CANMORE, AB (November 9, 2021) ““ Brett Huxley (Calgary, AB) capped off a career-high three point night, cutting to the slot 25 seconds into overtime and sniping a dramatic extra time winner to give the Okotoks Oilers (9-10-1) a hard-fought 5-4 victory over the host Canmore Eagles on Tuesday night.
Rieger Lorenz (Calgary, AB) added three points in the victory while Ty Yoder (Tofield, AB) recorded his eighth goal in as many games in an Oiler uniform in the win.
Okotoks opened the scoring just 1:51 into the game when Sam Huck (Calgary, AB) tipped home a Kade Turner (Calgary, AB) point shot. But Canmore equalized on a long wrist shot on the power play at 10:52 from Drae Gardiner, and the game remained tied at 1-1 after the first, with Okotoks outshooting the Eagles narrowly 12-11.
The Oilers dominated the second, however, outshooting their opposition 14-10 and tallying three times. First, Yoder tipped home a long shot from affiliate defenceman Dax Williams (Calgary, AB), playing in his first AJHL game, to make it 2-1. Then, at the 8:04 mark, an Okotoks dump-in caromed awkwardly off the end wall and bounced to a waiting Huxley, who tapped the puck into an open net for a 3-1 lead. With just 1:12 left in the period, a Yoder steal in the offensive zone led to a perfect cross-slot pass to Lorenz, who fired home a high wrister for a 4-1 Okotoks lead.
But Canmore stormed back in the third, getting goals from Emanuel Hudson at 6:52, Carter Myrol on a long wrister at 15:43, and a dramatic game-tying breakaway goal from Ethan Schaeffer at 18:23 to force the extra frame.
But Huxley”™s goal came on the very first shift and shot of overtime, after carrying in, spinning at the right half-wall, getting a step on a defender to the middle, and firing home a top shelf wrister to send the Oilers spilling off the bench with the big two points. Austin Zavoda (Hershey, PA) made 27 saves on 31 Canmore shots for the win as the Oilers outshot their opposition 36-31 in the game.
Okotoks will hit the road for a northern swing on Friday for games in Spruce Grove and then Sherwood Park on Saturday. Friday”™s matchup with the host Saints starts at 7 PM with pre-game coverage starting at 6:45 on The Eagle 100.9.