HJHL Roundup: November 4

It was the wildest day of the HJHL season on Sunday, highlighted by third period rallies and an epic 12-round shootout.

Medicine Hat Cubs (5) – Okotoks Bisons (4)

MEDICINE HAT – The Medicine Hat Cubs scored four unanswered goals to close out the game, then picked up the two points in the shootout as they edged the Okotoks Bisons by a 5-4 score.

The Cubs (5-7-2) trailed 4-0 late in the second period before Cooper Hilworth got them on the board to make it a three-goal deficit entering the final frame.

Noah Irvine cut the lead down to two with a power-play marker 6:15 into the third period, then Mackenzie Fritzler completed the comeback with two goals in the final four minutes of regulation, including a shorthanded marker with 1:28 to play.

Irvine was the lone player to find the back of the net in the shootout, as Cubs goaltender Martyn Clift stopped all three Okotoks (11-2-2) attempts, after stopping all 22 shots he faced in relief of starting goaltender Brett Vanderveer.

Brandt Black had two goals for the Bisons, while Tyler Bordt and Devyn Stewart tallied the other two.

BOXSCORE

High River Flyers (4) – Blackfalds Wranglers (3)

BLACKFALDS – It took 60 minutes of regulation, five minutes of overtime, and then 12 rounds of a shootout to decide this one as the High River Flyers took a 4-3 win over the Blackfalds Wranglers in an HJHL classic.

Braden Olsen gave the Wranglers (3-5-4) an early lead as he found the back of the net just 37 seconds into the first period, a lead the would hold up until Liam Thiessen got the Flyers (6-9-2) on the board in the later stages of the second period.

The two teams traded goals in the third period as Zachary Zaparniuk and Brett Westin found the back of the net for the Wranglers, while Mitchell Bosch and Chase Groeneveld replied for the Flyers.

After overtime solved nothing, the game went to a shootout where Braiden Burke was finally able to end it in the 12 round.

Chantz Vinck was solid in the High River crease, stopping 43 shots during the game, and then another 11 in the shootout.

Lane Brann suffered the loss between the pipes for Blackfalds, finishing with 29 saves, not including another 10 in the shootout.

BOXSCORE

Strathmore Wheatland Kings (6) – Coaldale Copperheads (3)

STRATHMORE – Trailing 3-0 entering the third period, the Strathmore Wheatland Kings reeled off six unanswered goals en route to a 6-3 win over the Coaldale Copperheads on Sunday afternoon.

Lucas Muenchrath factored in on five of the goals, scoring twice, including the game-winner, and adding three assists, while Garrett Vander Ploeg also finished with a pair of goals for the Wheatland Kings (8-5-1).

Adrian Kusu and Kyle Bracko rounded out the scoring, while Riley Stovka picked up the win between the pipes, stopping 29 shots along the way.

Jedd Horvath and Tyler Anderson found the back of the net in the opening frame to give the Copperheads (9-2-2) a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes, while Jayden Smith made it a three-goal lead with the lone goal of the middle stanza.

Nolan Berner finished with 26 saves in the Coaldale crease.

BOXSCORE

Cochrane Generals (3) – Lomond Lakers (1)

COCHRANE – Scott Shugg’s third goal of the season broke a 1-1 tie early in the third period as the Cochrane Generals were able to hang on for a 3-1 win over the Lomond Lakers.

Harry Osler opened the scoring with a power-play marker in the later stages of the first period, while Braden Bain rounded out the Cochrane (7-4-0) scoring with an insurance marker late in the final frame.

Clayton Billyard had the lone goal of the game for Lomond (4-10-0), which got a sensational 66-save effort from goaltender Brady Newton.

Robert Michetti stopped 13-of-14 shots fired his way in net for Cochrane, which have now won five straight games.

BOXSCORE

Airdrie Thunder (10) – Ponoka Stampeders (6)

PONOKA – Five unanswered goals, including four in the final frame, powered the Airdrie Thunder to a wild 10-6 win over the Ponoka Stampeders on Sunday.

Airdrie (16-0-0) held a 5-3 lead midway through the second period before Ponoka (2-7-2) ripped off three unanswered goals in a span of 3:40 to take a 6-5 lead, however Zachary Giroux would pull the game even with just 29 seconds left in the frame.

The Thunder scored four times in the third period, including two off the stick of Rylan Plante-Crough, as they remain unbeaten on the season.

Jordan McConnell finished with two goals and two assists, Giroux finished with two goals and one assist, while Jason Wenzel chipped in with four helpers.

Caleb Reed, Cooper Page, Jackson Gibson and Zachary Dubois rounded out the Airdrie attack.

The Stampeders got goals from Ryan Harder, Dakota Sullivan, Braden Klessens, Kieran Bulloch, Kirby Buffalo and Isaiah Deschamps-Cross.

Keenan Starkell finished with 52 saves in a losing effort for Ponoka.

BOXSCORE