The Carstar Okotoks Bisons took control over the number one spot in the HJHL Southern Division this weekend with a 4-1 win over the Medicine Hat Cubs on Friday (Nov. 8) and then came up just short in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Agra Risk Wheatland Kings.
The Herd's three-game winning streak was snapped in the shootout loss, but they have earned at least a point in their last four games.
Sam Callahan has been hot in those four games, posting six goals and four assists. Callahan's 19 goals puts him at the number one spot for most goals in the HJHL, Kyle Woolridge of the Medicine Hat Cubs sits behind him with 16 goals. He is also third in scoring with 28 points. Justin Gyori of the Sylvan Lake Wranglers and Jake Smith of the Rocky Rams are ahead of him with 29.
Connor White made back-to-back starts for Okotoks for the first time since joining the Bisons. White stopped 29 shots in the two games combined and wouldn't let in more than a single goal in regulation. The rookie goalie has stellar numbers in the six games he's played this season, posting a 1.81 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage. He is currently in third place for his goals against average and in 10th for his save percentage.
Coming into Friday night's tilt, the Cubs and the Bisons were tied for first place in the HJHL Southern Division and had a 1-1 season series tie. Both teams had their wins on the road when they previously met, this time, however, it was the Bisons taking the victory on home ice at Murray Arena.
The Herd got the opening goal, just like their previous victory against the Cubs on Oct. 19. McCallum Bakken looked to have dumped the puck in near the redline, and it somehow got passed Tyler Wakelam, the Cubs netminder, Jakob Semeniuk, and Callahan got the helpers. Seamus Garagan added a second goal in the first period with his fourth point since returning two games previously.
Zephyr Laplante continued to get on the scoreboard by extending the Herd's lead to 3-0, assistant captains Caden Scott and Easton Dean got the helpers. Dean added a goal of his own less than a minute into the third period to start putting the game out of reach. Laplante returned the favour to Dean with an assist on the goal, and Kegan Law picked up the secondary assist.
The Cubs broke White's shutout 13:21 into the third period with a goal from Denym Smith. The Herd answered back just over three minutes later with Laplante's second goal of the night and third point of the night. Captain Jake Snashall picked up the primary assist, and Law grabbed his second point of the night with the secondary assist.
Saturday's tilt in Strathmore had the Herd opening the scoring in the first period, with Callahan getting the goal. The assists came from Semeniuk and Bisons netminder White. Tegan Skehar tied things up at 1-1 early in the second period.
The third would go scoreless, and both teams couldn't solve it in overtime, so to a shootout, they went. Only one goal was scored in the shootout, with the Wheatland Kings forward Charlie Goll getting the winner.
Okotoks will be on the road next weekend with Friday's (Nov. 15) game being played in Airdrie against the Thunder, and on Saturday, they will be in Rocky Mountain House to face the Rams.