BROOKS, AB (September 10, 2021) – Ryan McAllister scored twice, and the Brooks Bandits erased a 1-0 deficit en route to a 6-4 home preseason victory over the Okotoks Oilers Friday night at the Centennial Regional Arena.
McAllister (Western Michigan) scored the game winner with under two minutes to play in the 3rd to give the Bandits the insurance they needed to secure the win, improving to 2-0-1 in the 2021 Preseason. Goaltender Jared Whale made 18 saves in the win, while the Oilers saw Austin Zavoda make 22 saves, and Parker Sawka stop 14.
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Okotoks opened the scoring 3:05 into the game, as forward Rieger Lorenz knocked in a rebound to make it 1-0. The Bandits thought they had tied the game on the powerplay on a Zach Bookman (Merrimack) point shot, but it went off both posts. Brooks tied the game 1-1 with 3:28 left in the 1st, as McAllister scored on a forehand shot on the breakaway. The Bandits took a 2-1 lead with 83 seconds left in the frame, as forward Devin Phillips (Holy Cross) scored on a rebound from the right circle. Shots were 15-5 Bandits in the 1st.
Brooks went up 3-1 on the powerplay just 1:48 into the 2nd period, as forward Liam Hughes scored from the slot. But Okotoks cut the lead to 3-2 on their powerplay three minutes later as forward Ethan Jamernik finished a backdoor pass. Brooks regained their two-goal lead as forward Heath Armstrong tipped a Boston Buckberger (Wisconsin) shot at 7:15 to make it 4-2. Shots were 12-9 Bandits.
Whale denied a Conyr Hellyr breakaway with a toe stop, but soon after the Oilers cut the lead to 4-3 midway through the 3rd period, as defenceman Riley Bodnarchuk scored on a wrist shot, but that’s as close as they would get. McAllister finished off a TJ Hughes (Mercyhurst) pass with 1:46 left in the game to make it 5-3, and forward Aiden Fink (Wisconsin) made it 6-3 on a wrist shot from the left circle with 63 seconds left. Okotoks got one back with 15 seconds to go, as Lorenz scored from the right circle. Shots in the 3rd were 13-8 Bandits, and 40-22 overall.
The Bandits wrap up their preseason schedule on Saturday when they travel to Dewinton to face the Oilers at Scott Seaman Arena. Game time is 7:00 pm and can be heard on Mixlr.com.