Oilers Weekly
January 12, 2004 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Tulsa Oilers News Release
The Tulsa Oilers picked up a couple of points last week, going 0-1-2 in three games. The Oilers now stand at 12-16-8, 32 points, fifth place in the CHL's Northwest Division. Tulsa trails fourth-place Wichita by six points, and third-place New Mexico by seven points.
The Oilers opened their three-game homestand on Tuesday night, hosting the Indianapolis Ice at the Tulsa Convention Center. In a tight-checking defensive battle, neither team was able to score a goal in regulation or in overtime, so the game came down to a shootout. In the shootout, Jason Bermingham kicked off the scoring for Tulsa, but that would be all the Oilers would get. Jason Baird, Bernie John, and Ryan Carter all scored for Indianapolis, giving the Ice the 1-0 victory. Both goaltenders were sharp, with both Indianapolis' Jeff Sanger and the Oilers' Rod Branch stopping 37 pucks each.
Friday, the Wichita Thunder came to town in a key divisional matchup. The Oilers special teams finally came through, breaking an 0-for-30 slump on the power-play by going 2-for-6. Tulsa also added shorthanded markers by Todd Marcellus and Dan Gravelle. However, Tulsa surrendered three straight goals to Wichita in the final 10 minutes of the third period, and as a result, dropped the 5-4 decision. Todd Marcellus scored twice and added an assist, Dan Gravelle lit the lamp and had two helpers, and Jason Bermingham chipped in with a goal and an assist in the loss for the Oilers.
Saturday night, the Oklahoma City Blazers came calling for the teams' first meeting at the Tulsa Convention Center since November 7th. The Oilers set a CHL game-high this season with 29 shots on goal in the first period alone. However, Blazers goaltender Boyd Ballard was equal to the task, stopping 28 of the 29. After the Blazers weathered the storm, they jumped out to a 4-1 lead with two goals each by Bryan Forslund and Ryan Campbell. The Oilers then staged a comeback in the third period on goals by Jason Bermingham and Aaron Millar. Tulsa again peppered Ballard with many shots, this time with 18 in the frame. Then, with under a minute to play and the extra attacker on the ice, Tulsa's relentless attack was rewarded, as Doug Pirnak, playing in only his second game since returning to the team, tapped in a Jason Bermingham pass with under a second to play to send the game into overtime. However, just 1:55 into the third, Marty Standish scored on a rebound to give the Blazers the 5-4 overtime victory. Tulsa outshot Oklahoma City 58-28 for the game, and Boyd Ballard had 54 saves. Jason Bermingham scored twice and added an assist for the Oilers, while Todd Marcellus and Branislav Kvetan each had two helpers.
Jason Bermingham leads the Oilers with 22 goals and 40 points. Bermingham is tied for 5th in the CHL with 22 goals and has a team-best +13 rating and 144 shots on goal. Captain Todd Marcellus leads the team with 23 assists, and is second with 39 points. Marcellus also ranks third with a +6 rating and 111 shots on goal. Dan Gravelle has scored 5 points in his last 5 games, and ranks third on the team with 15 goals and 29 points. Doug Pirnak has scored two points (1G, 1A) in two games since re-joining the team this week, along with Troy Caley. Rookie defenseman Anthony D'Arpino has led the Oilers blueliners this year with 17 points (4G, 13A).
In goal, the Oilers have gone with veteran Rod Branch. Branch has an 11-10-5 record with a 2.77 goals-against-average and a .921 save percentage. In addition, Branch ranks 5th in the CHL in minutes played with 1602:20. Rookie netminder Tim Kelleher has also seen action, going 1-6-3 with a 3.27 goals-against-average and an .883 save percentage.
TEAM LEADERS:
Goals: Jason Bermingham 22
Assists: Todd Marcellus 23
Points: Jason Bermingham 40
Plus/Minus: Jason Bermingham +13
PIM: Shawn Scanzano 95
PPG: Jason Bermingham 8
SHG: Marcellus/Gravelle 2
GWG: Jason Bermingham 4
Shots: Jason Bermingham 144
SH Pct: Wes Scanzano 19.7
Shootout G: Todd Marcellus 5
Wins: Rod Branch 11
GAA: Rod Branch 2.77
Saves: Rod Branch 867
Save Pct: Rod Branch .921
Minutes: Rod Branch 1602:20
This coming week, the Oilers will travel to Colorado on Friday, then go to Amarillo to face the Gorillas on Saturday. Tulsa does not return to home ice until Friday, January 30th, hosting the Memphis RiverKings.
Individual game tickets can be purchased at the Oilers ticket office, at Carson Attractions, in the Tulsa Convention Center, or at the Drug Mart locations in Tulsa, Owasso, and Broken Arrow.
Phone orders for game tickets can be made by calling 918-584-2000 or 918-632-7825.
Central Hockey League Stories from January 12, 2004
- Killer Bees Weekly Notes - Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
- CHL Announces Players of the Week - CHL
- Mudbugs Week in Review - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
- Colorado Eagles Week in Review - Colorado Eagles
- Bucks Weekly Debuts Tonight On AM 1490, Special Announcement Planned - Laredo Bucks
- Clayton Hits Milestones as Thunder Win Three - Wichita Thunder
- Saints Week in Review - San Angelo Saints
- Oilers Weekly - Tulsa Oilers
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.
