Tigers fall 4-3 Saturday, second straight to Rebels

By James Tubb on September 28, 2024.

NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB Medicine Hat Tigers forward Mat Ward battles for position in front of Red Deer net minder Rhett Stoesser in the first period of a 4-3 loss to the Rebels at Co-op Place on Saturday.

The Medicine Hat Tigers couldn’t complete the comeback bid Saturday night.

The Tigers scored twice in the third period but couldn’t come all the way back, falling 4-3 at Co-op Place to the Red Deer Rebels.

Medicine Hat came into the contest off a 4-2 loss Friday at Red Deer.

Head coach Willie Desjardins liked his team’s response from the night before.

“We had some chances, Red Deer is a good team,” Desjardins said. “They played well. We had our chances to win we just didn’t capitalize.”

The game got underway with an early scrap. Medicine Hat defenceman Josh Van Mulligen and Red Deer forward Carson Birnie dropping the gloves.

Van Mulligen did not return for the rest of the game, Desjardins did not have an update on the 19-year-old.

Medicine Hat opened the scoring 5:26 into the contest.

Defenceman Jonas Woo carried the puck from the point into the slot and wired home his first of the season and first as a Tigers. Bryce Pickford had the lone assist.

Red Deer answered back almost immediately, with captain Ollie Josephson firing a wrist shot from the high slot past starter Ethan McCallum 23 seconds later for the 1-1 game.

Red Deer head coach Dave Struch liked his team’s ability to answer back quick in the win.

“It’s a credit to those guys in the room,” Struch said. “You play a team like Medicine Hat, where you they are going to have the puck more, there’s things that you have to do right without the puck. Defend, check the right way and then when you do get opportunities, you have to capitalize on which we did tonight.”

The Rebels took the lead with 5:16 left in the first period. Forward Cohen Poulin threw a puck on net and it slid five-hole for a 2-1 Red Deer advantage after 20 minutes.

Medicine Hat pushed in the second but it was the Rebels finding twine on a power play.

The Tigers killed off the first penalty of a five-on-three and as Shane Smith stepped out of the box, Red Deer’s Jace Weir unleashed a one-timer for the 3-1 lead.

His goal ended McCallum’s night, allowing three goals on 10 shots. Jordan Switzer took over in net with 10:34 left in the middle frame.

Medicine Hat was on the board first in the third period, capitalizing on a power play.

Shane Smith had the puck at the point and sent it to Gavin McKenna who passed the puck to Andrew Basha for the tic-tac-toe marker, making it a 3-2 game 3:38 into the final frame.

Red Deer answered back with the eventual game winner 3:42 later. Talon Brigley scored with a backhand shot on a rush opportunity, re-establishing the two goal lead for the Rebels.

The Tigers made it interesting late.

Shaeffer Gordon-Caroll had the puck at the point in the red deer end and found a seam for a pass to a streaking Hayden Harsanyi. The 17-year-old raised a backhand shot past Stoesser to make it a 4-3 Red Deer lead with 5:44 left in the game.

The Tigers pushed late, pulling the goalie before earning a power play with 1:18 left. They fired pucks on net, unable to get one to find twine, as Red Deer held on for the win.

Forward Mat Ward went down in the dying seconds and had to be helped off the ice. Desjardins had no update postgame.

Medicine Hat outshot the Rebels 40-22, Red Deer won the faceoff battle 40-31. Both teams found power play success, Red Deer was 1-3, Medicine Hat 1-6.

Stoesser made 37 saves for the win. Across the ice from him, Switzer stopped 10 shots.

The Tigers (1-2) are off until Friday when they head to Red Deer for the last of a three-game stretch against the Rebels.