NEWS PHOTO
JAMES TUBB
Cayden Glover is mobbed by his linemates as they celebrate Glover's first period goal to tie the Tigers v.s Hurricanes game at one. Medicine Hat would go on to beat Lethbridge 4-3 and all three of Hunter St. Marten, Daniel Baker and Bogdans Hodass would all register at least one point in the Tigers win.
It was dicey for a bit, but the Medicine Hat Tigers held on to win their first pre-season game of the year.
The Tigers were back in Co-op Place with fans in the stands for the first time since March 2020 and beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes 4-3 in the second game of their home-and-home series Saturday night.
Medicine Hat fell behind early as the Hurricanes poured shots on net and scored first on Justin Hall’s goal 6:28 into the game. Cayden Glover tied up the score eight minutes later and despite being outshot 10-4, the game was tied after one.
The Tigers would go on a run of three straight goals from Oren Shtrom, Daniel Baker and Bogdans Hodass to jump out to a 4-1 lead.
Shtrom capitalized on a Hurricanes roughing penalty and scored on the powerplay midway through the second period. Hodass ended the second by finishing off a tic tac toe type goal to give Medicine Hat another insurance marker and Baker potted his own goal early in the third period giving the Tigers their big lead.
Sixteen year old Hunter St. Martin assisted on the Glover and Bakers goals, giving the second generation Tiger two assists in his second pro game, first at Co-op Place.
“Yesterday I just got a feeling for it and today I just came out, did my best and tried to show off my skills and help the team,” St. Martin said.
But the Tigers, possessing a flair for the dramatics, allowed the Hurricanes to make a run in the third period off of goals from Logan Barlage and Nolan Bentham. Medicine Hat was able to hold on to a 4-3 win and nab their first pre-season victory while getting a little redemption after losing 3-2 in Lethbridge the night before. For associate coach Joe Frazier, the win wasn’t without fault from the Tigers.
“It was kind of an up and down game, don’t think we played too well in the first, I thought Lethbridge came hard. It was great to see the guys adjust to it in the second and in the third, we played great at the start. Then once they got that second one we kind of sat back a little bit but great experience for the young guys having to battle through that and get the win,” said Frazier.
The Tigers next pre-season games, their final two and another home-and-home split, will be next weekend against the Swift Current Broncos.
Starting Monday, all Tigers fans attending games at Co-op Place must provide one of: proof of full vaccination, proof of a single dose of vaccine administered within the last two weeks, or a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours.
Those policies will be in place for Medicine Hat’s pre-season finale on September 25 against the Broncos, puck drops at 7 p.m..
