NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Cubs captain Kyle Woolridge celebrates a second period goal, his second of the night, in a 7-1, Game 3 win Thursday at the Kinplex over the Cochrane Generals. With the win, the Cubs sweep the South Finals 3-0 and advance to the HJHL finals for the first time in franchise history.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com
For the first time in franchise history, the Medicine Hat Cubs are off to the HJHL Finals.
The Cubs beat the Cochrane Generals 7-1 Thursday night to sweep the South Division Finals 3-0, claiming their first division title. They won an IJHL championship in 2001 before joining the HJHL the next season, where they won their last South division regular season title before this year.
Captain Kyle Woolridge, who scored twice in the series clincher Thursday, says they’re happy as a team but hungry for more.
“It’s a big milestone for the team, but you get to this stage, you still have more hockey to play,’ Woolridge said. “We can’t get too excited and be happy with we’ve got so far. We have to keep going all the way to win that HJHL championship.”
Forward Nolan Sutherland also scored twice as five Cubs finished with multi-point efforts. Head coach Trent Derzaph credited his team’s depth for the Game 3 win and series sweep.
“We get the scoring from everywhere, having a really good start and and continue through,” Derzaph said. “It was just a well rounded game really. Marlo stepped up for us again, and he did all series. It was a really good, team win.”
Cubs starter Marlo DeRosa stopped 36 shots for his fifth win of the playoffs. Medicine Hat outshot Cochrane 43-37.
Cochrane opened the scoring with their lone goal of the game when Diago Coelho capitalized on a power play 4:50 into the contest.
The Cubs rattled off a pair in the first, Woolridge scoring 3:07 after Coelho’s goal and Sutherland potted his first of the playoffs, the series clincher. Makhi Carriere and Jacob Hazzard had the assists.
They scored four times in the second period, with Josiah Jackson scoring on a power play at 11:35. Jesse Klimosko and Mason Osinski had the assists on his second of the postseason. Klimosko scored 3:34 later, his fourth. The goals kept rolling, Woolridge scored his second of the game and 10th of the postseason, Hayden King had the lone assist. Sutherland notched his second of the game, Carriere and Hazzard with the assists.
With 4:07 left in the game, Carter Allan scored his first HJHL goal in just his seventh game, playing in six postseason contests.
As the clock ticked down, the final buzzer was drowned out by the Cubs faithful in a packed Kinplex.
“We have the best fans in the whole league and them being loud the whole time, it kept us in the game,” Woolridge said. “Even when they scored, our fans were still cheering, they were hyping us back up.”
The Cubs will face off against the HJHL’s regular season champion Red Deer Vipers. Red Deer beat the defending HJHL champion Sylvan Lake Wranglers 3-1 in the North Finals, winning Game 4 Thursday 4-2. In the regular season, the Cubs and Vipers split 1-1.
The start date of the HJHL finals are to still be determined.
See Saturday’s News for more on the Cubs’ South Division Finals win.
