Saturday's HJHL action

Red Deer Vipers (6)
Coaldale Copperheads (5)

RED DEER – Bailey Lawson’s go-ahead goal with 4:08 left in the third period stood up as the winner as the Red Deer Vipers held on for a thrilling 6-5 victory over the Coaldale Copperheads on Saturday evening.

Both teams had to rally from deficits as Red Deer (22-10-1) trailed 3-1 early in the second period, while the Copperheads (20-12-2) found themselves down 5-3 going into the final period, before they came back to tie it.

Tye Munro led the charge for the Vipers with a pair of goals, while Logan Linnel, Lane Sim and Brennen Schweder each chipped in with a single.

Branden Bilodeau turned in a 47-save performance between the Red Deer pipes.

Brady Parenteau scored twice for the Copperheads, while Austin Huculak, Ryan Swier and Jonathan Zdan each found the back of the net once.

GAME SUMMARY

Strathmore Wheatland Kings (7)
Ponoka Stampeders (2)

STRATHMORE – Kody Hammon scored three times as the Strathmore Wheatland Kings skated to a 7-2 win over the Ponoka Stampeders on Saturday night.

Indiana Kelly stopped 34-of-36 shots in net, while Kristian Ayoungman, Cole Busslinger, Jaks Faris and Brooker Pretty Youngman each added a single as the Wheatland Kings (13-16-4) held a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes before scoring four times in the middle stanza to take a 5-2 lead into the final frame.

Nate Higgins and Chevazz Rabbit tallied for Ponoka (8-22-3), which got 29 saves from goaltender Zeke Leuck.

GAME SUMMARY

High River Flyers (7)
Three Hills Thrashers (3)

THREE HILLS – For the second straight night, the High River Flyers got the best of the Three Hills Thrashers as the Flyers skated to a 7-3 win on Saturday evening.

Davis Sheldon scored twice for the Flyers (8-24-2), which have now won back-to-back games for the first time since October, while Michael McTighe, McCarthy Many Fingers, Liam Hall and Joel Nalder each chipped in with a single.

Billy Cawthorn stopped 18-of-21 shots between the pipes to improve to 2-2-0 on the season.

Tyler Newsham, Patrick Fougere and Ryan Spiller provided the offence for the Thrashers (6-26-1), which sit six points back of Ponoka for the final playoff spot in the Northern Division with five games to go.

With the win, the Flyers move just two points back of the Cubs for the final playoff spot in the Southern Division, with each team having four games to go.

GAME SUMMARY

Mountainview Colts (6)
Medicine Hat Cubs (1)

MEDICINE HAT – Two goals and one assist from Cole Sutherland paced the Mountainview Colts to a 6-1 win over the Medicine Hat Cubs on Saturday night.

Josh Gette and Alan Klinck each added a goal and assist, while Benjamin Strautman and Keaton Perigny each finished with a goal apiece.

Jake Carlson made 28 saves in the Colts’ (26-4-2) crease, while Evan Ingram finished the night with three assists.

The two teams were tied at 1-1 after 20 minutes for the Colts pulled away in the second with a trio of goals to make it a 4-1 game going into the third period.

Dan Maier made 25 saves in the Medicine Hat (7-21-6) crease.

GAME SUMMARY