Okotoks, AB (September 20, 2025) – The Okotoks Oilers were on the road for the first time during the opening weekend of the 2025-2026 BCHL season, falling 4-2 to the Bandits in Brooks tonight.
Ben Vatis (Vancouver, BC) made his second straight start and once again kept the Oilers in the game as he was peppered with shots from the Bandits. Vatis made 38 saves in Brooks and has now faced a total of 93 shots in the first two games of the season. Zach Zahara was between the pipes for the Bandits.
The Oilers opened the scoring 8:53 into the first period with Michael Mikan (Edina, MN) scoring his first goal as an Okotoks Oiler and his second point in as many games. Assistant captain Hunter Sawka (Cochrane, AB) would also collect his second point of the season with an assist on Mikan’s goal. Brooks responded over a minute later with Connor Paronuzzi tying the game up at 1-1.
Mikan got the Oilers’ one-goal lead back in the second period with his second goal of the night and team-leading third point of the season. Oilers captain Brett Wilson picked up his first point of the season with the lone assist on Mikan’s second goal of the night. Brooks answered back quickly again, tying the game at two goals apiece with just over a minute left in the second frame after Dante Siciliano found the back of the net.
Jack Good and Kamyl Chemrouk would add two more goals for Brooks, less than two minutes apart in the third period, and were able to hold off the Oilers from getting back on the scoreboard.
The Green and Gold will continue their road trip on Saturday (Sept. 27) when they face the Warriors in West Kelowna.
The Okotoks Oilers are a not-for-profit, community-run junior hockey franchise competing in the BCHL and operating out of Viking Rentals Centre. For more information, visit okotoksoilers.com or follow the Oilers on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
