There’s three more hurdles to overcome before the holiday gifts are to be opened.
The Okotoks Bow Mark Oilers conclude a busy lead-up to the Mac’s Midget Tournament on Boxing Day with three games in consecutive days bookended by a pre-Mac’s tilt with Russia’s AK Bars Academy on Dec. 23.
“I think it’s a cool experience for everyone,” said Bow Mark Oilers defenceman Caden Scott. “It’s something that I don’t think any of us have really been a part of before. It will hopefully bring the community together, get a lot out people out to our game and see what we bring.
“It should be a great experience for me and all of the boys.”
The exhibition contest is a food drive for the Okotoks Food Bank with spectators asked to bring non-perishable items to the game, a 7 p.m. start at Pason Centennial Arena.
The opposition will be bringing something different to the rink.
“I think they’re going to have a different system completely,” said Bow Mark Oilers winger Ivan Chtchadov. “I think they might be really skilled and really fast and hopefully we can compete with them.”
Prior to the international tilt, the Oilers have a pair of road dates in Calgary versus the Royals on Dec. 21 and in Airdrie against the Bisons the following day.
“It’s fun to be busy,” Chtchadov added. “It’s good to get away from bad stuff in life and be at the rink. The boys love it, we love playing hockey.”
Okotoks showcased its resiliency last weekend with two third-period surges to earn a pair of 3-3 ties.
The Oilers scored two unanswered in the final frame on Dec. 14 to earn a 3-3 result with the visiting Leduc Oil Kings at High River’s Bob Snodgrass Rec Plex.
Liam Watkins scored twice and Moe Hakim added the other to pick up the single point.
They skated to the same 3-3 result on Dec. 15 versus the Calgary Flames at the Father David Bauer Arena.
Affiliate player Ty McRuvie, from the undefeated Okotoks M-15 Oilers, got Bow Mark on the board with Hakim and defenceman Boogie Blackwater adding the other tallies.
“We’ve mounted a couple comebacks which is good because at Mac’s time we’ve got to be battling, we’re going to face some adversity and some close games,” said Scott. “It’s good for the group that we know we can go into the third period, we might be down a goal or two, but we’re still be in the game, we can comeback.”
The Oilers are third in the South Division with a 12-4-3 record, one point back of the Flames with two games in hand. The Calgary Buffaloes are five points up in first.
“Every game we focus on getting those two points every single game,” said Chtchadov. “And the idea of the Mac’s has always been in our heads, but we’ve just been focusing more and more on it as December came.
“Get in a good week of practice and we’ll be good to go.”
Systems will be a point of emphasis for the team in the short-term.
“Playing our locks, which is guys staying on the boards and getting it in their zone,” said Hakim, one of two alternate captains on the squad. “Hard fore-check, we really want to get our structure to where it’s supposed to be to beat these teams.”
For more on the Bow Mark Oilers go to ooaaoilerhockey.ca
