The Blackfalds Bulldogs opened up their 2024/25 BCHL campaign with a pre-season loss.
The Bulldogs fell 5-2 at home Tuesday night to the Okotoks Oilers.
Blackfalds found themselves down 3-0 early in the second before Porter Byrd-Leitner got the Bulldogs on the board at 2:52 to cut the lead to 3-1.
Ben Rakowski would cut the lead to 3-2 at the 8:33 mark of the second.
That would be all the scoring for the Bulldogs as Okotoks would add two more in the third including an empty netter.
Blackfalds would go 0-for-4 with the man advantage, while Okotoks was held scoreless on its one and only power play opportunity.
Mikkel Christensen stopped 15 of 18 shots for the Bulldogs. Sam Caulfield replaced Christensen midway through the second turning away 18 of 19 shots to end the game.
Raivis Strazdins and Aaron Brown each picked up an assist for Blackfalds.
The Bulldogs return to the ice Wednesday night in Spruce Grove taking on the Saints at Grant Fuhr Arena. Game time is at 7 p.m.
This will be the first full season in the BCHL for Blackfalds after joining the league in the middle of last year.