OKOTOKS, AB (November 2, 2021) ““ The Okotoks Oilers (8-9-1) got two-goal nights from Bowden Singleton (Calgary, AB) and Ty Yoder (Tofield, AB), and erased a two-goal deficit after two, but gave up two late goals in the span of 28 seconds to fall 6-5 to the visiting Bonnyville Pontiacs on Tuesday night at Pason Centennial Arena.
With the loss, the Oilers fall to seven points back of third-place Drumheller in the AJHL South division, with an extra game played, and are now only five points head of fifth-place Blackfalds, with the Bulldogs holding two games in hand.
Okotoks got in trouble early, being outshot 7-0 and falling behind 2-0 barely six minutes in on early goals from Chayce Schmidt and Austin Saint. Rieger Lorenz (Calgary, AB) got one back for the home side with a quick backdoor wrister from the left side on the power play at 17:11, capping off a period that finished with the Oilers only outshot 10-8.
Singleton tied it with a partial breakaway goal 5:10 into the 2nd, but AJ Macaulay put Bonnyville right back up on the ensuing shift, 19 seconds later. Schmidt scored his second of the game at 11:03 to make it 4-2 for the visitors, who managed a whopping 17 shots in the middle frame to 13 for Okotoks.
But the Oilers dominated most of the third, outshooting their opposition 15-8 and scoring three huge goals. First, Singleton tallied at 6:29, dangling around a fallen goaltender Matthew Hennessey and tucking the puck into an open net to make it 4-3. Ty Yoder then scored back to back on perfectly placed wrist shots at 8:45 on the power play and 16:48 to give the Oilers their first lead, 5-4.
But it all went sideways from there. Alex Atwill responded for Bonnyville on the very next shift, and barely any time passed before Kash Rasmussen tucked one home after a defensive zone turnover at the 17:51 mark to notch the 6-5 final score.
The Oilers will host the Fort McMurray Oil Barons on Friday night, hoping to snap what has now become a six-game home losing streak against a top-tier North division squad. Tickets are available online at tickets.okotoksoilers.ca