Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News

By Josh Hall

Medicine Hat Tigers lose back-to-back games against Red Deer Rebels

Sep 28, 2024 | 9:40 PM

The Red Deer Rebels have some early season momentum — at least against the Medicine Hat Tigers — after winning both games of a home-and-home series with their Central Division rival.

Red Deer beat Med Hat 4-2 Friday at home, then walked into Co-op Place on Saturday and stole a tight 4-3 victory.

That’s four big points for Red Deer against a divisional opponent that was ranked No. 1 in the CHL pre-season power rankings.

The win moves the Rebels to 2-0-1-0, while the Tigers are at 1-2-0-0.

It was the home team getting on the board first, however, when Jonas Woo (1st) tallied at 5:26 of the opening period.

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But the lead didn’t last long as new Rebels captain Ollie Josephson equalized 23 seconds later, unassisted, with a wicked wrister from the high slot.

Both goals came while Carson Birnie and Josh Van Mulligen were serving fighting majors that came just 12 seconds in.

Red Deer took the lead at 14:44 of the first on the first career WHL goal from Abbotsford, B.C.’s Cohen Poulin (1st), with Jeramiah Roberts assisting.

It was 2-1 Red Deer after 20.

In the second, Red Deer extended its lead at 9:26 when veteran Jace Weir (1st) scored on a power play bomb, assisted by Samuel Drancak and Matthew Gard.

Red Deer led 3-1 after 40.

Early in the third, at 3:38 to be exact, Med Hat got one back when Andrew Basha (1st) made the Rebels pay with a power play marker. Gavin McKenna and Shane Smith provided the helpers.

But Red Deer restored the two-goal lead at 7:10 as Talon Brigley (1st) made his first offensive impact of the season. Josephson and Derek Thurston each picked up an assist.

However, the home side wasn’t going to go quietly into the night, and with 5:44 remaining, Hayden Harsanyi (1st) cut the Rebels’ lead back down to one. Smith earned a second assist, with another from Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, that was as close as they’d come.