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ECHL Tulsa Oilers

Oilers Outlast Americans to Earn Fourth Straight Win

February 22, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Tulsa Oilers News Release


ALLEN, TX - Playing team defense, once a liability for the Tulsa Oilers, is suddenly turning into a strength at just the right time. On Sunday evening at the Allen Event Center the Oilers held the Allen Americans, the highest scoring team in the ECHL, to just a single goal and skated away with a precious pair of points in a 3-1 victory. Tulsa recorded its fourth straight win and has tasted triumph in five consecutive road contests. The Oilers have allowed only 11 goals in their last six games.

On their initial power play of the contest, the Oilers wasted no time in opening the scoring. Just 24 seconds after Allen forward Greger Hanson was whistled for slashing, Tulsa defenseman Scott Macaulay dialed up a heavy slap shot from the top of the left circle that sailed past J.P. Anderson to give the Oilers a 1-0 lead. Macaulay netted his eighth goal of the season and the Oilers converted on the man-advantage for the seventh time in the last eight contests. The Americans responded quickly as Jamie Schaafsma batted a rebound past Tulsa goalie Brandon Anderson off a centering feed from Gary Steffes. Schaafsma's 12th tally of the season knotted the game at 1-1 at the 10:42 mark of the first frame.

The stalemate continued through the second period and before the puck dropped to start the third, Americans' head coach Steve Martinson was given a game misconduct for abuse of officials. At 6:21 of the final frame, Tulsa winger Tommy Mele won a race for a loose puck on the left wing side of the Allen zone and ripped a shot from a sharp angle that somehow made it past Anderson. Mele found the net for the third straight game and put the Oilers in front 2-1 with his 18th goal of the season. With an assist on Mele's goal, T.J. Caig extended his point streak to nine games and tied Drew Fisher for the longest point streak of the season. The Americans outshot the Oilers 14-5 over the final 20 minutes and down the stretch, Brandon Anderson was called up to make several spectacular stops to keep his squad on top. Fisher sealed the Oilers' win with a late empty net goal and Anderson finished with 32 saves to earn his third win as an Oiler.

The Oilers improved to 5-7-1 against the Americans this season and most importantly, moved past Rapid City and Wichita and into third place in the Central Division standings. After allowing at least one power play goal in nine of their last ten games, the Oilers successfully eliminated all three Allen power plays.

Tulsa is 4-0-0 on its current eight-game road trip and returns to the ice on Friday, February 27 against the Rapid City Rush.

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