Photo courtesy of Medicine Hat Cubs

By Scott Roblin

HJHL Pre-Season

Cubs open pre-season with 5-4 road victory in Coaldale

Sep 15, 2019 | 12:09 PM

COALDALE, AB – If Saturday’s pre-season opener proved anything for the Medicine Hat Cubs, it showed that they are well equipped to put the puck in the net this year.

On the back of five different goal scorers, the Cubs picked up a 5-4 victory over the Coaldale Copperheads on the road to kick off their first of two exhibition games.

Medicine Hat got out to an early 2-0 lead with power play goals from Jamal Kalaf and Carson Dingwall, before last year’s Game 7 overtime hero Jayden Bexte answered a minute and a half later for Coaldale.

With five minutes left in the first period and Medicine Hat on a four-minute power play, Chandler Aleman was able to convert for the Cubs’ third goal of the period on the man advantage.

The Copperheads were able to get some revenge on the power play before the first intermission however, as they pulled within a goal thanks to a marker from sophomore Jason Creighton.

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Medicine Hat’s potent power play continued over to the second period with Cooper Hilworth netting his first of the pre-season, giving the Cubs a 4-2 lead entering the final 20 minutes.

Six minutes into the third frame Coaldale was able to make it a 4-3 game with a goal from newly minted captain Ty Anderson, however Cubs rookie Ethan Machan was able to answer back with his first career marker at the junior level.

Bexte added his second of the night for the Copperheads with seven minutes left in regulation, but the Cubs were able to hold off a late charge from the home side to win the pre-season opener.

Logan Leroux and Triston Cherwoniak split time between the pipes for Medicine Hat, combining to stop 29 of the 33 shots they faced.

The Cubs and Copperheads wrap up their home-and-home exhibition set on Sunday back in Medicine Hat with puck drop set for 4:15 pm at the Kinplex.