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Cubs struggle to beat Berner, Copperheads knot up series

Feb 23, 2019 | 11:17 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – For the second straight game the Medicine Hat Travelodge Cubs stayed right with the top seeded Coaldale Copperheads, but couldn’t solve Nolan Berner at the other end of the ice.

Medicine Hat was only able to get one shot past Berner all night, while the Copperheads scored three goals in six minute span to knot up their playoff series with a 3-1 win over the Cubs.

After both teams battled through a triple-overtime thriller on Tuesday night, neither side was able to get out of the first period with a goal as Medicine Hat led in shots 14-10.

The Cubs upped their attack in the second period with 17 shots compared to Coaldale’s nine, but Berner continued to stand on his head to keep all 31 shots he faced at that point out of the Copperheads net.

Goalless to begin the third period, Coaldale finally scored the first goal of the night 9:15 into the frame on the power play off the tape of Jayden Bexte to take a 1-0 lead.

Linden Gouw doubled the Copperheads lead to 2-0 four minutes later, before Coaldale took a stranglehold on the game with a Jared Bainbridge marker with less than five minutes left in regulation.

Medicine Hat’s Fletcher Aleman was able to break Berner’s shutout attempt with 1:51 left in the period, but the Cubs ran out of time and fell in Game 2 of their best-of-seven series.

While Berner was the standout with just one goal allowed on 39 shots, Cubs goalie Brett Vanderveer also had an exceptional night between the pipes with a 38-save performance at home.

With the series now tied up at one game a piece, the Cubs head back on the road Saturday night for Game 3 against the Copperheads.

Puck drop is set for 8:00 pm at the Coaldale Sportsplex, before the series shifts back to Medicine Hat on Monday night for Game 4.