Cubs win big in return from holidays

By JAMES TUBB on January 8, 2022.

NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB Medicine Hat Cubs forward Cooper Hilworth loads up for an open shot on net in the Cubs contest vs. the Kainai Junior Braves Friday night at the Kinplex.

jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb

The Medicine Hat Cubs showed no signs of rust Friday night at the Kinplex.

Ethan Machan had two goals and Layne Gilroy turned aside all but one of the 20 shots he faced as the Cubs beat the Kainai Junior Braves 9-1 in their first game back from the HJHL’s holiday break.

Medicine Hat last played on Dec. 19, a 4-0 win over Coaldale, before Friday night’s win.

Braden Van De Kraats opened the scoring for the Cubs 1:09 into the game with his fourth of the season. Colby Friedrich picked up his first of multiple points with the assist on Kraat’s goal.

Callen Prosofsky and Machan scored in rapid succession a little over halfway through the first to put Medicine Hat up 3-0 in the frame. Conner Douglas and Connor Miller had the helpers on Prosofsky’s 12th and Cooper Hilworth picked up the lone assist on Machan’s 19th.

The Cubs had control out of the game of the game as they outshot the Braves 13-4 after the first 20 minutes.

Kainai answered back early in the second with Trayton Tail Feathers’ fifth goal of the season, coming 2:11 into the frame.

Machan retook the Cubs three-goal lead with his second of the contest only 2:40 after Kainai’s tally.

Medicine Hat went on a tear in the second period, scoring four goals in a little over two minutes of action. Jacob Milne scored his 19th, 50 seconds before Hilworth notched his 24th. Cubs fans had to ‘suffer’ through 1:22 of play without a goal before Will Stroud potted his second of the season.

Only seven seconds after Stroud scored, Darnell Glasgo lit the lamp with his third of the season to cap off a four-goal run in the second period.

Friedrich found the back of the net two minutes later for his 18th as Medicine Hat took a 9-1 lead into the second intermission. In their six-goal second period, the Cubs outshot the Braves 18-8.

Cubs captain Levi Schlosser picked up assists on the Milne and Friedrich goals to give him 30 helpers and 45 points on the season.

What the third period lacked in offence it made up for in physicality. The two teams had a combined 58 penalty minutes in the final 20 minutes of play, as the Braves racked up three 10-minute misconduct penalties throughout the frame.

The first two periods of play only had 30 minutes of penalties combined between the two clubs, capped off by a late second-period misconduct from Junior Brave Jack Austin. He received the 10-minute misconduct for head contact with 2:50 left in the second.

Medicine Hat’s heavy offence carried them through the third, as they outshot Kainai 16-8 in the frame and 47-20 in the game to carry home the 9-1 win.

With Friday’s victory, Medicine Hat sits in second place of the HJHL’s Southern Division with a record of 19-6-2.

They have a quick turnaround, returning to action Saturday night to host the Strathmore Wheatland Kings. That game gets underway at 8:15 p.m. at the Kinplex.