Okotoks stands alone as the only undefeated Southern Division team after another overpowering performance.
The Bisons scored six goals in the latter half of the second period alone en route to the 11-1 romp over the visiting Strathmore Wheatland Kings Friday night at the Murray Arena to improve to 5-0 in the Heritage Junior Hockey League.
“In the other games we’ve played this year we’ve had only one or two lines going and tonight we had all four lines going,” said Bisons alternate captain Tyler Witzke. “It just shows the skill this team has top-to-bottom. We can score from any line, any d-pairing, any team we can just crush.”
A fairly even first period saw Okotoks snatch a 2-0 advantage on goals from Austin O’Bray and Witzke, the latter on a wicked wrist shot from the slot after a dominant shift with linemates Ryan Bedard and Tyler Alger.
The middle frame told the tale on Friday.
Okotoks lit the lamp seven times in the second period, six times in the final seven minutes of the stanza.
“It’s just so much fun when you’ve got that much skill on the ice and you’ve got the chemistry,” Witzke added. “You’re talking and the puck is flying back and forth and it makes hockey so, so easy.”
Bedard scored on a snap shot, defenceman Luc Thorimbert tallied on a seeing eye point shot followed by Alger’s first goal as a Bison on a perfectly executed toe-drag around Strathmore goalie Brett Willan.
Alger, a dynamic forward with a team leading six assists entering the contest, was visibly relieved to get on the scoreboard.
“My linemates today, Bedard and Alger, were just fantastic, always finding me in open ice,” Witzke added. “(Alger) could already have 10 goals this season, I’ve never seen someone so snake-bitten and unlucky until this game.
“You saw him throw that monkey off his back, he’s going to put up crazy numbers this year.”
Okotoks was celebrating another goal on the next shift through Tyson Scott and added two more before the buzzer from O’Bray and Josh Niwa to produce the 9-0 scoreline.
“Our line was just rolling there,” said O’Bray, skating on a line with Scott and Connor Taylor. “Getting in open areas and just outworking their team in their own zone so we were getting open opportunities.”
The third period saw Alger notch his second of the night, a highlight reel skate to stick deke followed by a backhand finish in tight. Defenceman Michael Bentz added the team’s 11th marker.
Strathmore got on the board late, ending Devin Reagan’s shutout bid with 14:20 on the clock.
“I think we’re a very deep team and then it’s just consistency,” O’Bray added. “Everybody is working their hardest every day that we’re at the rink and we just come prepared for every weekend.”
O’Bray returned to the Bisons after playing the latter half of last season with the AJHL’s Calgary Canucks.
It’s a different situation from a year ago when he left Okotoks as its leading scorer.
“Okotoks was really good to me last year so I made sure to comeback here with the opportunity there,” O’Bray said. “We’ve got a lot of good players putting pucks in the net, it’s a lot easier that way where everybody can find a role.
“Some of the other guys can produce so if I’m not having my best game I can go out there and try to hit and just be a part of the win.”
Okotoks will look to make it six straight Oct. 5 in Stettler. The Lightning is fresh off a victory over the Northern Division leading Red Deer Vipers.
The Bisons are also home next weekend to the Lightning on Oct. 13 after a matchup with the defending HJHL champion Thunder on Oct. 11 in Airdrie.
“I think we need to have better first periods, that’s a big one for us,” Witzke said. “We’ve got to get better every practice, we’ve got to develop new systems because the teams are going to get better.
“We have a lot of natural skill on this team which has given the head start now, but practice we have to get better and just keep excelling day after day.”
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