OKOTOKS, AB (October 13, 2023) — The Okotoks Oilers improved to 7–3–1 to begin the 2023–24 season after defeating the Whitecourt Wolverines by a 5–1 score at Okotoks Centennial Arena on Friday night.
Christian Green (Boothwyn, PA) made 20 saves while Sam Huck (Calgary, AB) and Jack Silverberg (Sherwood Park, AB) carried the mail on offence in the commanding victory.
Huck tallied a pair of goals to tie Oilers captain Dean Spak (Calgary, AB) for the team lead with six. The 2004-born forward finished off a beautiful tic-tac-toe passing play with Silverberg and Hunter Sawka (Cochrane, AB) in the first period before double-dipping in the second off a nifty feed from Spak.
Rylan Brown (Sherwood Park, AB) got the party started for the Oilers just 1:34 into the first period amid some unusual circumstances. Called for delay of game as a result of their players not leaving the ice in time for the end of pre-game warmups, the Wolverines started the game on the PK and ultimately conceded the opening goal to Brown off a neat little give-and-go with Silverberg.
Brown contributed to another Oilers power-play goal in the second period when he one-timed a heavy shot toward the Whitecourt goal that Brett Huxley (Calgary, AB) redirected past Wolverines netminder Lukas Renaud. Huck picked up one of his two assists in the game on Huxley’s fourth goal of the year.
Finally, Silverberg picked up a goal of his own in the third period, capitalizing on a sneaky behind-the-back pass from Huck to put the Oilers up 5–1 with 16:24 to play in regulation time. Silverberg’s second goal in as many games put the Oilers firmly in the driver’s seat for the rest of the contest; they ultimately outshot the Wolverines by a 36–21 margin on Friday.
Jalen Bianchet netted Whitecourt’s lone goal in Okotoks, with Jarred Feist and Ryan Tong racking up the helpers, on the power play at the 6:19 mark of the second period. Renaud stopped 31 of 36 shots as the Wolverines fell to 4–6–1 on the season.
The Oilers will return to action on Saturday night when they take on the Brooks Bandits, their perennial playoff foes, inside Okotoks Centennial Arena at 7:00 p.m. MT.
Recap: Mike Gould
Photo: Tayler Stroobant