NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Cubs forward Darnell Glasgo splits a pair of Coaldale defenceman in the third period of a Game 2 4-3 2OT win Sunday on the road over the Copperheads.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Medicine Hat Cubs forward Darnell Glasgo is ready to wrap his HJHL career on a high note.
The 21-year-old forward is in his third season donning the orange and black and is the lone full-time overager in the Cubs’ lineup this season.
They’ve had three other overage players suit up this season – Dylan Trembecki, Conner Douglas and Ethan Machan have each played a handful of games – but it’s been Glasgo who has led the way on a roster averaged at 19 years old.
In his third season and final run in the playoffs, Glasgo says he likes the idea of going out on top in a ‘Last Dance’-esque style.
“I’m proud of what we accomplished this year,” Glasgo said. “I can’t really hang my head if something bad were to happen to us. We had a really good year, a really fun year, so I think it would be a good way to go.”
Glasgo and the Cubs are off to a strong start in their playoffs, holding a commanding 2-0 lead in their second-round, best-of-five series against the Coaldale Copperheads.
They have the opportunity to close out the series tonight in Game 3 at the Kinplex, which gets underway at 8:30 p.m. If the Copperheads win, Game 4 turns back to Coaldale on Thursday, and if needed, a decisive Game 5 would be Saturday back on home ice at the Kinplex.
It’s a hometown atmosphere Glasgo says he’s enjoyed playing in front of for three seasons and is looking to continue channeling as they move in the playoffs.
“It’s just a different atmosphere around the rink,” Glasgo said. “Everyone’s a little more excited, everyone knows it’s do or die almost, so it’s just a little more exciting.”
The motivation to win goes beyond the championship and glory for the Cubs. Forward Kyle Woolridge says there is a focus on winning it all for graduating players like Glasgo, or those looking to the next stage of their life.
“You want everyone that’s here to play hard and everyone that’s here to have fun, and that comes from winning a championship,” Woolridge said.
Coming out of a dramatic opening weekend of playoffs – a 5-4 OT win Saturday and a 4-3 double OT win Sunday – the Cubs look to advance to the third round of the HJHL playoffs for the third straight season.
While they look to build off the character showed in comeback efforts, or bouncing back from giving up a lead, head coach Randy Wong says they’ll look to tighten things up to avoid making that Thursday trip down Highway 3.
“You’d like to be able to finish off in regulation when you’re up by one, so we’ll talk about that, and making sure guys are prepared and focused,” Wong said. “Make sure they understand they have to be ready to go every face off, you have to be ready to compete.
“If you just take a little bit off and you’re not quite 100 per cent, they can surprise, they jump into the hole, find the seam, and there goes the lead. So we want to make sure we have better efforts in those situations on Wednesday.”
