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Cubs rally for four late goals, shock Flyers in a shootout

Nov 5, 2017 | 11:28 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – There’s crazy comebacks, and then there’s what the Medicine Hat Travelodge Cubs pulled off on Saturday night against the High River Flyers at the Kinplex.

Losing two straight games to finish out October, the Cubs were hoping for a better start to November against the 6-5-2 Flyers squad.

High River jumped into the lead near the midway point of the first period, scoring their first goal of the game from Connor Minchin to go ahead 1-0.

The Cubs equalizer came with 3:26 left in the opening frame off the stick of Kaidin Hodgson, scoring his second of the season to tie the game.

That momentum wasn’t able to carry through to the intermission however, as the Flyers picked up goals from Mason Mazur and Josh Younker in the final minute of play to take a 3-1 lead into the break.

High River added onto that lead a little over three minutes into the second, with Davis Sheldon getting on the board and beating Cubs goalie Josh Breznik.

The Cubs stopped the bleeding momentarily in the second with goals from Kian Simonson and Tavin Straub, but Sheldon added his second of the game with 5:54 left in the period to put the Flyers ahead by a 5-3 count.

Things began to spiral for the Cubs just past the six minute mark of the third, with Younker and McCarthy Many Fingers extending High River’s lead to 7-3 with just 12:28 remaining in regulation.

Tristan Stensrud began chipping away at that lead only 12 seconds after Many Fingers’ marker with a goal of his own to cut the deficit to 7-4.

With less than six minutes to go in the period, Medicine Hat potted back-to-back goals from Bailey Taylor and Matt Clement to miraculously get the Cubs to within one goal.

Cubs rookie forward Chasen McKenna then picked a great spot to score his first career HJHL goal, beating Flyers netminder Connor McCarroll with 3:05 remaining to force overtime.

Nothing was solved in the extra frame, forcing a shootout with Noah Irvine coming up as the hero to clinch a crazy 8-7 win for the Cubs.

Straub had his best game of the season for Medicine Hat with a goal and four points, while Taylor chipped in with a goal and two helpers.

Coming up with his first victory in Cubs colours, Breznik made 24 saves on the evening to secure the win for Medicine Hat.

Moving back to a .500 record at 6-6, the Cubs sit tied with the Cochrane Generals for fifth place in the competitive South Division.

Medicine Hat’s three-game home stand comes to an end on Sunday afternoon, when they welcome the Red Deer Vipers to the Kinplex at 2:30 pm.