Brooks Bandits split pre-season finale pair with Okotoks Oilers
The BCHL's defending champions closed out exhibition play at 1-2-0 ahead of their regular-season opener against the Blackfalds Bulldogs.
The Brooks Bandits wrapped up their pre-season schedule with a split against the Okotoks Oilers, dropping a 5-3 decision Saturday after winning 6-3 the night before. The results left Brooks with a 1-2-0 exhibition record heading into the regular season.
In Saturday's loss, Okotoks controlled play for most of the game, building a 3-2 lead through two periods before adding two power-play goals early in the third from Ben Deacon and Jamie Hikida. Zachary Deleau scored his second pre-season goal to cut the gap, but the Bandits could not complete the comeback. Goaltender Emile Beaunoyer made 25 saves in the loss.
Friday's game went the other way for Brooks, which jumped to a 2-0 lead and built it to 5-0 by the midway point of the second period en route to the 6-3 win. Ten different Bandits players recorded at least one point, with Michael Kucherawy scoring twice and Tomas Racz, Deleau and Alexi Zhukov each netting their first pre-season goals. Brooks split goaltending duties, with Beaunoyer stopping 12 of 13 shots and Yundi Cai making 17 saves on 19 shots.
The Bandits, back-to-back British Columbia Junior Hockey League champions, open their regular season Friday, Sept. 18, against the Blackfalds Bulldogs.
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