OKOTOKS, AB (March 31, 2024) Goaltender Ian Mills won his first ever start as a Brooks Bandit, while Nick Peluso and Parker Lalonde each had three-point nights as the Bandits doubled the Okotoks Oilers 6-3 on Easter Sunday at the Centennial Arena.
Mills (Calgary, AB) started his first game since October 2, 2022, and his first time as a Brooks Bandit since joining the team this year. The Bandits (57-5-1) have won four straight games, and 16-1-1 in the BCHL. The Bandits went 11-0 vs Okotoks this season.
The Oilers opened the scoring at 4:47, as Jagger Tapper backhanded a shot to make it 1-0. Mills denied Oilers defenceman Ethan O’Halloran on a one-timer with a glove save. Brooks tied the game at 11:03 as the Bandits forced a turnover in the offensive zone, and Lalonde (Aberdeen, SK) pass to an open Peluso (Rochester, NY), who scored forehand on Oilers starter Christian Green. The Bandits took a 2-1 lead at 15:35, as forward Danylo Korzhyletskyi (Kyiv, UA) fired a forehand shot from long range after gaining the Oilers zone.
Peluso’s second goal of the game came just 2:24 into the 2nd, finishing off another Lalonde pass from the corner. Then at 3:59, Brooks went up 4-1 as defenceman Quinn McCall (St. John, IN) skated through three defenders and scored a highlight goal. Centre Caelan Fitzpatrick (Moose Jaw, SK) made it 5-1 at 13:34 fired in a shot off the rush. The Oilers got one back at 17:58 from Brett Huxley to cut the lead to 5-2, but Lalonde answered just 15 seconds later, finding open ice from a Pelso pass and sniping from the right circle to make it 6-2.
The Bandits penalty kill once again was unbeatable, going 4/4. Okotoks got one back in the 3rd period to cut the lead to 6-3, but that’s as close as they got.
Brooks outshot Okotoks 28-23.
The Bandits wrap up the Regular Season in Sherwood Park on Friday, April 5th and Saturday, April 6th.
