Basement-dwelling Oilers knock off Chiefs

By Tyler Lowey, Times Reporter

A stunner took place over the weekend at Murray Arena.
The Okotoks Oilers doubled their win total Jan. 20 when they downed the Wheatland Chiefs 5-2.
The Oilers entered the matchup with a 1-22-1 record in midget double-A action. They shocked the defending provincial champion Chiefs (15-8-2) with a pair of goals in the first eight minutes.
It’s understandable if the Chiefs didn’t have their mind in it the week leading up to their tilt in Okotoks. The Chiefs cancelled last week’s game after learning about the tragic passing of Emma Armstrong, who was very close with the Chiefs.
“That may have still been in some of the guys minds, but I don’t think the lingering effects of that was the reason why we lost tonight,” said Chiefs Head Coach Matt Gass. “I think it was the two weeks off more than anything. We didn’t match their intensity and we probably overlooked them.”
Stran Red Crow was able to get one back for the visiting Chiefs when Ben Kruse turned the puck over with a strong forecheck. Kruse found his crashing teammate Red Crow in front of the net for the one-timer tap in.
Hayden Hale popped in a power play goal for the Oilers with 1:08 remaining in the opening period.
“As one of the top teams in the league, we know by now that we are going to get everyone’s best game each night,” said Gass. “We simply didn’t match their intensity.”
Jayden Hendricks set up Brady Skiffington with a one-timer in the third, but it was too little too late, as the Chiefs fell to the basement-dwelling Oilers.
The Chiefs will look to right the ship next week against the CRAA Blue (6-4-0). Up to this point this season, the Chiefs have struggled against teams from the Calgary Division. They own a 1-4 record and have been outscored 22-9. The Chiefs will look to buck that trend Jan. 27 when they host Blue at the Strathmore Family Centre.

Warriors win
Playing only one game last weekend, the Wheatland Warriors thumped the 5-16-2 Red Deer Steel Kings 9-4 Jan. 20 at the Kinex Arena.
Ten different Warriors (10-14-2) found their way onto the score sheet, as the Warriors battled back from a 2-1 deficit after the opening 20.
Jerrin Hendricks (2+2) and Brayden Ledrew (1+3) led the way for the local double-A bantam team. Ray Warrack and Joel Romano netted a pair of goals and one assist each. Ryder Many Grey Horses and Spencer Tower supplied a goal and an assist each. Lachlan Stewart and Philip Raycroft both supplied a pair of assists, while Chase Tweit and Domenic Ficaccio rounded out the scoring with one assist each.
The Warriors closed out the weekend with a 4-3 lose to the Foothills Bisons (16-6-2) at the Strathmore Family Centre.
Disaster struck in the second period, when the Warriors yielded four goals. Hendricks was able to bring his club within one with his second of the game in the third, but couldn’t complete the comeback. Ledrew was the other Warrior to find the back of the net.
Nine goals is the high water mark for this Warriors offence this season.
Duplicating that performance is unlikely, but Head Coach Cody Brown will look to continue their winning ways in two weeks when they take on the Red Deer Ramada Inn Feb. 3 at the Strathmore Family Centre.
Braves flying high
The Wheatland Braves have been involved in a lot of high-scoring affairs lately, but last weekend they proved they could win the tight ones, too.
Scoreless after the first two periods, the Braves (16-12-0) turned to a pair of leaders on the team to take them home.
Garrin Gosling scored six seconds into the third from Charles Goll and Kolten Kuryk. Tyler Fairbairn registered the winner five minutes later from Conner Radke and Nash Wassing, as the Braves held on to the 2-1 victory over the Foothills Bisons Jan. 21 at Blackie Arena.
Matthew Dovichak stopped 32 shots for his seventh win.
One day earlier, the local double-A peewee team scored in all three periods to eclipse the 1-19-1 Chestermere Lakers 6-3 at Hussar Arena.
Wyatt Yule bagged a pair in the first period to go along with Adam Lee’s first of the season. Goll and Radke rippled twine in the middle frame, as Fairbairn put the Lakers to bed with a power play goal at the 5:56 mark of the third.
With next weekend off, the Braves will return to SCAHL action Feb. 3 when they take on the Bow Valley Timberwolves (20-3-1) at Cochrane Arena.