Oilers win bantam AAAmatchup

By None on February 2, 2019.

Medicine Hat News

A huge weekend of opportunity for the South East Athletic Club’s bantam AAA Tigers started off well, but Friday’s home game against the Okotoks Oilers didn’t end up the way they’d hoped.

The Tigers got off to a hot start but couldn’t finish the job in a 5-3 loss at Hockey Hounds Arena.

First-period goals from Vann Yuhas and Dawson Seitz were exactly what SEAC needed having not won a league game since December. But the Oilers tied it up before the first flood, went ahead on a shorthanded goal in the second and took the victory.

Hayden Pakkala had a key goal with 34 seconds left in the first, then potted the eventual game-winner midway through the second. Domenic Ficaccio assisted on both of those goals plus one by Aidan McArthur in the opening minute of the second as the tide shifted dramatically in the away team’s favour.

South East 49 shots on Okotoks’ net, including 18 in the final frame, but Dayden Collier’s power play goal with 8:51 to go merely made the final a touch closer.

Rhett Harlen made 36 saves, while Kaiden Fulton played the final 10 minutes and made 10 of 11 saves for the Oilers, who are now 12-7-7 in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League.

Bodee Weiss made 39 saves as the Tigers fell to 11-11-4, now five points back of the Oilers for second spot in their division.

They’re still in a playoff position although fifth-place Airdrie, which visits Hockey Hounds Saturday for a 2:15 p.m. game, is only five points back with seven games left to play.