The Okotoks Oilers offence has come alive and they’ll need more of it to extend their playoffs.
Okotoks scored three goals over the final 24 minutes, their first tallies of the postseason, in a 6-3 Game 3 loss to the Penticton Vees on Tuesday night at the Viking Rentals Centre with the visitors earning a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven set.
The Oilers will look to stave off elimination with Game 4 back in Okotoks on Wednesday, April 9. Click here for ticket information.
In Game 3, Penticton had Okotoks on its heels early in the contest with Max Heise and Louie Wehmann lighting the lamp in the opening six minute with goals just 71 seconds apart.
The Vees doubled their advantage via special teams, using an extended five-minute powerplay and partial 5-on-3 to find the back of the net.
Caton Ryan scored on the two-man advantage and Meier then notched his second of the game on a fortuitous bounce later in the powerplay to make it a four-goal game.
Okotoks rallied late in the frame and for the first time in the series were celebrating a goal.
Captain Jackson Rowland found the back of the net with a jam play on a rebound with 3:20 left in the middle stanza.
The Oilers kept up the momentum in the late stages of the period and were rewarded for their efforts when Michael Kowalski wired in a wrist shot from the high slot just 82 seconds after Okotoks’ opening tally.
Luke Posthumus added Penticton’s third powerplay goal of the evening late in the third period with Kowalski answering with his second of the night just 15 seconds later.
Blueliner Matthew Biotti then ice the result with an empty netter from his own end.
The teams get right back on the ice Wednesday for Game 4 of the set. If the Oilers can extend the series, Game 5 would be April 12 back in Penticton’s South Okanagan Events Centre.
Series schedule
Game 1: Okotoks at Penticton. Vees win 4-0
Game 2: Okotoks at Penticton. Vees win 5-0
Game 3: Penticton at Okotoks. Vees win 6-3
Game 4: Penticton at Okotoks, April 9
*Game 5: Okotoks at Penticton, April 12
*Game 6: Penticton at Okotoks, April 13
*Game 7: Okotoks at Penticton, April 15
*If necessary
