Okotoks brought its best effort in the playoffs with its postseason on the line.
But the Penticton Vees proved why they’re the top seed in the BCHL’s Interior Conference by holding off the Okotoks Oilers for a 4-2 victory on Wednesday at the Viking Rentals Centre to complete the four-game sweep of the best-of-seven opening round playoff set.
The Vees opened the scoring on just their second shot with Calgarian Max Heise scoring on a shot through traffic on a play that was reviewed, but confirmed as a goal.
Okotoks drew even early at the 5:17 mark of the middle stanza when Brock Souch was sprung on a clearcut breakaway which the slick forward tucked past Penticton netminder Ethan Buenaventura on a backhand deke.
Penticton rallied and within three minutes regained the lead with Anselmo Rego tallying on an odd-man rush. Luke Posthumus then scored his fourth of the series late in the frame.
The Oilers would not go away quietly in the third period and were within one in the late stages after centre Coy Pighin slotted in his first goal of the playoffs on a quick shot in tight.
The visitors put the comeback bid to bed with 30 seconds remaining when Vees captain Conyr Hellyer fired in the empty net insurance tally after the Okotokian teamed up with Heise for a key defensive play.
Okotoks netminder Olivier Ciarlo stopped 27 of 30 shots, including a number of patented highlight reel glove saves, to close his account with the Oilers with another sterling performance.
Ciarlo, captain Jackson Rowland and blueliner Cyle Clayton played their last games as Oilers as the team’s three graduating 2004-born players.
Rowland, the team’s All-Star Game representative, MVP and Hardest Working Player during the regular season, moves on after three seasons in Big Rock Country, including 153 games from the team’s time in the AJHL and its switch to the BCHL
Clayton, a Strathmore rearguard who played in the Okotoks Oilers Athletic Association before spending most of junior years with the Drumheller Dragons, was a heart-and-soul blueliner for Okotoks logging 16 points in 53 games and was named the team’s Top Defenceman.
Ciarlo, the athletic shotstopper from Laval, Que., made an immediate mark in Okotoks and was a fixture in between the pipes with 40 games played. The 20-year-old is set to play U SPORTS next season with the University of Guelph.
The Vees, who are playing their last season in the BCHL before joining the WHL ranks next season, move on to the second round where they will play the lowest remaining seed.
For more information on the Oilers, go to okotoksoilers.com.
