HJHL Roundup - Jan. 18

Copperheads 4, Vipers 1

The Vipers seem to have found their stride.

Following a 4-0, Red Deer failed to win a single game (0-5) in October.

As they slowly got healthier, the Vipers went 5-4 in November.

But something clicked after their 5-3 loss to Strathmore on Nov. 30.

The Vipers ripped off 11 straight wins before suffering back-to-back losses to Airdrie and Coaldale on the weekend.

Vipers bench boss JD Morrical said he's noticed a difference in his squad over the past six weeks.

"We started to finally play the way we wanted to," Morrical said. "There's little things that we want to touch one. We should be 100 per cent on a lot of plays.

"We want to be a consistent team and that's the way we've been for the past six years. Some years take a bit longer than other years.

"But we've really come together as a team."

Matias Letwin scored Red Deer's lone goal on Saturday night as the Vipers fell 4-1 to the Coaldale Copperheads. It was Red Deer's first regulation loss since Nov. 30.

"We always say the only thing you win in October is the World Series," Morrical said. "We're playing consistent now.

"We're getting really good goaltending, which we've gotten all year."

Mason Sande, Kole Fujita, Jayden Bexte and Ethan Klemen scored for the Copperheads.

Red Deer (20-10-1) visits Mountainview on Wednesday at 8 p.m.

Coaldale (21-11-1) visits Ponoka on Sunday at 3 p.m.

Wheatland Kings 5, Colts 4 (shootout)

There were plenty of theatrics in Strathmore on Saturday.

Wacy Sandum scored the shootout winner but not before some late-game heroics.

Garret Vander Ploeg forced extra time with just six seconds left in regulation time to send the home crowd into a frenzy.

Even the shootout had drama, going five rounds.

The Colts jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first period, but the Wheatland Kings scored three straight to assume the 3-2 lead after 40 minutes.

Hendricks Jayden scored a pair of goals and Sandum also scored during the second period.

Alan Klinck and Mitchell Visser staked the visitors to a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes and Laine Rothenbusch and Josh Gette also scored for the Colts.

Thomas Tyson also scored in the shootout for Strathmore (11-20-0), which will visit Cochrane on Sunday (5:30 p.m.).

Laine Rothenbusch also scored in the shootout for Mountainview (15-14-3), which will host Red Deer on Wednesday (8 p.m.).

Thunder 9, Rams 2

Jordan McConnell has been like a ticking timebomb.

He went off on Saturday.

The HJHL's record-setting scorer sniped a hat-trick and added an assist as the Airdrie Techmation Thunder beat the Rocky Rams 9-2.

"We continued to build on the good things we've done the past few games," Thunder head coach Derek Stamp said.

"We had some affiliates come up and they played really well."

Tyler Petrie potted a pair while Tristan Paquette, Zachary Dubois, Kyle Bracko and Caleb Reed scored for Airdrie.

Brett McNutt and Tristan Hoffus replied for Rocky.

The Thunder improved to 25-6-1, which is 10 points clear of the Red Deer Vipers atop the North Division.

Airdrie hosts Mountainview on Friday (8 p.m.).

The Rams (9-21-2) host Red Deer next Saturday (8:30 p.m.).