Weekend sweep keeps Copperheads on pace with Cubs

By Dale Woodard - Lethbridge Herald on December 15, 2021.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDsports@lethbridgeherald.com

The Coaldale Copperheads remain locked in a battle with the Medicine Hat Cubs for second place in the Heritage Junior Hockey League Southern Division.
Facing the Lomond Lakers in a two-game weekend tilt, the Copperheads earned a 9-1 win Friday night in Lomond and completed the sweep with a 4-2 decision Saturday night at the Coaldale Sportsplex.
With the 2-0 weekend the Copperheads improve to 16-7-2 to remain in a tie with the Cubs (16-6-2) for second place in the Southern Division.
Both teams are 13 points up on the Strathmore Wheatland Kings (10-11-1), but 13 points back of the Southern Division-leading Okotoks Bisons (23-2-1).
On Saturday night at the Coaldale Sportsplex, Coaldale scored twice in the first and second periods to post the win.
Kole Fujita scored twice and added an assist for the Copperheads and Koden Lazar and Jason Creighton added one each for Coadale.
Lazar added an assist for two points and James Halverson chipped in with two helpers.
Brendan Stewart made 16 saves for the Copperheads in the win.
On Friday, the Copperheads snapped a scoreless tie after the first period with five goals in the second period and four more in the third as nine different Coaldale players hit the scoresheet.
Matteo Caputo, Mason Sande, Lazar, Braiden Burke, Sean Burns, Michael Lawson, Fujita, Brandon Creighton and William Neudorf scored for the Copperheads.
Brandon Creighton added three assists for four points and Lawson and Fujita had an assist for two points.
Halverson added two helpers in the win.
Ethan Barrows turned aside 22 of 23 shots to earn the win for Coaldale.
The Copperheads have two more road games before heading into the holiday break as they head to Airdrie to face the Thunder Friday at 8 p.m.
The Copperheads are in Medicine Hat Sunday in the continued battle for second place in the South with the Cubs.
Game time is 6 p.m.

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