The Okotoks Bow Mark Oilers stood up to an Olympic sized challenge.
Okotoks fought off a two-goal deficit to skate to a 3-3 tie with the Canadian Women’s Olympic hockey team in front of 1147 fans in an Alberta Midget Hockey League thriller Wednesday night at Pason Centennial Arena in the build up to the 2018 Games next month in Pyeongchang.
“It’s huge for us, genetically the guys are a lot bigger, stronger, faster than sometimes even ourselves or teams we could potentially face,” said Team Canada goalie Shannon Szabados. “It’s big competition for us to step our game up and get used to that high speed and physicality.”
Team Canada looked to be in cruise control in the early going, dominating the opening frame paced by Jillian Saulnier’s first minute tally and Brigette Lacquette’s goal on a seeing eye point shot.
“We certainly didn’t start on time, half way through the first we started to get our legs underneath us and started to match their work ethic,” said Bow Mark Oilers head coach Kevin Willison. “It was an awesome game and we didn’t quit, we got some momentum going and it seemed like the boys were having some fun.”
Evan Woods gave the hosts some life late in the first stanza, wiring home a wrist-shot on the powerplay.
In the middle frame, Team Canada restored the two-goal advantage on a clapper from power forward Jennifer Wakefield. Bow Mark swiftly bounced back when defenceman Connor Bertamini’s point shot found the back of the net.
Okotokian Jackson Kobelka completed the comeback with just under six minutes left in regulation, finishing off a terrific set-up from Woods and blueliner Anson McMaster.
“I was just trying to get a quick shot off, just trying to create opportunities knowing there wasn’t a lot of time left,” Kobelka said. “I think the whole idea of playing against the women with no hitting got to us in the first and in the second and third we decided to start bumping a bit more with a more male style game and that’s what turned the game around for us.”
The two teams met previously in late November in exhibition action with Team Canada skating to a 4-3 victory in Calgary.
The rematch in Okotoks saw more refined play from both squads in front of a raucous arena jammed to the rafters. Funds raised from the game went to the Okotoks Food Bank Association.
“The thrill to play them is still there, that’s our national team that’s going to the Olympics,” Kobelka said. “That’s a cool experience that not many people get to do, but this one was a real league game so we had to go out there and get the job done because we’re in a tight battle to get to the playoffs.”
Though some of the supporters in the stands may have been a little conflicted on who to cheer for, the considerable Okotoks female hockey contingent on hand was backing their heroes wearing the maple leaf.
“I used to be one of those little girls in the crowd cheering on Team Canada,” said Team Canada forward Natalie Spooner. “It’s nice to know there are those little girls looking up and one day they will probably be wearing this jersey out here.”
No stranger to Okotoks ice, Szabados played four seasons in the Alberta Junior Hockey League prior to her Team Canada journey.
“It was fun to be back, awesome arena, it was just built and the (Okotoks Oilers) team was new when I played in the AJ so nice to be back to some familiar territory.” Szabados said. “One of the things that makes every rink feel like a home rink for us is all the little girls and boys in the stands.
“We have a very humble, low-key team, but at the same time we know the importance of what it was like when we were that age. Our roster of 23, I bet you all 23 of them would be here for hours, if they could, spending time with the girls.”
Canada goes into the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, Feb. 9-25, as the favourite and four-time defending gold medallists with the Americans expected to provide the biggest hurdle to another championship along with improving squads out of Finland and Switzerland.
“Being a hockey player in Canada there is always a lot of pressure, we’ve won four gold medals in the past,” Spooner said. “As a team we embrace that pressure and thrive off it and like it. We feel ready, we’re still improving and fine tuning some things, but we’re excited and ready to go win another one.”
