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CHL Tulsa Oilers

Tulsa Oilers Weekly

March 19, 2012 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Tulsa Oilers News Release


Week In Review: The Oilers were victorious in two of their three games over the weekend, and picked up a valuable four points, keeping themselves in the hunt in the Berry Conference playoff race. Friday at home against Arizona, the Oilers fell behind 3-0 in the first period but rallied with four unanswered goals to prevail over the Sundogs for the third time this season. Gary Steffes led the way for Tulsa with two goals and an assist, while goalie Steve Christie, who came off the bench late in the first period, made 18 stops to preserve the victory.

Saturday in Missouri, the Oilers bad luck against the Mavericks continued. Tulsa fired a season-high 48 shots on net, including 24 in the third period, but ran out of time in a 3-2 defeat. The Mavs scored twice on the powerplay and got three points from Kris Hogg on the way to their sixth straight win over the Oilers.

Finally, on Sunday at the BOK Center, the Oilers found the winning formula against the Mavericks. With the game locked up at 3-3 in the third period, Tulsa found timely offense on the powerplay thanks to a blast from defenseman Sean Erickson. Rookie forward Ryan Cramer provided the Oilers a two-goal cushion when he one-timed a pretty pass from Marty Standish past Mavs goalie Charlie Effinger for his 15th tally of the season. Tulsa's 5-4 win broke the Missouri curse and provided momentum for the Oilers as they head into the final week of the regular season.

Recognition For Rookies: The accolades continue to pile up for Tulsa's promising crop of rookies. Center Mike Ullrich and defenseman Jeff Terminesi were selected for the Central Hockey League's All-Rookie Team. Ullrich, who picked up his team-high 27th goal of the season on Sunday, has been near the top of the rookie scoring list for the entire season. The 25-year old Alberta native has played in every single game this season for the Oilers and is tied for the team lead with 56 points. Terminesi, an Ontario product out of Mercyhurst College, has also played in all 62 games this season while patrolling the blue line as part of Tulsa's top defensive pairing with Sean Erickson. The 25-year old leads the Oilers with 19 powerplay points and was Tulsa's only selection to the CHL All-Star Game.

2011-12 CHL All-Rookie Team

F - Jared Brown (Quad City Mallards)

F - Andrew Courtney (Missouri Mavericks)

F - Mike Ullrich (Tulsa Oilers)

D - Dylan King (Allen Americans)

D - Jeff Terminesi (Tulsa Oilers)

G - Mark Guggenberger (Texas Brahmas)

Playoff Chase: Thanks to a pair of wins last weekend, there is still hope for the Oilers to earn the fourth Berry Conference playoff berth. With four games to play, Tulsa sits six points behind Rio Grande Valley. If the Oilers can win Tuesday against Laredo and Friday against Texas, they'll pull within two points heading into the season's final weekend. The Killer Bees host Laredo in a pair of games this weekend and can clinch the final spot with two wins or a win and an overtime/shootout loss. Should the Oilers and Bees finish with the same amount of points, the team with the most "non-shootout wins" would be awarded the playoff spot. Right now, both Tulsa and Rio Grande Valley have 26 non-shootout victories. If that number remains tied, head-to-head record determines the playoff berth and the Oilers have the edge with a 2-1 record against Rio Grande Valley.

So Long To The Slump: In three weekend games, the Oilers were able to score 11 goals, their highest three-game total since putting up 15 goals in mid-February. Nine different players chipped in goals last weekend and in Sunday's decision over Missouri, the Oilers reached the five-goal mark for the first time since hanging nine on Rio Grande Valley back on February 12. Tulsa was able to consistently generate pressure by averaging 36 shots on net through the three-game stretch.

Immediate Impact: Newcomers Travis Mealy and Drew Fisher didn't waste much time in contributing to the Oilers cause. Mealy, a defenseman out of the University of Manitoba, put the Oilers on the board Sunday against Missouri when he fired in his first professional goal. Marty Standish won a clean face-off back to Mealy who crushed a slap shot from just inside the blue line that found its way into the upper corner of the net. Fisher, a forward fresh out of Bemidji State University, picked up his first professional point Sunday with an assist on Ryan Cramer's game-winning goal.

Don't Mess With Dylan: Rookie forward Dylan Clarke recorded a goal, an assist, and dropped the gloves in Sunday's win over Missouri for his second Gordie Howe hat-trick of the season. The left-winger also notched the goal-assist-fight trifecta back on November 4th in a 6-1 rout at Laredo. Against the Mavericks, Clarke did all of his damage in the second period. He scored on a partial breakaway to give the Oilers a two-goal lead, picked up a helper on Mike Ullrich's goal and went toe-to-toe with Missouri tough guy Randy McNaught.

Upcoming Games: Tulsa will finish the regular season with four games (3 home, 1 away) this week. The Oilers play host to Laredo on Tuesday, welcome Texas into the BOK Center on Friday, travel to Missouri on Saturday, and finish up against the Mavericks at home on Sunday afternoon.

Tuesday, March 20 vs. Laredo Bucks at 7:05pm - Beer and soda are only $2 at the BOK Center as the Oilers try to beat the Bucks for the fourth time this season. It's the last chance for students to take advantage of Papa John's College Night where they can receive a ticket to the game and a coupon for a large pizza all for only $12. Expect to see some offense as the Oilers are averaging more than six goals per game when they face the Bucks.

Friday, March 23 vs. Texas Brahmas at 7:35pm - The Oilers have the greatest fans in the CHL and want to show those fans how much they mean with a Fan Appreciation Night! There will be prize giveaways throughout the evening and the Oilers players will be presented with end-of-season awards like "Rookie of the Year" and "Fan Favorite." Come out to the BOK Center to feel the love and help the Oilers buck the Brahmas one more time.

Sunday, March 25 vs. Missouri Mavericks at 4:05pm - It's the final game of the regular season and it could be your last chance to see the Oilers in action! Papa John's Family packs are available for as low as $49 (four tickets, coupon for a large pizza) and there will be a post-game skate with the Oilers players. The game against the Mavs could be the deciding factor in whether or not the Oilers will qualify for the playoffs and your support is crucial!

For ticket information call 918-632-PUCK (7825) or log on to www.tulsaoilers.com.

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