OKOTOKS, AB (November 4, 2023) — Sam Huck (Calgary, AB) hit double digits in goals on the season, but the short-staffed Okotoks Oilers fell 3-1 to the Spruce Grove Saints on Saturday night in front of the second-biggest crowd of the year, 1,069 at Okotoks Centennial Arena.
The Oilers outshot their opponents 31-26 but goalie Zac Onyskiw made 30 saves for the win, while Alex Scheiwiller (Calgary, AB) stopped 23 of a conservatively tallied 26 shots.
With seven regulars out of the lineups, the Oilers dressed four affiliate players in the game, and nonetheless outshot the Saints 16-7 in the first period. But goals from Carter Oakenfold on a one-timer from the slot, and Alexander Babich on a chance from the side of the net with 17 seconds left, gave Spruce Grove a 2-0 advantage. The second was all Saints, outshooting Okotoks 10-1, but the frame remained scoreless. In the third, Nicholas Larkin added insurance on the power play at 6:30 before Huck sniped a sharp-angle shot from the left circle at 8:01 to get Okotoks on the board.