Copperheads rally in Medicine Hat

After rallying for a win on the road, the Coaldale Copperheads return home tonight looking to stay in the win column.

The Copperheads erased a 6-4 deficit after two periods with three goals in the third period to defeat the Medicine Hat Cubs in Heritage Junior Hockey League action Thursday night and seek to continue the trend tonight when the Cochrane Generals roll into the Coaldale Sportsplex at 8:30 p.m.

The win improves the Copperheads to 6-3 on the season, good for first place in the South Division and two points up on the Okotoks Bisons, but the Bisons have two games in hand while the Generals — who Coaldale will face tonight for the first time this season — sit four points back, but have one game in hand.

On Thursday in Medicine Hat, the Copperheads got third-period goals from Sam Paskuski, Morgan Simpson and the eventual game-winner from Logan Middleton with 11 minutes left to post their sixth win of the season.

Paskuski also scored in the first period for Coaldale, as did Jedd Horvath and Tyler Anderson as the Copperheads fell behind 30 to the Cubs 4:26 into the game before battling back to tie the game at 3-3 after 20 minutes.

Jayden Smith scored for the Copperheads in the second, but Medicine Hat tacked on three more second-period goals for a 6-4 lead.

Paskuski added two assists for a four-point night.

Horvath added an assist for two points, while Andrew Suriano stopped 29 of 35 shots for the win as Coaldale outshot Medicine Hat 42-35.

The Lethbridge College Kodiaks men’s and women’s soccer teams wrap up their Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference regular seasons this weekend.

The Kodiaks are at the Servus Sports Centre today to host the SAIT Trojans before heading to Olds Sunday to take on the Broncos.

On the men’s side, the 5-12 Kodiaks have secured their ACAC playoff spot with one of the top three spots in the South Division and sit in second, but will jockey for position this weekend.

The Kodiaks lead the 5-2-1 Medicine Hat Rattlers by one point and are five back of the undefeated Trojans (7-0-1).

Mathematically eliminated from the post season, the 25-1 Kodiaks will nonetheless look to round out the closing weekend on a winning note as they face two teams bound for the playoffs in the firstplace Trojans (7-1-0) and the ACAC Championship host Broncos (5-2-1).

Game time today for the women’s game is noon with the men to follow at 2 p.m.