BLACKFALDS, AB (November 17, 2023) — Sam Huck (Calgary, AB) scored the decisive goal with 28 seconds left in overtime, capping off a 3-point performance as the Okotoks Oilers, missing eight regulars from their lineup, took down the Blackfalds Bulldogs 4-3 on Friday night.
The win puts the Oilers into a three-way tie with Calgary and Bonnyville for fourth place in the AJHL standings.
“I don’t know what he ate for lunch today, but he was in a whole different realm,” said assistant coach Reid Hnatowich of Huck. “He’s usually a player who can push paces and be a difference-maker, but I thought tonight he took it to a complete different level.”
Okotoks’ power play was key to the win, going three-for-eight, beginning with a Jagger Tapper (Calgary, AB) tip of a Sam Hall (Oldwick, NJ) point shot at the 9:44 mark that opened the scoring. An end-to-end rush by Huck at 17:31 then produced a rebound for Ethan O’Halloran (Calgary, AB) to sweep home to double the lead.
In the second, Alexander Dimitriadis got the Bulldogs on the board with a glove side snipe at 1:41, before a one-timer from the right circle by Huck on the power play reclaimed the two-goal advantage. But thirty seconds after that, Layne Loomer poked home a rebound to make it a one-goal game again.
Blackfalds were the only team to score in the third, with a Jayden Joly tip of a Brendan Gillmore point shot tying the game at 5:44, forcing overtime.
On their second power play of the extra frame, after Huck was taken down on a rush, Rylan Brown (Sherwood Park, AB) found Huck on a pass from the high slot to the right circle, where the third-year Oiler swept home his second goal of the game to send the Oilers streaming off the bench.
Alex Scheiwiller made 26 saves for the win, while the Oilers outshot the Bulldogs 35-29 in the game. They will meet up again Saturday night for the rematch in Okotoks – tickets are available online at tickets.okotoksoilers.ca.