Generals Take Down Bisons

The Generals took on their perennial rivals the Okotoks Bisons Friday night in the friendly confines of Totem Arena. The Generals came out very flat and didn’t seem to be interested in the game. Lucky for them the Okotoks squad came out even worse. The Generals were able to keep the play in the Okotoks end for the first half of the period but were unable to solve the Bisons’ netminder. The last half of the period was the Brandon Satchwell show. The young goaltender kept the game close making several huge saves. One goal did manage to get by Satchwell late in the first and the hometown boys went into the room down 1-0. The Generals were out shot 14-13 in the period.

The Second period opened very similar to the first. Both teams seemed to be waiting for the other team to set the tone. The Generals’ weak forecheck paired with the Bisons’ trap made for a very defensive period. The two teams only combined for 15 shots in the period and no scoring. The Generals remained down 1-0 after forty minutes and had to figure out how to solve Okotoks’ forecheck if they wanted to pull even in the third.

The Generals came out for the third with one goal in mind, to score early and tie the game. The result was an Okotoks goal only 58 seconds into the period. A high shot was able to just squeak over the shoulder of the Generals netminder Brandon Satchwell. Now the Gens were in a 2-0 hole and needed to figure out quick how to create some offence.  That’s when last years MVP Danny McSween decided to pick up the puck and wheel into the Okotoks zone and feed a pass right to sniper Johnny Pictins’ stick. Pictin made a quick move and flipped the puck over the sprawling Bisons goalie. The Gens had some momentum and were only down one. Time was ticking away and with 10 minutes left in the period a Generals penalty looked to be the end of any comeback for the Generals. The Gens penalty killing specialist Sam Merriam thought different, however. Merriam picked off an errant Okotoks pass and walked in all alone and made no mistake roofing a backhand to notch his first of the season. The shorthanded tally pulled the Cochrane squad even with plenty of time on the clock. The two teams traded a few chances and thanks to a couple more huge saves by Brandon Satchwell the game remained tied. With only 1:30 on the clock the hometown erupted as Kris Keller slid one home to go ahead 3-2. The Gens sent out their shutdown line and held on for the dramatic win. The shots in the period were only 7-7.

The final shots in the game were 28-28. The Generals went 0/2 on the power play and killed 6/6 penalties. The win moved them to 3-0 on the season. The player of the game was Brandon Satchwell who stole this one for the Gens. Next Game: Saturday night against the 4-0 Red Deer Vipers.

Three Stars:

1. Brandon Satchwell
2. Sam Merriam
3. Kris Keller