Sports stats



CHL Tulsa Oilers

Gordon Nets Another Hat-Trick as Oilers Hold off Mallards

February 21, 2014 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Tulsa Oilers News Release


TULSA, OK - Ben Gordon is playing the kind of hockey that cannot be described, it can only be admired and applauded. In what is becoming a common theme in the month of February, Gordon once again lifted the Tulsa Oilers to victory on Friday night at the BOK Center. The 29-year old center recorded his third hat-trick of the month and second in three games, and chipped in an assist on the decisive goal of a 4-3 Tulsa win over the Quad City Mallards.

Gordon's latest conquest of a CHL foe began at 4:39 of the first period when he slipped a shot through the legs of Mallards' goalie Thomas Heemskerk. On the strength of Gordon's 32nd goal of the season, the Oilers held a 1-0 lead after the opening period.

With Tulsa enjoying its first power play of the game just over a minute into the second, Gordon curled in the left face off circle and squeezed a wrist shot past the pad of Heemskerk to give the home side a 2-0 advantage. At 5:56, Quad City defenseman Benjamin Dieude-Fauvel cut the Oilers lead in half by driving hard to the Tulsa net and snapping a shot over the blocker of Brad Fogal. The Oilers re-gained their two-goal advantage at 10:41 thanks to the quick stick of Gordon. As Tulsa defenseman Nathan Lutz leaned into a blue line slap shot, Gordon put his stick in the missile's path and re-directed the puck off a Mallards' defenseman and past Heemskerk to complete his hat-trick. Jeff Lee's wrap-around goal with only 25 seconds left in the frame brought the Mallards back within one as the two sides headed toward the third period.

The Oilers narrow lead held until 10:52 when Justin Fox, who played 23 games for Tulsa last season, sent a power play wrist shot past Fogal to level the contest at 3-3. Less than three minutes later, after successive spectacular saves by Heemskerk, the Oilers finally cashed in from close range. Ryan Menei's one-timer was stopped by Heemskerk but the rebound was jammed home by Adam Pleskach to put the Oilers on top 4-3. The 30th goal of the season from the Oilers rookie winger held up as the game-winner and helped Tulsa move past Quad City into fifth place in the CHL standings.

Pleskach and Menei each posted three points while Gordon finished another stellar outing with his fifth hat-trick of the season and his sixth four-point night of the season. Gordon, who leads the Oilers with 34 goals and 73 points, ended a three-game week with seven goals and three assists in three Oilers victories. Already the reigning CHL Player of the Week, Gordon's gaudy numbers are bound to earn him a repeat selection for the honor will which be announced by the league on Monday.

Despite firing a season-low 17 shots on net, the Oilers won for the eighth time in nine games and improved to four games above .500 (27-23-3) for the first time since late December. Fogal, matching up against his former team, earned his second win as an Oiler with 21 saves on 24 Quad City shots.

After seven games in 11 days, the Oilers get a full week off before traveling to Wichita next Friday.

Check out the Tulsa Oilers Statistics



Central Hockey League Stories from February 21, 2014


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central