By Scott Roblin

Lethal attack leads Cubs to 13-0 destruction over Three Hills

Dec 2, 2018 | 11:56 AM

THREE HILLS, AB – No mercy from the Medicine Hat Travelodge Cubs on Saturday night, firing a season-high 13 goals past the struggling Three Hills Thrashers.

Medicine Hat threw 76 shots on goal to open their weekend road trip, rolling to a dominating 13-0 victory over Three Hills.

Taking control of the first period with 23 shots, Medicine Hat’s opening goal of the night came 9:01 into the frame from Cooper Hilworth to put his team up 1-0.

Tristan Stensrud added to the Cubs lead just over a minute later, before Grant Forbes netted his first career HJHL marker to give Medicine Hat a 3-0 lead at the first intermission.

Three Hills was able to keep it limited to a three-goal deficit well into the second period, but Medicine Hat’s Chandler Aleman struck on the power play with 6:36 left in the stanza to make it a four-goal cushion.

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Just before the buzzer for the second intermission, Noah Irvine fired a shot past Thrashers netminder Devon Carroll to extend Medicine Hat’s lead even further.

Hilworth took over early in the third period for the Cubs, scoring two goals in the opening four minutes to complete the hat-trick before adding his fourth of the evening 21 seconds after his third marker.

Medicine Hat’s power play continued to do damage approaching the midway mark of the third, with Desmond Crawford and Mackenzie Fritzler both converting on the man advantage to make it a 10-0 score.

That would signal the end of the night for Carroll, who was pulled in favour of Conner Dixon after being shelled for 10 goals on 52 shot from the Cubs.

Unfazed by the goaltending switch, Hilworth came through again for his fifth goal of the night to grow Medicine Hat’s lead to 11-0 with 12:14 to go in regulation.

Forbes and Irvine each added their second goals of the contest in the dying minutes of the third period, helping Medicine Hat pick up their largest margin of victory this season.

Hilworth’s five goals easily marked a season-high for the 17-year-old, registering only his second multi-goal effort of the season so far.

As for Irvine, he was tops on the Medicine Hat roster with two goals and six points, while six other Cubs had multi-point performances against the Thrashers.

Cubs goalie Brett Vanderveer also reached a milestone on Saturday, earning his first career HJHL shutout with 19 saves on the night.

Winning two straight, the Cubs now hold an 8-10-2 record and sit tied with the High River Flyers for fifth place in the Southern Division with 18 points.

A stiffer test awaits Medicine Hat on Sunday though, as they visit the Foothills to face off against the Okotoks Bisons at 1:15 pm.