The Okotoks Bisons find themselves in an unfamiliar position three games into the Heritage Junior Hockey League season — with a losing record.
The Coaldale Copperheads turned a hostile road game into an ambush, spoiling the Okotoks Bisons’ (1-2) home opener with a 5-2 win over the defending Heritage Junior Hockey League (HJHL) champions on Sept. 28 at Murray Arena in Okotoks.
“We weren’t very good in the first period and it killed us,” said Bisons coach Trevor Snodgrass. “It’s tough to name any specifics, we just came out flat for 20 minutes.”
First-year Bisons goalie Alex Bilton was peppered with a smothering Copperhead attack in the first period and gave up goals to Ty Odland, Colby Murray and Clayton Tilleman through 12-plus minutes of play before being relieved in favour of Tyler Hughes.
The goalie switch did little to ratchet up the intensity of the Bisons as Chris Petty would add Coaldale’s fourth goal of the period just three minutes later and Tilleman would get his second of the game five minutes into the middle frame.
Bisons blueliner Eddie Tracy lifted the home team’s spirits when he made a great pinch off the left point, skated by a pair of Copperheads and beat Coaldale netminder Daniel Wenham with a low shot from an acute angle halfway through the second period. Colin MacMurdo made it interesting when he snapped a one-timer from the slot in the top corner with three minutes left in the period.
“We forced them (to pass) D to D and they just threw it right up the middle on my stick,” MacMurdo said of the turnover that led to his unassisted goal. “So I just buried it.”
The third period saw the Bisons hem the Copperheads in their own zone, but the hosts were unable to parlay the territorial advantage and 16 shots into anything on the board.
“They were clogging up the middle there and it was hard to get shots through,” MacMurdo said. “Their goaltender played well, but still it wasn’t our best game.”
Snodgrass, who played for the Bisons from 1997-2002, said his players needed to make life more difficult for Wenham by getting bodies in front of the Coaldale goalie and throwing more pucks on net.
“I don’t know how to explain it,” Snodgrass said of the Bisons’ performance. “We’ve still got some guys to make decisions on and I think that’s a big part of it and once we do that and guys start getting used to who they’re playing with hopefully we will start heading in the right direction.”
MacMurdo echoed the sentiment and noted the chemistry the team has enjoyed in years past has yet to establish itself this season.
“We’ve got a bunch of new guys, but shouldn’t have chemistry issues with a bunch of returning guys,” MacMurdo said. “We’re being a little lackadaisical out there, just thinking we’re the defending champs two years in a row and just need to pick it up.”
The Bisons are carrying five overage players – MacMurdo, Chase Fallis, Ty Fehr, Jeremy Smith and Zachary Baba — one more than the maximum.
Snodgrass said the Bisons’ brass expects to make the decision on who will be moved off the roster within the next week.
“I’m just battling like it’s my last game every time, you’ve just got to go out there and give it your all,” MacMurdo said. “If they choose you, they choose you. If not, you wish best of luck to the boys.”
Snodgrass expressed concern with the uncharacteristic sluggish start to the Bisons’ campaign, but remains steadfast the team will work itself out of their early season doldrums.
“The guys aren’t focused when they get to the rink and maybe that’s a bit on our (coaching staff’s) shoulders, we have got to try and get guys prepared mentally for the game,” Snodgrass said. “It’s still early and I’m fairly confident we have enough talent to turn things around.”
The Bisons get back on the ice Friday, Oct. 5, in what should be a testy affair with their South Division rival Strathmore Wheatland Kings, 8 p.m. at Murray Arena. Okotoks then travels east for a meeting with the undefeated Medicine Hat Cubs on Oct. 7.
For more information on the Bisons go to www.okotoksbisons.com
