Copperheads take points off the road

The Coaldale Copperheads played the role of home-opener spoiler and came away with a fourpoint weekend.

The Copperheads blanked the Medicine Hat Cubs 4-0 in their Heritage Junior Hockey League home opener Saturday and then headed to Blackfalds Sunday and took another pair of points with a 5-4 shootout win over the Wranglers.

The two wins improve the Copperheads to 3-1, good for second place in the Southern Division behind the Okotoks Bisons (6-0).

On Saturday in Medicine Hat, Nolan Berner stopped all 25 shots he faced for Coaldale to register the shutout.

The Copperheads got off to a quick start with a 3-0 lead on goals from Jason Creighton, Christian Dees and Tyler Anderson.

Dees added his second of the game in the third period and added an assist for a three-point night.

Ty Abbott and Jayden Bexte each had two assists.

Sunday’s game in Blackfalds was a little closer as the Copperheads nursed a 2-1 lead into the first intermission on goals from Dees and Creighton.

The Copperheads opened up a 42 lead after the second on goals from Tyler Anderson and Brant Mack, but the Wranglers scored twice in the third to force the shootout.

Abbott scored the lone shootout goal to give the Copperheads the extra point, while Broc Merkl earned the win in goal, stopping 25 of 29 shots.

The Copperheads return home to the Coaldale Sportsplex for their annual three-game Thanksgiving homestand as they host Medicine Hat Saturday at 8:30 p.m., the Cochrane Generals Sunday at 5:30 p.m. and Monday against the new HJHL team Lomond Lakers at 2:30 p.m.

For all three games, the Copperheads are asking fans to bring a non-perishable item for the Coaldale Food Bank.