The scores were closer, but the results were the same for the Stettler Lightning as they lost two more Heritage Junior Hockey League games on the weekend.
The Lightning have lost all six games they’ve played in October, including a 3-1 setback Sunday against the host Medicine Hat Cubs and a 4-2 decision at home Saturday against the Airdrie Thunder.
Lightning defenceman Doug Blacklock scored the game-opening goal early in the second period against Medicine Hat, which came back with two goals in the second and one in the third.
Coleman Waddell made 29 saves for Stettler (2-6), while the Colts’ Cole Schafer blocked all but one of the 18 shots he faced.
Ben Feere, Brody Hagel and captain Logan Mayer — on the power play — scored for Medicine Hat (8-3-0-1). Kyle Funk picked up two assists.
On Saturday night, Stettler lost a home game to Airdrie (4-4-0-2) for the second time in two weeks.
Reese Anheliger and Kyler O’Connor scored for the Lightning, who received a 48-save effort from veteran goaltender Simon Thieleman of Castor.
The Thunder trailed 2-1 after the first period but scored twice in the second and once in the third.
Kade Taplin made 29 saves for Airdrie, which tallied twice on power plays.
The Thunder goals came from Gavin Klein, Dylan Johnston, Donavon Henrion and Justin Millson.
Stettler was without Dylan Muhlbach for both weekend games, while Wyatt Haustein missed Saturday’s game because of a suspension.
The Lightning will try to salvage an October victory when they host the Strathmore Wheatland Kings (5-4-1-0) at 8 p.m. Friday.
Stettler’s six-game losing skid is a league-low. The High River Flyers have dropped five in a row, while the last-place Ponoka Stampeders have lost four straight games.
At the other end of the spectrum, the locally flavoured Three Hills Thrashers posted a 7-3 win over the Banff Bears on Friday, two nights after the Thrashers dropped a 7-3 decision to the Mountainview Colts.
Three Hills rookie Dylan Houston of Stettler was called up to the junior A Canmore Eagles on the weekend, but didn’t get in their lineup. Houston, a 16-year-old forward, has played a pair of Alberta Junior Hockey League games this season.