OKOTOKS, AB (September 7, 2025) – The Okotoks Oilers made a statement against the Brooks Bandits tonight with a 6-2 win over their long-time rivals at Viking Rentals Centre for the third game of the 2025-2026 BCHL preseason.
The win marked the second game in a row where the Oilers came out on top, previously taking out the Trail Smoke Eaters 4-1 on Friday night (Sept. 5). Josh Wiebe (Calgary, AB), who was acquired from the Smoke Eaters, also spent time with the Brooks Bandits. Wiebe would make his former team pay by posting two assists tonight against the Bandits. Joey Meredith (Toledo, OH) would also add two helpers for a multi-point night.
Louis-Felix Charrois (Drummondville, QC) made the start between the pipes for the Oilers, picking up the win after stopping 23 shots. Brooks would have both Jacob Gibbons and Griffin Wright split the time in their net.
The Oilers came out hot early, as Jamie Hikida (Richmond, BC) scored 40 seconds into the game after using his speed to cut in front of the Bandits’ net and put it past Gibbons for the 1-0 lead. Wiebe would get the assist on Hikida’s goal for his first point on the night. Connor Paronuzzi answered back for the Bandits around nine minutes later to bring the game back to even.
Still in the first period, Brett Wilson (Calgary, AB) would get the puck to Michael Kowalski (Chicago, IL), who then got in on a break and scored on a pretty backhand, beating Gibbons to retake the lead. Michael Mikan (Edina, MN) would collect his second goal of the BCHL preseason as the puck would squeak by the Bandits’ netminder 33 seconds after Kowalski’s marker to make it a 3-1 hockey game.
The Oilers wouldn’t let up in the second frame as Luke Calabria (Huntington, NY) found the back of the Bandits’ net on the power play with Holden Pajor (Eden Prairie, MN) creating t in front of Gibbons. Meredith picked up his first point on the night with the primary assist, and Wiebe would get the secondary assist. With under three minutes left in the second period, Brady Engelkes (Middleton, WI) added his second goal of the preseason, making it four goals in a row for the Green and Gold.
The third period would see Brooks stop the bleeding with an answer 15:06 into the third period, cutting the Oilers’ lead to three with a goal from Jeremiah Mundy. The Green and Gold would regain the four-goal lead and finish off the Bandits with 27 seconds left in the game as Markus Jakobsen (Odense, Denmark) found twine for his first of the preseason. Marko Lisica (Plainview, NY) got the primary assist on Jakobsen’s goal, with Meredith grabbing the secondary assist.
With the win, the Oilers now improve to 2-1-0 during the 2025-2026 BCHL preseason. The Green and Gold will now head to Brooks for their first away game of the preseason on Friday (Sept. 12). After they visit Brooks, the Oilers will close out the preseason on Saturday (Sept. 13) on home ice at Viking Rentals Centre against the Bandits.
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.
