NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Cubs captain Levi Schlosser looks towards the net during a breakaway chance in the Cubs Game 6 4-1 loss against the Okotoks Bisons on Mar. 12, 2022.
For the second year in a row the Medicine Hat Cubs will dance with the Okotoks Bisons for a spot in the HJHL finals.
After beating the Cochrane Generals 9-0 on Saturday to take their semifinal series 4-2, the Cubs will face the Bisons in Game 1 of the South division finals tonight in Okotoks.
The best-of-seven series is a rematch from last year where the Cubs lost the first three games against Okotoks before almost forcing a Game 7, falling just short in Game 6.
Head coach Randy Wong says the series this year is a lot different than last.
“When we look at this next series, we haven’t talked much about it, but our guys have a lot better mindset going into that series,” Wong said. “We truly believe that we can beat them and we know we have to bring our best game and we can’t have mistakes. We’ll get the guys ready to go.”
Heading into last year’s series the Cubs had lost four of five matchups in regulation, losing the fifth in overtime. Their first win against the Bisons came in a win-or-go-home Game 4, followed by another victory in Game 5.
This season, the Cubs have one win in five matches with Okotoks, the only team they have a losing record against.
The Bisons finished the regular season in first place of the HJHL with a record of 35-3-0, Medicine Hat was in second with a record of 27-8-3.
Whichever team takes the series will have home ice advantage in the league finals, taking on the winner of the North division finals between the Sylvan Lake Wranglers (25-9-4) and Airdrie Thunder (23-13-2).
Cubs’ forward Cooper Hilworth had five points in that six-game series last year, including a two-goal, three-point performance in Game 4. The overage forward says they are all looking forward to getting another shot at the Bisons.
“It’s going to be tough,” Hilworth said. “It’s going to be harder than this series (against Cochrane) but we have to play like we did tonight and try to close them out as quick as possible.
“We’re going to play our asses off against them.”
The Cubs enter the series on a high note coming off the 9-0 routing of the Generals in Game 6. Besides the offensive firepower showcased in that clinching game, Medicine Hat sold out physically in the limited time they spent in their own end, piling up blocked shots and getting into shooting lanes as much as they could.
Wong says that type of play in a game they led by more than five shows a lot about his group.
“It reassures what we have, we have guys that have compete, they wanted this,” Wong said.
Kellen Bojic was in net for the win against Cochrane and admired his teammates selling out in front of him to preserve the shutout and push them across the finish line for the win.
“It shows you how much everybody cares, how much everybody wants to win,” Bojic said. “Everybody wants it, it’s awesome.”
After getting pulled in Game 1 against Cochrane after allowing three goals in 26:03 of action, Bojic was between the pipes for the Cubs’ Game 5 and 6 wins. The Regina product has yet to play the Bisons as he was the backup in their recent matchup, a 6-5 Bisons win.
He’s excited for his shot at the Bisons and to help the Cubs avenge last year’s loss against their South division rival.
“It’s going to be exciting,” Bojic said. “We just have to go in with the same game plan now and just work our asses off.”
