The Okotoks Oilers picked up their first win of the 2024-2025 BCHL season with an explosion of goals, defeating the Cranbrook Bucks 8-5.
Seven different Oilers would pick up their first goals of the season in a history-making game as this was the first time in history that the Cranbrook Bucks played a regular season game against the Green and Gold at Viking Rentals Centre.
Olivier Ciarlo made the start for the Oilers and picked up his first win making 23 saves.
The Bucks ended the first period with a 3-0 lead, even though the Oilers led 12-10 in shots. Jordan Murray, Maddex Marmulak, and Jacob Fletcher were the goal scores for the Bucks.
The Oilers responded in the second period, taking momentum and scoring three goals of their own. Jacob Goudreau scored the first in the second period to extend his goal streak to three games with Bowen Burke and Jamie Hikida getting the assists.
Coy Pighin made it a 3-2 game just over five minutes later with a powerplay goal. Captain Jackson Rowland and Myles Gauld got the helpers.
Hikida stayed hot in the period tying the game up at 3-3 and getting the Oilers back on even ground after starting the period down 3-0. Ryder De Nys and Spencer Rheamue got credit for the assists.
Rheamue picked up his second point of the night on a goal 3:03 into the third period to give the Green and Gold their first lead of the game. Hikida picked up his third point on the night with an assist, Luke Calabria also picked up an assist on the goal.
The Bucks would tie the game back up at 4-4 over two minutes later with a goal from Nathan Simm.
The Oilers answered back with two goals of their own with Myles Gauld picking up his first of the season, and Brayden Duy getting the eventual game-winning goal. Duy also picked up an assist on the Gauld goal. Pighin and Cyle Clayton got the helpers on Duy's goal.
Rasmus Svartström picked up his fourth goal on the season for the Bucks to cut the Oilers lead to one, but it wasn't enough as the Oilers netted two more goals in the third.
Hunter Sawka ripped a beautiful top corner shot for his first goal of the season and Rowland would get an empty net goal to solidify the win.