OKOTOKS, AB (November 10, 2024) — Propelled by the stellar play of goaltenders Olivier Ciarlo (Laval, QC) and Simon Westling (Harnosand, SWE), the Okotoks Oilers went 1-1 against the Brooks Bandits and West Kelowna Warriors this past weekend.
The Oilers battled to a 2-0 setback against the Bandits at Centennial Regional Arena in Brooks on Friday night, with Westling stopping 22 of the 24 shots he faced and the Oilers skaters failing to convert on their 20 shots against Bandits netminder Johnny Hicks. Nathan Free and Keith McInnis scored as Brooks extended its regular season winning streak against the Oilers to 24 games.
The following night, the Oilers played host to the Warriors at Viking Rentals Centre in Okotoks for the first time in BCHL history. Coy Pighin (Nanton, AB) and Jacob Goudreau (St. Albert, AB) both scored in regulation for the Oilers before Spencer Rheaume (Beaverlodge, AB) sealed the victory in overtime with a seeing-eye shot that bested West Kelowna goaltender Jack Lisson.
Saturday’s game was a back-and-forth affair that saw the two teams trade goals in sequence, with the Oilers starting and finishing the scoring. After a largely exploratory first period, Pighin scored the game’s first goal just 15 seconds into the middle frame; then, in the third, Goudreau tacked on his own goal between tallies by Sam LeDrew and Jack Pridham.
Although the Oilers were outshot 38 to 28 by the Warriors on Saturday, Ciarlo made 36 saves to improve to 7-5-0 on the year with a .904 save percentage. The 20-year-old goaltender was also named the game’s second star (behind Rheaume) in recognition of his efforts.
The Oilers now occupy ninth place in the BCHL Interior Conference with a 7-9-0 record and 14 points through 16 games this season. In their last seven games, the Oilers are 5-2-0 with a +3 goal differential.
Recap: Mike Gould
Photo: Chad Goddard
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About the Okotoks Oilers
The Okotoks Oilers are a not-for-profit, community-run junior hockey franchise competing in the BCHL and operating out of Viking Rentals Centre. The Oilers are currently in their 20th year of play and their first full season since officially joining the BCHL in January 2024. For more information, visit okotoksoilers.com or follow the Oilers on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
