OKOTOKS, AB (October 20, 2024) — After suffering back-to-back defeats at the hands of the Penticton Vees and Langley Rivermen at the 2024 BCHL Showcase, the Okotoks Oilers bounced back with consecutive wins over the Coquitlam Express and Vernon Vipers to conclude a hectic week.
Now at 4-7-0 on the season after their last two wins, the Oilers look to be getting back on track after going through the gauntlet and facing some of the BCHL’s most dangerous teams in the first few weeks of the season.
The Oilers picked up their fourth win of the 2024-25 campaign — and their third straight at Viking Rentals Centre — thanks to a late power-play goal by Brett Wilson (Calgary, AB) against Vernon on Sunday evening. Wilson also recorded an assist and was named the game’s first star.
Jackson Rowland (Calgary, AB), Joey Meredith (Toledo, OH), and Coy Pighin (Alix, AB) also scored on Sunday as the Oilers overcame a 3-2 deficit in the second period to prevail in front of a home crowd of 801 fans. Olivier Ciarlo (Laval, QC) stopped 25 of the 28 shots he faced to improve to 4-4-0 on the season.
The Oilers’ win over Vernon came two days after they surprised some onlookers around the BCHL with a 6-2 victory on the road against Coquitlam on Friday. Six different Oilers scored and the team managed to keep pace with the Express in the shots column despite entering the game with a 2-7-0 record, nearly opposite Coquitlam’s line of 6-2-1. (The Express bounced back with a 6-5 win over Langley on Sunday).
Through the first 11 games of the 2024-25 BCHL season, Wilson and Rowland are tied for the team scoring lead with eight points, with Meredith, Otto Hanson (Calgary, AB), and Pighin immediately behind. Ciarlo has been the goaltender of record for all four four of the team’s wins and has an .891 save percentage through his first eight appearances as an Oiler.
The Oilers now sit in fourth place in the BCHL’s Interior East division with eight points, having passed the Spruce Grove Saints in the standings after Sunday’s action. Next up, the Oilers will take on the Cranbrook Bucks in a home-and-home set of games on Friday and Saturday this coming week, with the Bucks visiting Viking Rentals Centre on October 26 at 7:05 p.m. MT.
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 entering 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.
