By Scott Roblin

Kastelic, Hitmen haunt Tigers in back half of home-and-home series

Feb 16, 2019 | 10:17 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Calgary Hitmen captain Mark Kastelic was a man possessed on Saturday, scoring early and often against the Medicine Hat Tigers in the back half of a home-and-home series.

The Tigers had no answer for the 19-year-old American, who piled up a hat trick against the Tabbies in a 5-3 setback at the Canalta Centre.

Coming off a 3-1 win over the ‘Tabbies’ on Friday night back in Calgary, the Hitmen once again opened the scoring just under eight minutes into the first period with Kastelic’s first of the night.

Less than three minutes later it was Calgary’s Luke Coleman doubling the visitor’s lead to a pair, picking up a rebound and going bar in on Tigers goalie Jordan Hollett.

Brett Kemp was able to get Medicine Hat back into the game only 50 seconds later, stopping the bleeding with his 27th of the season to make it a 2-1 contest.

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With Jackson van de Leest in the sin bin for tripping, the Tigers tied the game up at 2-2 midway through the second period from Tyler Preziuso on the power play, hitting the 20-goal mark for the first time in his WHL career.

Continuing to outshoot the Hitmen by a wide margin, Medicine Hat was able to take its first lead of the game just before the buzzer for the second intermission off the tape of James Hamblin to give the Tigers a 3-2 advantage.

Discipline proved to be costly for the Tigers in the third period however, with Kastelic tipping a shot from Egor Zamula with 11 minutes left in regulation to tie the game once again.

Hitmen blueliner Vladislav Yeryomenko was able to turn the tide with his third goal of the season three minutes later, before Kastelic completed the hat-trick on the power play with 3:42 remaining on the clock to seal the sweep.

Calgary was a perfect 2-for-2 on the power play against the Tigers, while Medicine Hat only went 1-for-4 on the man advantage on Saturday.

Hollett allowed five goals on 39 shots for his fifth loss in his last six starts, as Carl Stankowski picked up his second win in as many nights for Calgary with a 27-save effort.

Losing their third game in a row, the Tigers weren’t able to make up any ground in the Central Division on the second place Lethbridge Hurricanes and remain one point back with a 31-21-3-2 record.

A Family Day matinee affair awaits Medicine Hat on Monday afternoon, as they will now get ready for a 2:00 pm puck drop in Edmonton against Josh Williams and the Oil Kings.