The Rocky Rams dropped both of their home games over the weekend.

On Saturday the Rams had their first home game of 2024 when the Cannex Cochrane Generals came to town. Unfortunately for the Rams, it wasn’t a good homecoming performance as they would fall 6-2.

In the first period, just 18 seconds into the game, the Rams would fall behind 1-0 after a Jordan Butz goal. James Quaife earned the lone assist. Then just over one minute after the Generals opening goal, they would take a 2-0 lead after a Diago Coelho goal. Tristan Ripplinger picked up the only assist. At 3:17, the Rams would cut into the Generals lead and make it 2-1 after Tristan Hoffus picked up his 12th goal of the season. Grady Mofford earned the lone assist. After the first 20 minutes, the Rams would manage to outshoot the Generals 12-9.

In the second period, the Generals would take a 3-1 lead after Evan Sine found the back of the net for his ninth goal of the year. James Quaife picked up his second assist of the game on the goal. The Generals would keep pushing in the second period and would earn another goal to make it 4-1. Andrew Guss got credit for his fifth goal of the season. Meanwhile, Christopher Ugbaja and James Quaife earned the assists. The Rams would then strike late in the second period after Tristan Hoffus picked up his second goal of the game making it 4-2. The assists came off the sticks of Ayden Henry and Noah Wilson. Throughout the second period, it was the Generals outshooting the Rams 13-3.

In the final frame, the Generals would take a 5-2 lead after Stephen Jones pick up an unassisted powerplay goal at 17:15. The Generals would then add another goal in the dying second to make it 6-2. Christopher Ugbaja would get credit for his seventh goal of the season. Declan Kinch and Diago Coelho earned the assists. Throughout the final period the Generals would outshoot the Rams 4-1, and 26-16 throughout the game.

The Rams would also struggle on the powerplay, missing on all three attempts.

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On Sunday, the Rams would host the Coaldale Copperheads in hopes to bounce back from their previous 6-2 loss. However, the Copperheads had other plans, beating the Rams 5-2.

In the first period, it was the Copperheads getting on the scoresheet first after Koden Lazar would score shorthanded at 14:12. Drew Constant and Adam Kennedy picked up the assists. Lazar’s goal would be the only one throughout the first period. Meanwhile, the Rams would miss on their only powerplay of the period, while giving up the shorthanded goal. The Rams would also get outshot 10-7.

In the second period, Adam Kennedy would give the Copperheads a 2-0 lead after picking up an unassisted goal at 3:41. Then at 6:39, the Rams would find themselves on the scoresheet after Kyle Goodrunning would find the back of the net for his sixth goal of the year, making it 2-1. Tristan Hoffus and Reid Christiansen earned the assists. However, the one goal deficit was short lived as the Copperheads would score a powerplay goal at 8:06, as Caiden Heins would get one by Rams goalie Zaiden Hansen, giving them a 3-1 lead. Just over four minutes later, the Copperheads would take a 4-1 lead after a Brinley Degenstein goal. Caden Heins would pick up the lone assist. At 13:05 the Rams would then cut the lead in half 4-2, after Jake Smith would pick up his 21st goal of the season. Reid Christiansen and Grady Mofford would gather the assists. In the second period the Rams would more than double the Copperheads in shots, 16-7.

In the third and final period, the Copperheads would score a late goal at 18:31 for the final goal of the game, making it a 5-2 final. Throughout the final period the Rams would get outshot 7-4 . However, the Rams would outshot the Copperheads throughout the game 27-24.

After the back to back losses over the weekend, the Rams now have a record of 12-13-3 which has them in second place in the Heritage Junior Hockey Leagues Northern Division.

The Rams return to action on Friday, Jan. 19 when they travel to Sylvan Lake to take on the 24-2-2 Wranglers, who are also first place in the Northern Division.

Puck drop is at 8:00 p.m. at the NexSource Arena.