shots he faced.
Finally, the Generals played in a very exciting afternoon game against Coaldale. Zachary Stewart made it 1-0 Generals off a shorthanded goal in the first period before Coaldale ripped off three second period goals within a two minute span. Scott Shugg brought the homeside back within one with an unassisted goal, but it was once again quickly answered by the Copperheads heading into the third period. Cochrane came on strong in the third getting a goal from Zach Cugnet midway through the period and then managed to tie the game with 11 seconds left off a goal from Caden Chudleigh to send the game to overtime. The overtime period solved nothing which then sent the game to overtime in which Patrick Forde and Jordan Fisher both scored while Erik Garber turned away all three Coaldale shooters.
"Although we didn't get the six points we wanted, I think our weekend still went well. We found out who we are as a team and what we can bring to the table when everyone shows up to play each shift. I think there were a lot of positives that came from the weekend," Garber said of the weekend.
"It was crucial for us to get those two wins against Medicine Hat and Coaldale. They are both in our division and are tough teams to play against ... good teams manage to find ways to win even when fighting through adversity throughout the game or being down and coming from behind. That's what we did winning those games in overtime and a shootout."
Garber said the win over Coaldale was huge for the Generals, as they're normally one of the top teams in the Southern Division and the team who knocked Cochrane out of the playoffs last season.
"Coming back against Coaldale really showed us who we are as a group," he said. "It showed us that if we really want it then we can have it ... it shows anything can happen in a game and if you work hard and stay positive things will manage to go your way even if they don't at points throughout the game. The boys played well and showed what type of team we are."
The Generals will now have another three games this upcoming weekend in Claresholm when they take on the Lomond Lakers on Oct. 18 before returning home to play a pair of games against the Okotoks Bisons and the newly created franchise in the Rocky Rams on Oct. 18 and 19.
"We've got to go into the weekend thinking about one game at a game," Garber said. "We can't be thinking about Saturday's game when we have to play Friday night. We just have to take it one shift, one period, and one game at a time. We will be prepared for the challenge."
