The Okotoks M-15 Oilers were more than up for the Challenge amongst the Elite.
Undefeated in league play, Okotoks was once again perfect in tournament action with six wins, outscoring its opposition by a 33-7 margin to win the Elite-15 division championship of the Western Sport School Challenge on Dec. 8 at the Edge School.
“We’ve had a lot of success in our league and there’s always a lot of controversy as to which league is better, that CSSHL or ours,” said head coach Geoff Rollins. “I think they’re pretty even you’ve got top guys in both and it depends. It was important for them to see that they could win against some other teams instead of the teams we see all the time and some high-end teams in that league.”
Okotoks got by the Pacific Coast Sea Devils 2-1 in the championship game with birthday boy Sam Callahan scoring both goals for the Oilers and Rhett Harden shutting the door with 18 saves on 19 shots.
“That was awesome for (Sam), win a championship and score two goals on your birthday,” Rollins said. “Both goals were powerplay goals. First one, Sam banged home a big rebound in front. Then we end up on a 5-on-3 powerplay at the beginning of the third period and they made a nice play to set him up at the side of the net.”
Harden played in four of the games, including both playoff games, while affiliate goalie Parker Forrest delivered two of the round-robin victories.
“Rhett has been awesome for us this year,” Rollins said. “And Parker stepped up and did a phenomenal job too.”
The Oilers opened pool play in a 3-1 victory over the Sea Devils with Gavin Schmidt scoring twice.
Okotoks then put up a trio of eight-goal performances in blowout victories. First they dispatched the Fernie Fury Academy 8-1 behind a well-balanced attack and seven different goal scorers — Callahan, Aidan McArthur Joshua Alberda, Ty McRuvie, Hayden Pakkala, Conyr Hellyer and a pair from Trey Kam.
The Oilers then blitzed the host Edge Mountaineers 8-2 with Schmidt scoring twice, McArthur, Pakkala, McRuvie, Alberda, Brandon McGillivray and Cyle Clayton also finding the back of the net.
They completed the trifecta of eight-goal games in the 8-1 triumph over the Calgary Northstars Blazers to win their pool comfortably.
Callahan scored twice, Kam, Schmidt, Pakkala, McRuvie and Philip Raycroft lit the lamp.
“We have a really skilled group and a lot of depth and sometimes it’s harder to play when you have a big lead and stay focused on the big details that make us successful and have gotten us to that point,” Rollins added. “But they’ve done a pretty good job, being that young and having that overall focus and commitment and buy-in from everybody.
“We have a pretty special group.”
In the semifinal, the Oilers got by Washington’s Wenatchee Wild by a 4-1 count.
Defenceman Avery Greig stepped up with a two-goal performance from the back-end with Schmidt and McGillivray adding single markers.
“The boys were really excited and it was great for their confidence moving forward,” Rollins said. “Just to know we can compete in any league at that level, I think really helps their confidence moving forward, especially at the end of the first half of the season.”
The Oilers are back to league play this week where they’ll put their undefeated 15-0-3 record on the line in a Dec. 13 home game versus the CRAA Gold, a 7 p.m. start in Chestermere.
Bow Mark takes silver
It was very nearly two Oilers championships at the Western Sport School Challenge on Dec. 8.
The Okotoks Bow Mark Oilers qualified for the final in the Prep Division of the tournament, skating to a 3-1 loss versus the host Edge Mountaineers.
Okotoks finished third in its pool, dropping its opener to the Mountaineers 1-0 and overpowering the Pacific Coast Sea Devils 5-2.
In the quarter-final, the Oilers edged the Sea Devils by a 4-2 count before chasing the Wenatchee Wild 7-3 in the semifinal.
Okotoks, 12-4-1 in the Alberta Midget Hockey League, is back to league action this weekend with a home game in High River on Dec. 14 at 5:30 p.m. versus the Leduc Oil Kings. The Oilers are then on the road for three games before their pre-Mac’s Midget Tournament exhibition contest against Team Russia on Dec. 23.
The exhibition game at Pason Centennial Arena is a fundraiser for the Okotoks Food Bank. For more information go to ooaaoilerhockey.ca
