By Scott Roblin

Tigers drop final pre-season contest in Red Deer

Sep 17, 2017 | 11:41 AM

RED DEER, AB – A sour note to end the pre-season on for the Medicine Hat Tigers on Saturday night, losing by a score of 5-3 to the Red Deer Rebels.

Red Deer found the first bit of offence early in the first period, with Kristian Reichel potting his fourth of the pre-season on the power play to put the home side up 1-0 less than five minutes into the game.

Less than two minutes later, the Rebels doubled that lead to 2-0 off the stick of Austin Pratt, putting it past Michael Bullion who was making his first start of the pre-season.

Tigers rookie sensation Josh Williams continued his incredible exhibition play just over eight minutes into the period, scoring his sixth of the pre-season to cut the deficit to 2-1.

That swing in momentum was short-lived however, with Red Deer’s Mason McCarty making it a 3-1 game just 26 seconds later.

Young minds, big ideas: Elementary students learn about urban planning with 'Box City'

20h ago

HERE'S WHAT TO KNOW

Summer pool hours extended and discounts applied as Big Marble Go Centre upgrades start

Apr 18, 2024

Medicine Hat company drawing in clients with witty signage

Apr 16, 2024

In the second period, Medicine Hat picked up their pace short-handed, with Dylan MacPherson setting up Williams for his second of the game while down a man to cut the Rebels lead to one with 12:41 remaining in the frame.

Bullion was given the hook at the midway mark of the second, finishing the evening with three goals allowed on 21 Red Deer shots against.

Duncan McGovern came into the game and immediately faced pressure, giving up a goal to Red Deer’s Grayson Pawlenchuk with less than four minutes left in the second.

Trailing by a 4-2 count at the end of 40 minutes of play, the Tigers were only able to put eight shots on goal in the second period.

The bleeding continued early in the third, as Pratt scored his second of the night past McGovern 1:11 into the period to make it a 5-2 score.

Jaxon Steele made it interesting for Medicine Hat scoring with 10:20 left in the game, but it would be too little, too late with the Tigers falling 5-3 in Red Deer.

McGovern finished the contest with two goals allowed on 18 shots against.

Despite the loss, Williams had another excellent showing with a pair of goals and finished the pre-season with a staggering seven goals and nine points in four games.

Finishing the pre-season with a 2-2 record, Shaun Clouston and the Tigers coaching staff will make their final cuts before the regular season kicks off next weekend.

The Tigers open their regular season on the road on Friday night in Lethbridge against the Hurricanes, before holding their home opener on Saturday against the ‘Canes.