The Okotoks Oilers are finding their bearings in the BCHL.
Brett Wilson notched the game winner on a third period powerplay goal as Okotoks (4-7-0) rallied for a 4-3 comeback win in their first ever clash with the Vernon Vipers on Sunday at the Viking Rentals Centre to make it two wins in a row in the BCHL.
“We’ve had a little bit of a tough start, but we’re gelling together and talking and that definitely helps us,” said Wilson, a second-year Oiler from Calgary.
“It gives us a lot of confidence. We know we can win now, know what’s working, what’s not working and we’re going to continue to keep building and go on for more wins here.”
Wilson broke the deadlock with his fourth of the season late on an extended 5-on-3 powerplay for the Oilers with 5:39 left in regulation.
“Tie game and with a 5-on-3 we’ve got a huge advantage,” Wilson said. “It’s a big opportunity to capitalize and we got a rush, got them off guard and made no mistake and buried it.”
Jackson Rowland notched his team-leading fifth goal in the first period, rookie forward Joey Meredith tallied his third on a rush and Coy Pighin added his third goal with a quick stick off a rebound late in the second period.
In between the pipes, Olivier Ciarlo earned his fourth win with a 25-save effort.
Sunday was Okotoks’ fourth game in six days coming off the BCHL Showcase in the Lower Mainland in addition to an impressive 6-2 victory over the Coastal Conference leading Coquitlam Express on Friday.
“It was a long week, a lot of long bus rides so it was good to get home again,” said Wilson. “Every time we get back home it’s a different kind of energy and having that win to end off our road trip, that definitely to have some momentum going into this game and we brought it to them.”
Pighin said the BCHL Showcase experience, held in the Fraser Valley communities of Abbotsford and Chilliwack, was a team builder for the Green and Gold.
“Showcase was good, it was four games in six days and playing new teams is good,” said Pighin. “There was quite a few bus rides, but we did our best to come together as a team, which I think we did pretty well.”
Pighin, a first-year Oilers centre from Nanton, said the two-game win streak is paying dividends on and off the ice.
“It’s brought the team morale up quite a bit,” Pighin said. “Everyone is starting to get more comfortable and wanting to be out there making plays.
“I don’t think our record reflects us as a team, but getting those wins out there definitely helps us with our morale and scares teams a little bit.
“It’s been a big change, lots of guys are in their first year of junior so they’ve had to hop into that pretty fast, but everyone is starting to figure it out and enjoy it.”
On deck for the Oilers is their second home-and-home set with their Interior East Division rival Cranbrook Bucks on Oct. 25-26, the latter of which is in Okotoks at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
To date, the teams have split the season series.
For more information, go to okotoksoilers.com.
