Okotoks is halfway there in the HJHL Final.
Goals in the opening two minutes of each period paved the way for the Carstar Okotoks Bisons to take back the series lead over the Sylvan Lake Wranglers with a 5-3 result in Game 3 of the best-of-seven Heritage Junior Hockey League Final, Friday night at the Murray Arena.
“We talked in the room today that the first goal is super important,” said Bisons defenceman Kegan Law. “The first two games, we didn’t get that, we thought if we can get that goal we would be able to ride the momentum throughout.
“And then in between periods we stayed really dialed, talked over a lot of stuff and that helped us for the first shift and getting on them right away.”
For the first time in the series, Okotoks got on the scoreboard first.
And they didn’t waste any time.
Turner Valley’s Nolan Smith, skating on an in-form line with Daniel Tainton and Scott Brown, found the back of the net just 19 seconds from puck drop on a nice set-up from blueliner Caden Scott.
Austin Corsiatto countered for the visitors in the late stages of a powerplay midway through the frame, but Okotoks’ pressure game got right back to work.
Law, a smooth-skating defenceman, notched his first postseason goal late in the opening frame on the rush to give the herd a well-earned lead going into the intermission.
Okotoks made it a two-goal advantage with gritty forward Owen McFarlane refusing to be denied with a hard-working goal less than two minutes into the second stanza. Sylvan Lake again answered on the man advantage with Justin Vandermeer’s point shot finding a seam just five seconds into a powerplay to round out the scoring in the period.
The Bisons kept up the trend of storming out of the gates to start a frame in the third.
Law added his second goal of the contest 24 seconds into the period before rushing to the other end of the ice and jumping into the bench for an inspired celebration.
“I saw that in the World Juniors one year and I’ve always wanted to do it ever since,” Law said. “I just got super excited and thought I want to celebrate with my whole team, not just the guys that are on the ice.”
Tainton added a late insurance marker on the powerplay after the Wranglers had cut the deficit in half with the power forward’s eight playoff goal.
The finalists are back on the ice on Saturday night in Sylvan Lake for Game 4.
“This is my third year here and that team is definitely the best I’ve ever played in this league,” said Law, part of the Okotoks’ back-to-back championship teams. “I give them props for it, they’re giving us a tough battle and we’re ready for that battle."
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HJHL Final schedule
Game 1: March 16, 7:30 p.m. Murray Arena. Bisons win 3-1
Game 2: March 17, 6:30 p.m. NextSource Centre. Wranglers win 4-2
Game 3: March 22, 8 p.m. Murray Arena. Bisons win 5-3
Game 4: March 23, 8 p.m. NextSource Centre
Game 5: March 29, 8 p.m. Murray Arena
*Game 6: March 30, 8 p.m. NextSource Centre
*Game 7: March 31, 6 p.m. Murray Arena
*If necessary
