The Bisons have decisively drawn themselves back even in the HJHL South Final.
Sam Callahan scored a first period hat trick with Zephyr Laplante adding two goals as the Carstar Okotoks Bisons earned a 7-1 road victory Sunday in Medicine Hat to even up the best-of-five Heritage Junior Hockey League South Final at 1-1.
Callahan scored a natural hat trick in the opening frame with two even strength tallies and a powerplay marker, bringing the High River forward’s playoff goal totals to five, with Easton Dean adding a fourth goal in the first period.
Cubs sniper Kyle Woolridge got the hosts on the board with the only goal in the middle stanza before Okotoks put the game away with three insurance goals in the final 20 minutes.
Laplante scored his first two postseason goals with gritty forward McCallum Bakken adding his fourth of the playoffs to see out the result.
Dylan Walker got the start for the Bisons and in the Okotoks netminder’s first postseason action turned aside 25 of 26 shots for the victory.
The Cubs took Game 1 of the set 5-4 in comeback fashion, scoring four unanswered with Woolridge netting the overtime winner.
Game 3 of the series is Tuesday, March 11 at Okotoks’ Murray Arena.
In the North Final, the Sylvan Lake Wranglers have a 1-0 lead on the Red Deer Vipers.
For more information, go to okotoksbisons.com.
Series schedule
Game 1: Cubs at Bisons. Medicine Hat wins 5-4 (OT)
Game 2: Bisons at Cubs. March 9. Okotoks wins 7-1
Game 3: Cubs at Bisons. March 11, 8 p.m. Murray Arena
Game 4: Bisons at Cubs. March 13, 8:30 p.m. Medicine Hat Kinplex
Game 5: Cubs at Bisons, March 15, 8 p.m. Murray Arena.
