Busy schedule sees plenty of Oil Kings games over past weekend

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Taber Times

By Cole Parkinson
For Taber Times

It was a busy weekend in the Central Alberta Hockey League and all Taber Oil Kings teams were in action.

U11

The U11 Oil Kings hit the ice twice this past weekend for a pair of games. First up was a home game against the Vauxhall Sabres. It was certainly an offensive battle as both teams put up plenty of goals en route to a 7-7 tie. Lincoln Braun was unstoppable as the Oil King potted six goals while Ryden Baker had a single goal and an assist, Luke Engwer had two assists, and Hudson Ilcyznski and Luca Nielsen each had an assist. Dylan Volk made 33 saves on 40 shots in the Taber net.

The scoring continued for Taber on Sunday when the team hit the road to take on Medicine Hat. Taber continued to fill the net as they took the game 8-2. Baker had four goals while Braun added another two. Other scoring saw Paxton Foot contribute with a goal and an assist, Cage Holcek had a goal and Engwer had an assist. Volk was back in net and made 23 saves on 25 shots.

The U11s have one game remaining game before the Christmas break and it comes on Saturday when Irvine comes to town for a 10:30 a.m. puck drop.

U13

It was a two-pack of games for the U13 Oil Kings as the team was on the road to take on Vuclan for both. The first game went on Saturday and the home team was dominant from start to finish as they skated to a 13-1 win over the Oil Kings. Mitchell Kimoto had the lone Taber goal with Dalan Blasetti drawing the assist. 

Both Taber goalies got into the game — Chance Crowson made 20 saves on 28 shots while Aidyn Derksen Arnel had 14 saves on 19 shots.

Sunday was not any better for Taber unfortunately as the team dropped the second game 9-0. Both goalies once again got into the net. Derksen Arnel made eight saves on 12 shots while Crowson had 10 stops on 15 shots.

The team wraps up the 2023 portion of the season next weekend with another pair of road games. First up is a Friday night game against Picture Butte and the weekend ends with a Sunday game against Crowsnest Pass on Sunday.

U15

It was a high-scoring weekend for the U15 Oil Kings as they scored early and often in their two games against Foothills and Pincher Creek.

In the first game against Foothills, Taber was able to pot plenty of goals en route to an 8-2 win. Lincoln Wiebe led the way with a hat trick and an assist, Jenner Workman had two goals, Julian Woordman chipped in a goal and an assist, Ethan Volk had a pair of assists, Skylar Jensen and Ryder Nielsen had a goal each, and Adelyn Williamson had an assist. Brodyn Sutka made 36 saves on 38 shots in the Taber net.

Scoring continued in the second game of the weekend as Taber was able to cruise to a 16-4 win against Pincher Creek on Sunday. Wiebe had four goals and four assists in the win, Volk had two goals and three assists, Nielsen had a hat trick and an assist, Woordman had two goals and two assists, Jaxson Badrua scored two goals and had an assist, Jensen had a goal and two assists, Nolan Rabusic had three assists, Nate Kramer and Kellon Schalk each had a goal and an assist, Workman had two assists, and Williamson and Dawson Reynolds each had an assist. Jack Lukacs was in between the pipes for the Oil Kings and the netminder made 25 saves on 29 shots.

The U15 Oil Kings will return to their CAHL schedule after the Christmas break.

U18

There were a pair of tough-fought battles this past weekend for the U18 Oil Kings as they played in two road games. First up was a tough test against the Coaldale Cobras on Saturday evening. It was back-and-forth scoring through all three periods and when the final buzzer rang, the game ended in a 3-3 tie. Kellen Lauwen and Mason Van Seters each had a goal and an assist while Kayden Kress had the other Taber goal. Carter Jensen also contributed with one assist. Ty Dorin made 33 saves on 36 shots in the Taber net.

Taber looked to collect a win on Sunday when they travelled to Claresholm. It was another tight-contested game for the Oil Kings but the home team was able to score four goals in the fourth period to take a 5-3 win. Jasper Sidam and Van Seters each scored a goal and an assist, Tate Nakashima had a goal, and Jaxson Coutts, Samuel Klaas, Lauwen, and Kylan Odland all had an assist. Avery Remfert got the start in net and made 41 saves on 46 shots.

The U18 Oil Kings return to the ice for two more home games before the upcoming break. On Friday night, Pincher Creek comes to town for an 8:15 p.m. puck drop. Saturday sees Coaldale come to Taber for a rematch at 5:30 p.m.