The Cannex Cochrane Generals had a rough start to the second round of the HJHL playoffs as they found themselves down early, and unable to mount the comeback.
The Carstar Okotoks Bisons scored three first period goals and held off a surge from the Generals to take Game 1 of the Heritage Junior Hockey League South Semifinal series by a 3-2 count Friday night at the Murray Arena.
Adam Kirkpatrick, McCallum Bakken and Seamus Garagan scored even strength first period goals over a 1:43 span to give the Bisons the early advantage.
Cochrane’s Evan Judge scored in the opening minute of the middle stanza with captain James Quaife cutting the deficit to one midway through the frame.
That’s as close as the visitors would get as Okotoks kept up the offensive pressure in the third period, holding Cochrane to two shots over the final 20 minutes to see out the result.
Cochrane netminder Isaias Maddigan made 50 saves to keep his team in the game late while at the other end of the ice Okotoks rookie netminder Connor White made 19 saves to pick up the win in his first HJHL playoff contest.
The Generals entered the series with a wave of momentum riding high off a three-game series victory over the Coaldale Copperheads where they scored 20 goals. The Bisons, the top seed in the South, had a bye through the first round of the playoffs.
Okotoks, 14-time HJHL champions and reigning provincial gold medallists, is in pursuit of its fourth consecutive playoff title.
Cochrane is bidding for its third HJHL championship and first since winning back-to-back titles in 2007-08 and 2008-09.
The teams’ playoff successes have been inextricably linked over the past decade-plus.
The Generals and Bisons have met in seven of the past 13 HJHL playoffs, five times in the second round of the playoffs.
The best-of-five series continues Sunday, Feb. 23 in Cochrane.
For more information, go to heritagejunior.com.
Series schedule
Game 1: Feb. 21, 8 p.m. Generals at Bisons. Okotoks wins 3-2.
Game 2: Feb. 23, 3 p.m. Bisons at Generals
Game 3: Feb. 28, 8 p.m. Generals at Bisons
Game 4: March 1, 8:15 p.m. Bisons at Generals
Game 5: March 2, 3:15 p.m. Generals at Bisons
