CHL Tulsa Oilers

Gordon's Hat-Trick Helps Oilers Solve Sundogs

Published on February 18, 2014 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Tulsa Oilers News Release


PRESCOTT VALLEY, AZ - On Monday, Oilers forward Ben Gordon was named the CHL Player of the Week and on Tuesday he showed why he is one of the most feared offensive players in the league by recording his fourth hat-trick of the season in Tulsa's 5-3 victory over the Arizona Sundogs. Gordon chipped in assists on the Oilers other goals and finished another impressive evening of hockey with his fifth multi-goal game of the season and his team-leading 18th multi-point effort.

At the 11:00 mark of the first period, Gordon opened the scoring by cashing in on a defensive zone turnover by Sundogs' blue-liner Alex Velischek. As Velischek moved up the ice, the puck stayed behind and after scooping up the loose disc, Gordon blasted a shot past Andrew Engelage and inside the far post to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. In the final seconds of the period with his team on the penalty kill, Gordon showed tremendous patience by dragging the puck across the Arizona zone and waiting for Engelage to go down. Once the Sundogs netminder had committed, Gordon roofed a wrist shot with only 14 seconds remaining in the frame to make it 2-0 Tulsa. Gordon's second of the game was the Oilers sixth shorthanded goal of the season.

Less than four minutes into the second, Gordon completed his hat-trick by snapping home a feed from Adam Pleskach below the Sundogs goal line. Engelage was pulled from the game after the Oilers pasted a pair of pucks off the crossbar on a power play, and Chris Rawlings came in to try to hold back the Tulsa attack. Just moments after taking over, Rawlings was foiled by a one-timer from Pleskach off a gorgeous circle-to-circle pass from Gordon. The Oilers held a 4-0 edge until 16:48 when Bryan Cameron put the Sundogs on the board by raising a wrist shot over the shoulder of Shane Madolora.

Gordon earned his fifth point of the night at 1:48 of the third after his shot trickled through Rawlings and was jammed home by Ryan Menei. The ninth goal of the year by Menei pushed the Oilers advantage to 5-1. Sebastian Geoffrion and Matt McCready went on to tally for the Sundogs but the comeback effort was stymied by Madolora who made several spectacular stops in the final minutes to earn his fifth straight win.

The Oilers, 4-1-0 this season against the Sundogs, have won six of their last seven games and moved into a tie with the Brampton Beast for sixth place in the CHL standings. Tulsa is two points up on eighth-place Arizona and five points clear of ninth-place Wichita with 15 games remaining in the regular season.

As for Gordon, the 29-year old center has put up nine goals and six assists in his last five games. With 68 points on the season, Gordon has taken over the team scoring lead and ranks third in the CHL scoring race. The sixth-year pro has posted four points or more in three of his last five contests.

Tulsa and Arizona will meet on Wednesday night at 7:35 p.m. (Central Time) to conclude their season series and end a string of four games against each other in six days.

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Central Hockey League Stories from February 18, 2014


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