The Cochrane Generals fell short in an attempt to come back from a 3-0 deficit against the Rocky Rams last night in Game Three of the HJHL's north division semifinal series.

The Rams won 3-2 and lead the series 2-1, thanks to two back-to-back wins over the weekend. The first came with a 2-1 overtime win Friday night in Rocky Mountain House.

Limited to just 16 shots on Rams goalie Zaiden Hansen in the first two periods, the Gens regrouped in the third and scored two on 24 shots.

Connor Stephenson combined with Dagen Kadlec and Zac Fulton to put the Gens on the scoreboard 12 minutes into the third. Four minutes later, Andrew Guss scored from Jordan Butz. The Gens went with six attackers in all but three seconds of the last 1 1/2 minutes but failed to get the equalizer.

"We had our opportunities, and we just weren't moving the puck as quick and as smooth as we usually do," says Gens head coach Kurtis Jones. "We kind of sat back and played their kind of hockey. They outworked us in areas we need to be better in."

Jones says that a sense of urgency they found in the third has to come sooner.

He says while there's a lot of pressure on the Gens to win the series, the team needs to relax and play their game. He believes that's what we'll see on Tuesday night.

"At the end of the day, you have to win four games in a series. They got the last two, and we'll get the next three. Maybe it's an eye-opener for our guys, but you take it day-by-day, game-by-game."

"We just have to go right back to the drawing board. We practice tomorrow and need to stay positive. The game in Rocky we should have won, but we didn't, and that's playoffs. They're a team that sits back and waits for mistakes and they capitalized on our mistakes. They don't make a lot of mistakes, at least that's how it's going right now."

Friday night in Rocky, the Gens lost 2-1 after Hansen turned away 59 of the 60 shots.

Head coach Wendall Mason says the Rams is a young club of 18 and 19-year-olds and the experience they've gained this season is starting to show.

"That's been the goal all season. We went on a longer slide than we wanted at the midway point, but we've been building since then. Every day we just get a little bit better and a little more experience."

He says they got the matchups they wanted on Saturday night and have benefitted from the red hot hand of Hansen. 

"The biggest thing at the end of the day is I told our guys we all have to be working. We've got to work harder. There are a lot of good teams in this league, and whatever team that's going to work the hardest is usually going to get the reward."

Game Four is in Rocky Mountain House on Tuesday night and returns to Cochrane on Thurs. Feb. 24.

In the other northern semifinal, the Red Deer Vipers have gone up 3-0 on the Airdrie Techmation Thunder. They could wrap it up Tuesday night in Airdrie.