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Oil Barons Split 2 Game Series In Drayton Valley

PHOTO. Supplied. Fort McMurray Oil Barons.

The Fort McMurray Oil Barons faced some adversity early in the season, as their supposed home opener was changed to a two-game road trip to Drayton Valley. The MOB would split the series against the Thunder, dropping the first game and winning the second in overtime.

Drayton opened the scoring late in the first period, with Kayden Chabot pouncing on a costly turnover by the Oil Barons. Fort McMurray would answer a minute and a half later, with Nickolas de Beurs scoring his first of the season. It was a quiet second period, with the Barons only managing 3 shots on net. The deadlock would continue into the third, until Drew Sutton would regain the lead for the Thunder. The MOB would press late, but ultimately fall 2-1 to Drayton Valley.

Game two started similarly to game one, with the Oil Barons controlling play in the first period, but Drayton opening scoring of the stick of Rylan Brown. Another weak second period would give way to a strong showing by the MOB in the third. Aidyn Hutchinson tied the game with his first of the year, a perfect 2-on-1 cross-crease pass from Simon Diaz. Regulation solved nothing, and the two teams would head to overtime. MOB defenceman Rider McCallum rang two shots off the post, before setting up alternate captain Tyler Wallace for the game-winner with just 10 seconds left in overtime. Fort McMurray native Gabe Gratton notched his first win of the season.

The MOB will again head to the road for their next two games in Brooks for the AJHL Showcase. They’ll play Camrose on September 30th at 10:30 a.m., followed by a matchup with the newly minted Blackfalds Bulldogs on October 1st at 1:30 p.m. You can listen to both games on Country 93.3.