Okotoks Oilers look to take advantage of home ice as battle against Brooks Bandits continues
The Okotoks Oilers and Brooks Bandits always seem to face each other in the playoffs, and that's led to a great rivalry between the two clubs.
The Oilers and Bandits are squaring off against each other again this post-season, and Okotoks is back home after gaining a split in the first two games of the series.
The Bandits took Game 1, 3-2, and the Oilers returned the favour in Game 2, beating the Bandits with the same score.
Head coach Tyler Deis says that's exactly what his club was looking for.
"It's a hard rink to play in and at the end of the day, you know, if we could get a split in that rink, we'd definitely be super happy," he said.
"But, you know, it's just one game and it's still a long series here, but we're excited about it and if we can stick to our game plan, good things can happen."
YODER SCORES GAME-WINNER TO EVEN THE SERIES
In Game 2, Ty Yoder ended up scoring the winning goal with six minutes left in the game.
His goal made it 3-1 and the Oilers held on for a 3-2 victory.
He says it's exciting to be back home with the series and explains what happened on the game-winner.
"Well, it started off in the defensive zone," he told CTV News.
"My defenceman pinched in to try and make an offensive play and the breakout went to (Brett) Huxley and I just busted the zone and was fortunate enough to get the puck and get a breakaway and score."
SAWKA DENIES FINK ON PENALTY SHOT
Yoder wasn't the only hero for the Oilers.
Earlier in the third period, AJHL MVP Aiden Fink was awarded a penalty shot, but he couldn't beat Parker Sawka.
Sawka says he felt pretty calm.
"I wouldn't say I was nervous at all," he said.
"Like, I didn't really feel nervous. I was more excited for the opportunity. Like, it's cool, the best player in the league coming down, so it's kind of a big opportunity for myself to kind of prove to everyone that I can stop him."
BIG RIVALRY
The Oilers say now it's important they take advantage of home ice.
Deis says he never has any trouble getting his players ready to play the Bandits.
"It's kind of an exciting thing, right? We've always created this great rivalry against them," he said.
"I believe they enjoy playing against us and it's just one of those ones that over the past six or seven years, it's just one of those when the two teams get together, it's going to be good hockey."
Game 3 is on Tuesday night and Game 4 is on Wednesday night.
Puck drop for both games will be at 7 p.m. at Centennial Arena in Okotoks.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.