Over 100 shots and five periods of hockey set the stage for Okotoks overtime magic.
MacLane Tetarenko, an affiliate player on the team, scored at the 11:16 mark of the second overtime to lift the Okotoks Oilers past the Red Deer Chiefs 2-1 for bronze at the Hockey Alberta U17 AAA Provincial Championships Sunday at the Viking Rentals Centre.
“All I remember is we were working it down low and Kade Pierson made a shovel pass behind the back, and I just tucked it in, ran for our goalie and then I got tackled,” Tetarenko said.
“It’s incredible to know that I really did something for the team to help them and it’s a memory I won’t forget, that’s for sure.”
On the day Alexander Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goals record with the Great 8's 895th tally it was very much a goaltender’s duel in Okotoks with 103 saves registered and just the three goals.
Okotoks netminder Jaxon Hoye made 56 saves with Red Deer’s Grady Gardiner turning aside 47 of 49 shots.
Hoye, who finished the tournament with three wins and a sparkling .952 save percentage, said he was able to break the marathon game down by staying in the moment.
“Breathing just gets me back in the moment,” Hoye said. “And not worrying what happened off penalties, we had one with two minutes left in the third and in overtime.
“The PK just had to do their job, get the puck deep, get sticks on pucks.”
Red Deer’s Easton Nafziger and Okotoks’ Kingston Haaf scored in regulation, the latter on a powerplay midway through the second period.
Both teams traded momentum, energy and scoring chances through five periods before Okotoks’ 49th shot broke the deadlock 81:16 into the contest.
“We were told to just keep having short shifts, keep on working hard and that if we follow the plan, we’re going to win this game,” Tetarenko added.
The Oilers got to the medal round with a crucial 2-1 win over the Calgary Flames in their pool play finale on Sunday with Seth Coderre and Tetarenko lighting the lamp.
Okotoks beat Red Deer 5-2 to start the tournament before skating to losses versus the CAC Gregg Distributors and St. Albert Raiders on day two.
The Flames went on to win gold with CAC earning silver.
Oilers forward Gavin Wrathall finished tied for top spot in tournament scoring with eight points (three goals, five assists) in five games with linemates Kesler Morrow adding three goals and five points and speedster Gavin Hurst registering a goal and four assists.
“It’s amazing,” Hoye said. “We worked all year and even though we didn’t come out with gold, we got a bronze medal out of it.
“We showed up this week, we wanted this and played so well as a team and as a group.”
