OKOTOKS, AB (September 25, 2021) ““ Despite a late three-goal surge, a slow start sunk the Okotoks Oilers (2-2) on Saturday night, as they dropped a 5-3 decision to the visiting Drumheller Dragons.
Outshot 10-3 in the first period, the Oilers found themselves down only one goal after a Sam Lozinski power play marker 3:12 into the game, off a wrist shot from the slot.
But Lozinski scored his second of the game just 5:14 into the middle frame on a rebound, and Grayson Dietrich found the back of the net batting a puck out of midair at 10:17 to make it 3-0.
In the third, Drumheller strengthened its lead with a Sam Simard rebound goal just 1:52 in. But Conyr Hellyer (Okotoks, AB) scored on a rebound to break the shutout bid at 4:24 with his fourth goal in as many career AJHL games.
Drumheller struck back with a Hayden Prosofsky rebound goal at 7:16 to make it 5-1, and the Oilers pressed hard from there. Ben Johnson (Lindstrom, MN) fired his second goal of the season in from the slot at 15:44, and Brendan Boyle (Lake Country, B.C.) scored on a spinaround wrist shot from the slot at 18:37, but it would be as close as the Oilers would get.
Okotoks was outshot 28-25 in the game as goalie Austin Zavoda (Hershey, PA) stopped 23 in the loss, and counterpart Garrett Fuller stopped 22 of 25.
The Oilers will next travel to Brooks for the annual AJHL Showcase, opening with a prime time matchup against the Spruce Grove Saints on Thursday night at 7:30 PM.