The Gens have found their groove, closing out 2025 with their longest winning streak in a decade.
The Gens took control in the third period to beat the Okotoks Bisons 4-2 on Dec. 19, then squeezed by the Ponoka Stampeders 3-2 in a Sunday matinee, notching wins number eight and nine in a row, picking up 19 points in their last 10 games.
Gens captain Diago Coelho scored his 20th goal—his most ever in a single season—to open the scoring against the Stampeders. Ty Barry added two goals in the second to open a three-goal lead. Ponoka chipped away, with Nathan Bernhardt scoring late in the second and again in the third.
Gens goalie Owen Hall-Clay, who faced 34 shots, made a huge stop during a six-man attack in the dying minutes to keep the Gens ahead.
Against the Bisons, Gens defenceman Rodie Pickens scored the winner—his first of the season—to break a 2-2 deadlock with 4:45 remaining in the third. Declan Kinch scored his second goal of the night to keep the Bisons at bay.
Chase Weinkauf opened the scoring for the Gens, his first of the season, giving them a 1-0 lead at 2:20 of the second period.
The wins catapulted the Gens from fifth to second place, something Gens head coach Derek Bell says they came into the weekend determined to do.
“I’m very, very proud of the whole group—the coaching staff and the fans,” said Bell. “It’s nice to get that ninth win in front of our home fans just before Christmas break. I mean, nine is special… ten will be special, eleven will be special. We just hope to keep it going. We’ve got to work hard. Winning is hard.”
The Gens have rediscovered their form after a slump in mid-October.
“We did go through that little slump, but as soon as we started connecting and using each other for our roles—knowing if you’re a goal scorer, a passer, a hitter, or a blocker—it seemed to come together,” said Coelho. “That’s why we’re on this nine-game heater.”
On the other side of the coin, the Bisons lost both of their weekend matchups, dropping to fifth in the tight south division, just three points behind the Gens. The Strathmore Wheatland Kings were 1-1 over the weekend, while top-place Medicine Hat Cubs won their 12th consecutive game, having not lost since the Gens beat them on Nov. 1.
Nine is the most consecutive wins the Gens have had since the 2015-16 season. Eager to keep the streak alive, they will have their hands full in their first weekend back in play in 2026.
The Gens kick off 2026 at home on Jan. 2 against the Sylvan Lake Wranglers, the top team in the league, before hosting the Wheatland Kings the next day.
While there are no games on the schedule for the next 11 days, practices will continue in preparation for the tough schedule ahead.
“We’re going to have a couple of guys heal up over the Christmas break with some turkey and family time, and then we’ll be ready to go when Sylvan comes to town.”
