Months of chemistry is taking hold on the ice for new members of the Okotoks Oilers.
The fleet-footed energy line featuring a combination of Michael Kowalski, Jamie Hikida, Rylan Oster and Ryan Boyce is increasingly seeing hard work pay dividends on the scoresheet in the BCHL.
“I just feel like we’ve been clicking every day at practice, just communicating with each other and talking,” said Kowalski, a 2005-born centre from Chicago. “We all know what kind of game we’ve got to play and we just get out there and do our job.”
The line, featuring either rookies at the junior level or in their first season with the Oilers in the case of Hikida, attributes the success to trust and communication.
“Confidence is one thing,” Kowalski said. “But I think it’s just trust in each other, trust in the coaches and what they’re telling us and doing what we’ve got to do.”
On Friday, Hikida and Kowalski found the back of the net as Okotoks overpowered the Blackfalds Bulldogs by a 7-2 count in the Alberta rivals’ first meeting of the campaign.
Coy Pighin opened the scoring on a partial breakaway, the Nanton forward’s first goal in 10 games and fourth of the season.
The floodgates opened in the middle of the period with Kowalski wiring in a wrist shot from the high slot, Kade Duell converting on a turnover on the next shift and Hikida firing a rebound as Okotoks scored three times over a 1:57 span.
“It was important to stick to our hockey,” Kowalski said. “To not be selfish, play our game, get pucks deep, crash the net and make plays.”
Blackfalds showed its quick strike ability in the second period with Matthew Croxall and Antoine Gauthier bulging the twine on consecutive shifts.
In the final stanza, Brett Wilson scored on a deflection, blueliner Brayden Duy squeaked one in on a seeing eye point shot and Spencer Rheaume scored in transition to put the result to bed.
“We work on it a lot in practice, shots from the point, crashing the net and finishing our plays,” Kowalski said. “At the start of the year, we weren’t clicking on that and now we’ve been picking it up.”
Okotoks and Blackfalds will see each other four more times this season as the Oilers’ closest geographic rival in the Interior East Division.
“I think it was big, we set the pace for what kind of team we are and we’ll build off that,” Kowalski said. “And next time we see them we’re going to bring that same effort.”
On Saturday, the Oilers dropped a 5-1 decision to the Surrey Eagles in their first meeting with the defending BCHL champions.
The visitors scored three in the final 10 minutes to turn a nailbiter into a four-goal triumph. Oster had Okotoks’ lone goal in the contest, his first tally in the BCHL.
Simon Westling made 31 saves on 36 shots in the Swedish netminder’s first home start.
Okotoks (9-12) moved to 7-4 at home this season
This week, Okotoks takes on the Spruce Grove Saints on the road for the Alberta teams’ first meeting this season on Dec. 6. The Oilers are then home to the Trail Smoke Eaters for the second time in three weekends on Dec. 7 at the Viking Rentals Centre.
For more information, go to okotoksoilers.com.
