Okotoks’ flawless home record is no more.
The Okotoks Carstar Bisons (20-2-0) saw a 3-0 first period lead evaporate with a second period surge from the Medicine Hat Cubs powering the visitors to a 5-4 victory Saturday night at the Murray Arena to snap the hosts’ 10-game winning streak on home ice.
“Basically every game we play is like a playoff game because teams want to beat us,” said Bisons assistant coach Trevor Bueckert. “They showed that well, they came out and were flying, were buzzing and did things right.
“Randy (Cubs coach Randy Wong) coaches a well-structured game over there, they matched us man for man and, at the end of the day, got the bounces.”
Few would have forecast the result after a strong opening frame from the Bisons.
Adam Kirkpatrick opened the scoring on a wicked wrist shot in tight then Jake Snashall forced a turnover and fired the puck in the back of the net to give Okotoks a 2-0 lead just four minutes into the contest.
Defenceman Brayden Kapty added a third tally on a one-timer in the slot to make it a three-goal advantage before the midway point of the period.
“The first, we came out really hot, which is really important against a team like Med Hat,” said Kirkpatrick. “I think we matched their speed in the first and then first five minutes of the second, that’s what happens when we take the foot off the gas pedal for three-and-a-half minutes and there’s three goals in the back of our net.
“It’s a good learning lesson, when you play teams like that it will happen. We’ve got to learn to play the full 60.”
The ice tilted in the second stanza with Connor Miller getting the visitors on the board followed by two goals in a 17-second span from Callen Prosofsky and Kyle Woolridge.
“They’re a desperate team, they never quit even if it’s 5-0 we know they’re not quitting,” Kirkpatrick said. “It’s just a matter of us coming out a little slow and leaving (goalie Dylan Fries) out to dry there.”
Blueliner Jamal Shaw then gave the Cubs the lead with an odd-man rush on the penalty kill.
Okotoks centre Braedon LeGrandeur potted his seventh of the season late in the middle frame to draw the game even at 4-4 after 40 minutes.
In the third, Caleb Garrecht notched his 11th goal of the season at an opportune time in what held up as the game winner for the third-place team in the Southern Division.
“They’re just a good hockey team, they kept at it and a little perseverance on their part went a long way,” said Bueckert. “It’s a 60 minute hockey game and we came out hard for 20 and that 3-0 lead does not dictate a game and they took it back.”
Kirkpatrick said it was a better effort in the third period, tipping his cap to the efforts of rookie forwards BJ Rogi and Kaleb Schuller for their tireless work ethic.
“This is good for us,” Bueckert added. “Believe it or not, we don’t look at it as a negative, it’s a learning tool for us and we’ll take into this week’s work and we’ll get back at it.”
On Friday, Okotoks corralled the Coaldale Copperheads by a 5-3 count.
Goals from Easton Dean, Boogie Blackwater, Kirkpatrick and Kapty staked the Bisons to a 4-2 advantage through 40 minutes. Daniel Tainton then iced the result with a late-stage empty-netter.
Jaevon Buschlen and LeGrandeur each chipped in with two assists on the night.
In between the pipes, Grady Nicholas stopped 28 of 31 shots to improve to 3-0 on the season.
The attention shifts north next week with a pair of inter-divisional clashes as the Mountainview Colts and Red Deer Vipers visit the Murray Arena on Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 11 at 1:15 p.m., respectively.
“I think we’ll come back flying next week, for sure,” added Kirkpatrick. “None of us like losing and we know we’re a good team.”
For more information, visit okotoksbisons.com.
