CHL Tulsa Oilers

Tulsa Oilers Weekly

Published on February 13, 2012 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Tulsa Oilers News Release


Week In Review: The Oilers suffered their first shutout of the season on Friday night in a 3-0 setback at Wichita. Tulsa put up 42 shots on goal but couldn't solve Thunder goalie Adam Russo in the 11th and final meeting of the regular season between the regional rivals. The Oilers finished the season series against Wichita with a mark of 4-6-1.

Back at home for Saturday's tilt with Evansville, the Oilers fell behind early and never recovered. The Icemen earned a 4-1 victory and Tulsa dropped its fourth game in a row. The game turned ugly late in the third period when Evansville tough guy Mike Sgroi threw a vicious elbow to the head of Oilers defenseman Luke Lucyk. The Oilers quickly rushed to the defense of their teammate and the ensuing melee led to a goalie fight between Tulsa's Ian Keserich and Evansville's Pier-Olivier Pelletier. Five misconducts were handed out as the teams combined for 122 penalty minutes. The Oilers won't have to wait long for the rematch, the Icemen return to the BOK Center on Friday night.

With only four goals in the previous four games, the Oilers were in desperate need of offense for Sunday's contest against Rio Grande Valley. The first period didn't disappoint. Tulsa scored four times in the opening nine minutes, but the Bees fought back to tie the game at 5-5 late in the second period. Seconds later, Mike Ullrich's goal put the Oilers up for good. Tulsa outscored Rio 3-1 in the final frame to post a wild 9-6 win and stay in front of the Killer Bees for fourth place in the Berry Conference.

Defense? Anyone? Anyone!?: Sunday's nine goal explosion was the Oilers highest offensive output of the season, easily surpassing the previous high of seven goals scored against Bloomington and Laredo. Tulsa hasn't put that many goals on the board since a 10-3 win over Mississippi on Februray 15, 2008. The hockey game turned track meet, featured 15 goals on just 55 shots and is the highest scoring game in the CHL this season. On average, a goal was scored every four minutes in a nightmarish outing for the goaltenders. Rio Grande's Wylie Rogers and John Murray each gave up four goals while Ian Keserich earned an improbable win with 20 saves on 26 shots. Dylan Clarke, one of eight Oilers to record multiple points on the night, registered his second career hat-trick, scoring three times on four shots. Forwards Ryan Cramer and Gary Steffes also had three-point nights for Tulsa which improved to 2-1 this season against Rio Grande Valley.

Special Teams Rise and Fall: The Oilers streak of 23 consecutive successful penalty kills was snapped Sunday as Rio Grande went 2-3 with the man advantage. Though the PK unit faltered, Tulsa's powerplay came to life for the first time in three games. Coming into Sunday's tilt, the Oilers were mired in an 0-15 powerplay slump, but it didn't take long for that streak to end. Jeff Terminesi scored a powerplay goal at the 3:13 mark of the first period and Dylan Clarke added a powerplay marker midway through the third. Tulsa's powerplay ranks tenth in the CHL at 17.3 percent while the penalty kill unit is eighth best in the league at 81.7 percent.

A Break From The Bus: With only 20 home games at the BOK Center so far, the Oilers have played fewer games on home ice than any other team in the league. Now, the tables turn and the well-traveled Oilers will enjoy 13 of their final 20 games in their own barn. Tuesday night against Dayton the Oilers will play their third game in a season-long six-game home stand. Tulsa is 13-5-2 at the BOK Center this season.

Oilers Fans Help Crush Cancer: The Oilers wore special pink jerseys for last Saturday's Pink In The Rink Night which were auctioned off immediately following the game against Evansville. Thanks to the generosity of the fans, the Oilers were able to raise $12,750 for local women's and children's cancer charities. The bidding wars got serious as fans clamored to buy the game-worn jersey of their favorite players. Oilers defenseman Gio Flamminio raked in the most dough for his sweater which sold for a whopping $1500.

Upcoming Games:

Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 7:05 p.m. vs. Dayton Gems - Looking for a fun date idea for that special someone this Valentine's Day? Trade the dinner and a movie for a night of hard-hitting action at the BOK Center as the Oilers face off against the Gems in their only meeting of the season. Beer is only $2 and the Oilers are offering two-for-one ticket specials for couples. Suites and iceboxes are also available for discounted prices so you can save money and that special someone to a memorable evening. Forget the frills and flowers and celebrate your love of hockey this Valentine's Day!

Friday, Feb. 17 at 7:35 p.m. vs. Evansville Icemen - Evansville rolls back into town to take on what should be a very eager Oilers team on Friday night. Just a few days ago, the Icemen handed Tulsa a 4-1 loss after emotions ran high on both sides thanks to hard hits and a series of fights at the end of the game. The Oilers will get their chance at payback in the third and final meeting of the season between these newly minted rivals. Friday's contest will also feature a River Spirit Casino Match Play Giveaway as the first 3,000 adults 21-and-over will receive a $10 match play voucher from River Spirit Casino.

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Central Hockey League Stories from February 13, 2012


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