With an opportunistic offence and shutdown defence it’s advantage Okotoks in the South Final.
With an opportunistic offence and shutdown defence it’s advantage Okotoks in the South Final.
The Okotoks Oilers scored twice in the opening period en route to a 4-1 victory over the Brooks Bandits in Game 1 of the best-of-seven Alberta Junior Hockey League South Final Friday night in front of 1,909 fans at a packed Pason Centennial Arena.
“We definitely had to work for it,” said Oilers defenceman Nick Blankenburg. “They’re a good team, they have 11 commits so it’s definitely not easy.
“We stuck with it, played our game and played our systems pretty well, kept it simple and it paid off for us.”
Brooks came out with the early edge in play and had seven of the first eight shots of the contest halfway through the opening frame.
The script flipped on the opening tally as Okotoks’ Marc Pasemko had a cross crease pass from linemate Zane Kindrachuk bounce off his equipment and in. Alternate captain Kyle Gordon then made it a two-goal lead with just five seconds left in the first period as he chased down a rebound and lifted it over Brooks’ Mitch Benson.
Conner Jean got the visitors on the board midway through the second period on the powerplay before Okotoks answered with one of their own on the man-advantage.
Blankenburg jumped on a rebound off the end boards and roofed it from a tight angle on the powerplay to give Okotoks a crucial insurance tally with just over three minutes left in the frame.
“It hit the back of the boards and I was coming in and had that angle,” he said. “That’s my spot on the powerplay, that little area. In practice, Lads (Tanner Laderoute) and I will work on that, the little extra stuff whenever we have the extra time.”
Okotoks limited the Bandits high-octane offence in the final stanza and actually had the better opportunities to score.
Laderoute put the result to bed with 67 seconds remaining after winning a foot race down the ice and crashing into the empty net to seal the deal with the fourth and final marker.
Riley Morris made 27 saves for his fifth win in five playoff games.
“We knew to just get the pucks up the ice as a d-corps,” Blankenburg said. “Let those forwards get the pucks deep and always have that high guy.
“Everyone wants it and is willing to sacrifice no matter what.”
The teams get back on the Pason Centennial Arena ice on Saturday. Game 2 is a 7 p.m. start.
For more information go to okotoksoilers.ca
