CHL Tulsa Oilers

Tulsa Oilers Weekly

Published on December 5, 2011 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Tulsa Oilers News Release


Week In Review: The Oilers had a light week of work with just two games on the schedule. On Friday night at home, Tulsa spotted Bloomington a 1-0 lead but then ran off six unanswered goals before eventually skating away with a 7-3 victory over the Blaze. Seven different players scored for the Oilers including defenseman Gio Flamminio who registered his first goal in a Tulsa uniform. Five Oilers (Flamminio, Marty Standish, Gary Steffes, Jason Weeks, and Dylan Clarke) finished the night with multiple points as the Oilers took the first of four meetings with Bloomington. Sunday in Wichita, the Oilers held a 3-1 lead early in the third period but couldn't withstand the Thunder comeback. Wichita scored three straight in the final frame to earn a 4-3 win, its third straight over Tulsa. The Thunder now leads the season series 4-3 over the Oilers with four meetings remaining.

Ullrich Earns Honor: Oilers rookie center Mike Ullrich was named the CHL Rookie of the Month for November. The 25-year old had 18 points (12 goals, 6 assists) and a +6 rating in November while anchoring the Oilers top line along with Dylan Clarke and Ryan Cramer. Ullrich followed up the announcement of the award with another goal against Bloomington on Friday. Now at 13 goals for the season, Ullrich is tied with Aaron Lee of Rio Grande Valley for the CHL lead. The 6'3" native of Banff, Alberta has 22 total points, good for second in the CHL in rookie scoring behind Clarke with 24 points.

Keserich Stays Steady: Tulsa goalie Ian Keserich ranks first in the CHL with 523 saves and is second in the league with nine wins. Over the weekend, Keserich stopped 67 of the 74 shots he faced. The Ohio State product has made 30 or more saves in nine games this season and has played 90% of the minutes in net so far. In 17 starts, Keserich has a record of 9-6-2 and is easily on pace to surpass his career-high 22 wins from a season ago.

Everybody Chips In: The Oilers top two lines produce plenty of points, but Tulsa's third line has done its share of contributing over the last two games. The combination of Marty Standish, Jason Weeks, and Ryan Raven has accounted for eight points in the last two contests. Standish had a pair of helpers against Bloomington and scored the Oilers first goal in Wichita on Sunday. The Oilers veteran center is now tied for the team lead with a +6 rating. With a goal and an assist on Friday, Weeks registered his first multiple point night of the season and also tallied an assist on Sunday. Raven added a goal and an assist over the weekend and now has points in three straight games. Playing on the same line is nothing new for Weeks and Raven. Growing up in the state of Washington, Raven (Tacoma) and Weeks (Seattle) shared a line from the ages of 7-15. Clearly, the chemistry developed as juniors is carrying over to their professional careers.

Steffes Gets A Shorty: Gary Steffes' hard work in the face-off circle has been paying off with scoring chances all season long for the Oilers. In Friday's win over Bloomington, Steffes' skills on the draw led to the first shorthanded goal of his professional career. With Tulsa down a man in the second period, Steffes won an offensive zone draw to Sean Erickson at the point. Erickson's shot led to a big rebound for Steffes who scooped up the loose puck and maneuvered his way past Blaze goalie Zane Kalemba. The goal was the Oilers second shorthanded tally of the season and seventh of the year for Steffes.

Upcoming Games: It's another light week for the Oilers as they prepare for two games this weekend.

Friday, December 9 - vs. Allen Americans at 7:35pm (Teddy Bear Toss, Ladies Night)

Saturday, December 10 - at Bloomington Blaze at 7:05pm

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Central Hockey League Stories from December 5, 2011


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