OKOTOKS, AB (April 28, 2024) — Okotoks Oilers captain Dean Spak (Calgary, AB) scored twice, including the overtime winner, to help his team stave off elimination with a 3-2 win over the Brooks Bandits in Sunday’s playoff game at Okotoks Centennial Arena.
Spak struck at the 11:27 mark of overtime to seal the victory in Game 6 of the Oilers’ BCHL Alberta Division semifinal playoff series against the Bandits. With the win, Oilers forced a monumental Game 7 at Centennial Regional Arena in Brooks on Tuesday evening.
Jagger Tapper (Calgary, AB) also scored for Okotoks, which punched its ticket to its first Game 7 of any kind since the 2013 AJHL playoffs. Christian Green (Boothwyn, PA) stopped 38 of the 40 shots he faced for his sixth win of the 2024 postseason.
After a scoreless first period, the Oilers opened the scoring with just 1:02 left in the middle frame as Spak punched home the rebound of a Tapper shot. Sam Hall (Far Hills, NJ) picked up the secondary assist on the play.
Tapper doubled the Oilers’ lead at the 7:30 mark of the third period, being sprung on a breakaway by Thomas Matte (Calgary, AB) and beating Brooks goaltender Johnny Hicks with a beautiful five-hole deke for his fifth goal of the playoffs.
Brooks started to mount a comeback in the final six minutes of regulation time. Quinn McCall kicked it off with a seeing-eye shot from long range that beat Green, halving the Oilers’ lead with just 5:25 to play.
Then, with 2:25 remaining, Brett Wilson (Calgary, AB) decked McCall in open ice and was called for a blindside charging penalty. Nathan Free tied the game on the ensuing power play, forcing overtime for the first time in the series.
The Bandits started the overtime period with 1:52 of power play time after Jack Silverberg (Sherwood Park, AB) took a roughing minor late in regulation. The Oilers managed to kill the penalty and started to shift the momentum shortly thereafter.
Much like his first goal, Spak tallied the overtime winner on a rebound from close range, sending the 1,202 fans at Okotoks Centennial Arena into a frenzy. Brennen Hocher (Calgary, AB) and Hall picked up the assists on Spak’s clutch tally.
With the series now tied at three, the Oilers will look to win back-to-back games against the Bandits for the first time in many years when they return to action in Game 7 on Tuesday afternoon. Stay tuned for details about a Fan Bus (or two) to Brooks for the game; you’ll be able to listen on The Eagle 100.9 starting at 6:45 p.m. MT.
Recap: Mike Gould
Photo: Chad Goddard
