Cubs forward Tristan Stensrud celebrating Saturday's victory in Sylvan Lake (Photo courtesy of Medicine Hat Cubs)

By Scott Roblin

Remarkable Return

Cubs forward Stensrud returns from traumatic head injury

Dec 1, 2019 | 7:08 PM

SYLVAN LAKE, AB – Five months ago, Medicine Hat Cubs forward Tristan Stensrud was fighting for his life.

The victim of a horrific dirt bike accident, Stensrud spent a week and a half in a Calgary hospital with serious head injuries including bleeding on his brain and a concussion.

Many assumed he’d never play a junior hockey game again, but on Saturday his remarkable comeback was made complete.

Stensrud dressed for his first game since the crash on a line with Mackenzie Fritzler and Tavin Straub in Sylvan Lake, providing the inspiration for his club to pick up a 6-2 victory against the Wranglers and being named Cubs player of the game in the process.

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Medicine Hat scored two goals in less than five minutes to open Saturday’s game, taking a 3-1 lead into the first intermission.

Desmond Crawford made it a 4-1 game just 40 seconds into the second period on the power play, while Martin Watz and Joshua Schafer added goals in the third to help the Cubs pick up their fourth victory in their last five games.

The Cubs were able to sweep their weekend games in the process after earning a 3-2 victory on Friday night in Bassano against the Lomond Lakers, led by goals from Crawford, Fritzler, and Mason Fischer.

Riding a 13-5-2 record into December, the Cubs sit only one point back of the Coaldale Copperheads for third place in the HJHL Southern Division with 28 points.

Medicine Hat heads to Didsbury on Saturday night looking to extend their win streak to three games against the Mountainview Colts before returning home to the Kinplex next Sunday at 5:00 pm to battle the powerhouse Airdrie Thunder.