Copperheads look to lock up the South

A WIN IN PONOKA SATURDAY NIGHT WILL CLINCH IT FOR COADALE

The Coaldale Copperheads will use their final game of the regular season to try and clinch the Heritage Junior Hockey League Southern Division.

Coaldale completes the regular season Saturday in Ponoka against the Stampeders and can lock up top spot in the South with a win.

Heading into the game, the Copperheads are 28-7-2, two points up on the 27-7-3 Okotoks Bisons.

The Copperheads got a pair of crucial wins last weekend that snapped a three-game losing skid, edging the Cochrane Generals 5-4 Friday night before getting past the Medicine Hat Cubs 3-1 Saturday night at the Coaldale Sportsplex.

On Friday, the Copperheads snapped the Generals 12game winning streak despite being outshot 47-29 by the Generals.

Coaldale opened a 3-1 lead after the first period on goals from Tyler Anderson, Riese Nevil and Jayden Smith and held a 5-2 lead after 40 minutes as Brandyn Howg and Linden Gouw added second period goals.

Gouw added an assist for two points and Jared Bainbridge and Mitchell Konschuk added two helpers each.

Copperheads goaltender Nolan Berner stopped 48 of 52 shots in the win.

Ty Abbott, Gouw and Anderson were the Coaldale goal scorers in Saturday’s win at home. Anderson also had an assist and Tyler Strath added two.

Berner stopped 23 shots for his second win of the weekend.

If the Copperheads lose Saturday in Ponoka, the outcome in the Southern Division will depend on the outcomes of Cochrane and Okotoks’ final games.

Cochrane (25-8-2) has three games to go and sit six points back of the Copperheads.

The HJHL playoffs start in two weeks with the first- and second-place team of each division receiving a bye.

The Northern Division has already been decided with the Airdrie Thunder in first and Red Deer Vipers in second.

The Copperheads will have playoff details at www.coaldalecopperheads.co

m once they become available, including admission costs.