Okotoks, AB (September 13, 2025) – The Okotoks Oilers were able to push the Brooks Bandits to overtime tonight, but just came up short at Viking Rentals Centre, falling 6-5.
The Oilers finish the preseason with a respectable 2-2-1 record, picking up wins against Trail and Brooks.
Ben Vatis (Vancouver, BC) made his second straight start of the preseason, and third start in four games for the Oilers. Vatis made 31 saves in the tilt against Brooks with over 63 minutes of ice time as the game went to extra time. Jacob Gibbons was in between the pipes for Brooks for tonight’s game.
The Bandits opened the scoring in the first period with a goal from Jack Good, and added a second goal to take a 2-0 lead thanks to Jack Rosensteel. Former Bandit and current Oiler, Josh Wiebe (Calgary, AB) would get the Oilers on the board with one second left in the frame to cut the Bandits’ lead to one goal. Brady Engelkes (Middleton, WI) picked up a point with the assist in Wiebe’s buzzer-beater marker.
Just over halfway into the second period, Engelkes continued his hot hands this preseason by adding an unassisted goal on the power play to tie the game up at two goals apiece. The Bandits answered back with Zachary Deleau picking up a goal just over two minutes later. The Oilers responded with Luke Calabria finding the back of the net for the second time in the 2025-2026 BCHL preseason to bring the game back to even. Michael Mikan (Edina, MN) and Joseph Gugino (Buffalo, NY) picked up the helpers on the power play goal. Brooks wouldn’t go away and retook the lead for a third time before the period came to a close, as Liam Fitzpatrick got the puck across the goal line.
The back-and-forth game continued in the third period with Teo Pisani (St. Albert, AB) finding twine for the third Oilers power play goal on the night. Captain Brett Wilson (Calgary, AB) would help set up the Pisani goal to bring the game to 4-4. Again, the Bandits would answer back to retake the one-goal lead exactly three minutes later with the marker coming from Nicolas Addy. The Green and Gold wouldn’t let Brooks hang onto the lead for long as Ryder de Nys helped set up Mikan to tie the game up at 5-5 just 39 seconds after Brooks scored.
Dmitrijs Dilevka picked up the game-winning goal for Brooks 3:20 into overtime to win the game for the Bandits.
The Oilers will now evaluate the talent they had during the preseason and finalize their roster this week before the home and BCHL season opener on Friday (Sept. 19) against the Sherwood Park Crusaders at Viking Rentals Centre.
Don’t miss any of the action this season with the Oilers and purchase your season tickets at https://tickets.okotoksoilers.com/events/35047-2025-2026-season-tickets
Single-game tickets for the 2025-2026 Oilers home opener can be purchased at https://tickets.okotoksoilers.com/events/37860-sherwood-park-crusaders-vs-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. For more information, visit okotoksoilers.com or follow the Oilers on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
