There is a lot to live up to when you step into goalie pads for the Okotoks Oilers.
It’s a long list of accomplished netminders in its over decade history from Brad Eidsness and Michael Tadjdeh to Jared D’Amico and Nic Renyard all the way to current goaltender star Riley Morris and understudy Matthew Armitage.
“It has been pretty good,” said Armitage, a 17-year-old rookie. “I’ve taken advantage of the games I get to play and I’ve just got to keep doing that and play every game like it’s my last.
“My goal is every chance I get to play, to play well. Riley has been playing really well and I want to match his play and challenge him for his starts.”
That’s no east feat.
Morris, now in his third season with the green and gold, has developed into one of the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s most consistent shot stoppers.
A finalist for the AJHL top goaltender award in 2015-16, Morris is once again near the top of the class in both wins, 12, and save percentage, a career best .919.
“I’m playing with the most confidence I’ve ever played with,” Morris said. “I’m just really feeling it right now. We’ve got a very defensively strong team and it’s all been clicking this year.”
The Oilers own the fourth-best goals against numbers in the league behind a steely defensive unit led by veterans Jordan Davies and Carson Beers.
“Our goal every game is to worry about their score more than ours,” Armitage said. “If we keep their score down our goals will come and we will dominate in their zone and our zone.
“I think we have the best d-men in the league and that helps a ton. We just play a good system.”
Like any good partnership, the duo pushes one another to play at a higher level at practice.
It’s a mostly friendly kind of competition.
“We compete,” Armitage said. “We’re friends off the ice, but not really friends on it because we’re battling for each other’s spots. Even though we have a really good relationship when it comes to the ice that changes.”
Morris has also been a tremendous mentor to his younger partner in the crease.
“He’s an awesome guy and we get along really well,” Morris said. “He’s the most positive guy on the team. He makes it really fun to be there.
“We work really well together. I’ve been in his position as a 17-year-old in this league, it’s not easy. I’m just trying to help him out as much as I can.”
Rewind two seasons and Morris was in Armitage’s shoes as a rookie shot-stopper behind national goaltender of the year Renyard.
Playing time was few and far between, but you always have to ready to step in.
“He helps me a lot, gives me a lot of good tips with the mental aspect of it,” said Armitage. “He’s just an all-around great guy. I’ve never been a back-up before, it’s not easy. But he makes the job a lot easier.”
The Calgarian pointed to his second win in the league, over Lloydminster at the AJHL Showcase, as his arrival moment with the team. He’s since won five games in his seven starts, picking up his first career shutout – in a 13-save effort against Drayton Valley in late November.
“I can’t really take a lot of credit for that,” Armitage said. “The team played really well in front of me. It was really a team shutout.”
Another thing his veteran partner has helped him with is dealing with extended periods of inaction on the ice by setting goals and staying focused.
“I like to break it into five minute segments,” Armitage said. “I don’t like to get scored on in the first five minutes or the last five minutes of periods. When you’re in the first minute anything can happen and in the last five minutes, they can carry that momentum into the second or third period.
“I face the weaker teams so just being able to focus no matter what, even if you’re not getting a lot of shots, just keeping your head in the game.”
North no more
The Okotoks Oilers completed their final road trip to the North Division with a two-game split.
Led by a two-goal effort from Trey DeGraaf, Okotoks doubled up the Drayton Valley Thunder by a 6-3 count on Dec. 2. Tyler Levine netted his first with Okotoks while Cooper Page, Jordan Davies and Reece Soukoroff rounded out the scoring.
Okotoks then saw its trip end in a 4-0 defeat to the Sherwood Park Crusaders on Dec. 3.
The Oilers return to Pason Centennial Arena for three home games in a row. The team hosted Camrose on Dec. 6, after the Wheel’s press time. Okotoks takes on the Calgary Canucks and Olds Grizzlys at home on Dec. 9-10.
For more information go to okotoksoilers.ca
