Copperheads on the ropes in South semifinal

COALDALE TRAILING HIGH RIVER 2-1 IN BEST-OF-FIVE SERIES

Like they did last year, the Coaldale Copperheads are going to have to play some comeback hockey.

The Copperheads were downed 5-4 by the High River Flyers Friday night in High River and topped 5-1 Saturday night at the Coaldale Sportsplex to fall behind 2-1 in the team’s best-of-five Heritage Junior Hockey League Southern Division semifinal series.

The losses mean the Copperheads will have to win Friday night in Game 4 in High River and go for the comeback Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. at the Coaldale Sportsplex.

Last year, the Copperheads rallied from a 3-0 series hole to the Okotoks Bisons and won four straight in the semifinals.

On Friday in High River, the Flyers took off with a 4-0 lead after the first period.

The Copperheads closed it to 4-3 with 7:28 to go, but the Flyers added the eventual game-winner a little over four minutes later to even the series.

Tyler Anderson, Calvin Swanson, Chase Williamson and Ty Abbott scored for Coaldale.

Tyler Anderson, Swanson and Abbott each added an assist for two points.

Andrew Suriano got the start, stopping 10 of 14 shots, before Nolan Berner came in after the fourth Flyers goal, stopping 19 of 20 shots.

In Game 3 Saturday at the Coaldale Sportsplex, the Flyers held a 3-0 lead early in the second before Turner Sharp scored for the Copperheads to make it 3-1.

But High River added two in the third for the win and the series lead.

In the other Southern Division semifinal, the Bisons swept the Cochrane Generals 3-0 thanks to a 1-0 win in Game 3 Sunday afternoon in Okotoks.