CANMORE, AB (September 15, 2023) — The Okotoks Oilers (1-0) got goals from five different goal scorers, and a 22-save debut from goalie Shane Shelest (Pointe-Claire, PQ), winning their season opener in Canmore 5-1 over the Eagles on Friday night.
Sam Huck (Calgary, AB), Connor Gourley (Calgary, AB), and Dean Spak (Calgary, AB) all had two-point games for the Oilers, who outshot Canmore 47-23 in the game, including a whopping 35-11 margin in the first two periods.
Okotoks got on the board just 1:14 in when Huck led a two-on-one rush with Jagger Tapper (Calgary, AB), who finished off a perfect pass with a top shelf one timer to beat goaltender Matthew Malin and make it 1-0. Later, after a three-save sequence by Shelest on a bevy of chances in the slot by Canmore, Huck fired a shot from the right half wall that squeaked through Malin for a 2-0 Oiler lead at 7:59.
Spak capped off the first period scoring in style at 12:24, charging off the left wall and going forehand to backhand to tuck home his first of the season and make it 3-0.
The Oiler captain followed it up with the only goal of the second, a long shot from the high slot that Gourley tipped home to make it 4-0.
Canmore broke through with a power play deflection goal from Bryson Insinger at the 13:53 mark of the third. But less than a minute later, the Oilers converted on another two-on-one, this time with rookie Kade Duell (Taber, AB) finding Colton Alexander (Cochrane, AB), who flipped home a high shot for his first goal as an Oiler to notch the 5-1 final.
The teams will meet in a rematch Saturday night at Okotoks Centennial Arena in the team’s home opener, presented by Cooper Equipment Rentals. Tickets are available online at tickets.okotoksoilers.ca