BROOKS, AB (January 15, 2016) – Landon Welykholowa (Calgary, AB) had two goals, Nick Prkusic (Medicine Hat, AB) had three points, and the Brooks Bandits (33-6-2) scored twice in a 24-second span in the 2nd period, en route to a 4-3 win in front of 1,357 fans at the Centennial Regional Arena in Brooks on Friday night.
With the win, the Bandits are on the third-longest win streak in franchise history, with an opportunity to tie the second-longest tomorrow night in the rematch in Okotoks. The Bandits maintained a 7-point division lead over Camrose, and moved to within 3 points of the Spruce Grove Saints for first overall in the AJHL with two games in hand.
Brooks played most of the game short a forward, losing Kyler Nachtigall (Calgary, AB) on just his second shift of the game, when a high stick to the eye by Oiler forward Danton Davis went uncalled.
The opening goal did not come until the 14:39 mark of the game, when Ty Mappin (Big Valley, AB) carried into the Oiler zone and flicked a pass between his skates to Welykholowa, who drove to the front of the net and fired a backhand shot past goaltender Riley Morris to make it 1-0.
The Oilers managed to tie the game with 1:09 left in the frame however when Carson Beers fired a point shot through a screen on Okotoks’ first power play, beating Garret Hughson (Foremost, AB) and making it a 1-1 game.
The second period saw a two goal in 24 second outburst by the Bandits, beginning at the 3:07 mark when a Tristan Thompson (Canmore, AB) shot from the left halfboards deflected off of Prkusic at the net front and past Morris for a 2-1 lead.
On the very next shift, Prkusic carried in a fired a long shot that hit Morris, and Welykholowa drove to the crease and poked the rebound into the net to make it 3-1.
Okotoks kept it close, however, as Carson Beers converted on a rebound chance at the 9:06 mark on a 4-on-4 sequence to make it a 3-2 game.
In the third, a vital insurance goal helped Brooks pull away. Prkusic laid a hit on Jordan Davies at neutral ice, and as the Oiler defenceman skated back to try to retaliate against the Bandit forward, Prkusic swatted the loose puck ahead to Dylan McCrory (Kirkland, PQ) for a 2-on-1 rush, with his perfect cross-slot pass to Jared Cockrell (Byfield, MA) giving the Bandits’ leading goal scorer lots of room to fire a top shelf shot past Morris for his 22nd of the season and a 4-2 lead.
The Oilers clawed back with just under 4 minutes left with another power play goal, this one on a Matt McNair shot on another rebound scramble. But the Bandits held on for the win and a 4-1 record against the Oilers on the season so far.
Brooks outshot Okotoks 41-31 in the game, going 0 for 6 on the power play and 3 for 5 on the penalty kill. Hughson stopped 28 shots for his fourth win in as many games as a Bandit, while Riley Morris stopped 38 in the loss.
The two teams meet in a rematch tomorrow night at the Pason Centennial Arena in Okotoks to cap off the regular season series. Puck drop is at 7:00 PM with pre-game coverage starting at 6:45 PM on Q105.7.
Shoppers Drug Mart Player of the Game: #9 Landon Welykholowa
Boston Pizza Hardest Working Bandit: #15 Nick Prkusic