NEWS PHOTO JMAES TUBB
Medicine Hat Cubs forward Caleb Garrecht unleashed a wrist shot in the first period of Game 3 of their second-round series with the Strathmore Wheatland Kings. The Cubs lost 6-4.
The Medicine Hat Cubs couldn’t close the door Wednesday on their second-round series.
The Cubs allowed a pair of goals in the third period to fall 6-4 at Strathmore to the Wheatland Kings, dropping Game 3 of their best-of-five series. Medicine Hat won the first two games, beating Strathmore 3-2 on Feb. 23 at the Kinplex a night after opening the series with a 5-2 win at Strathmore.
Head coach Randy Wong says the Wheatland Kings played with a desperation that propelled them in the win.
“That’s a team who did enough to try to make a Game 4 and so we just talked to our guys about, did we do enough,” Wong said. “There was a lot of errors in our end, we made some miscues and missed assignments, and that’s on us. So we can’t pout and I don’t believe they’re a better team. We gave them way too many opportunities and they made good with them.”
Strathmore opened the scoring in the first period, with a goal from Tanner Phillips at the 10:02 mark.
The Cubs responded with a goal from Jesse Klimosko 22 seconds later, as he knocked in a rebound. Jacob Hazzard had the lone assist on his first of the HJHL playoffs.
Starthmore ended the first with a 2-1 lead after Charlie Goll scored with 7:27 left in the opening frame. The Wheatland Kings outshot Medicine Hat 10-9 to start the game.
The Cubs responded in the second period, notching a pair of goals for a one-goal lead after 40 minutes.
Just under 10 minutes into the period, Caleb Garrecht scored his first of the frame,–capitalizing on a power play, with Austin Derzaph and Hayden Gebhart recording the assists.
He found the back of the net 7:03 later, with Nolan Sutherland recording the lone assist. The Cubs outshot Strathmore 15-9 in the period, leading 3-2 after a pair of frames.
A back-and-forth third period kicked off with a Strathmore power play goal. After the Cubs killed off one penalty, the Kings went back on a second man advantage in the first five minutes of the period and made good. Luke Nottveit scored 3:56 into the frame to tie the game up at 3-3.
The Cubs quickly grabbed the lead just 50 seconds later.
Kyle Woolridge scored on a breakaway, his sixth goal of the playoffs, giving Medicine Hat a 4-3 lead.
The Wheatland Kings then rattled off three unanswered goals for the win.
They tied the game up with 5:14 left off Phillips’ second of the night. Just 14 seconds later, the Cubs went on a power play and peppered the Strathmore goalie but could not re-gain a lead.
Strathmore notched the game winner with 1:39 left on the scoreboard, with Nottveit scoring his second of the  contest. Chase Berg had the lone assist. Trey Kam scored an empty-net goal with 20 seconds left in the game for the 6-4 Strathmore win, keeping their season alive.
Tyler Wakelam made 24 saves in net for the Cubs. Across the ice from him, Strathmore net minder Derrick Ford stopped 31 shots.
Game 4 of the series turns back to Medicine Hat and the Kinplex on Friday, with puck drop at 7:45 p.m.
