Oilers get home win after quick road trip
BY JOHN RITTENOURE World Correspondent
Monday, October 29, 2012
10/29/12 at 6:03 AM
After losing Friday's home opener, the Tulsa Oilers needed time to do a little soul searching. A 19-hour round-trip bus ride to Moline, Ill., did the trick.
Tulsa defeated Quad City 4-1 on Saturday then returned home to defeat the Fort Worth Brahmas 4-2 Sunday afternoon at the BOK Center.
"We were disappointed with Friday night's loss, but we played a great game on Saturday, and tonight we played a great Texas team that beat Allen in a shootout the night before," said Oilers coach Bruce Ramsay.
"We were on the bus Friday night and Saturday. That is where we slept. We did not get in till 9 this morning."
Sunday's victory lifted the Oilers into first place in the Central Hockey League standings with a 3-1-1 record after two weeks of play.
Ben Gordon, Ryan Menei, Michel Beausoleil, Gary Steffes and goaltender Ian Keserich were key to the Oilers' back-to-back victories. Gordon and Menei picked up two goals and one assist each, Steffes added one goal and two assists while veteran Beausoleil ended the weekend with two goals and two assists. Keserich only allowed three goals all weekend.
Ramsay feels the Oilers are starting to gel and just in time for a three-game series with Allen this next week.
"I think the guys are getting closer together," Ramsay said.
Gordon put Tulsa on the scoreboard in the opening period when he grabbed a rebound off a shot by Ryan Cramer and fired it home for a 1-0 lead. Menei followed with a high shot that went under the bar and into the net for a 2-0 advantage. Beausoleil was next, scoring a shorthanded goal right after two breakaway shots by Gordon and Menei failed to go in.
After Cody Hamilton closed out the first period with a goal for the Brahmas, Brendon Hodge made it 3-2 early in the second period. With 49 seconds remaining, Fort Worth mounted a six-man attack and Drew Akins scored an empty-net goal with 18 seconds remaining to close out the Fort Worth threat.
Notes: Jake Task joined the Oilers in time for Sunday's game. Trask played five seasons with Kamloops of the WHL and was scheduled to play for Toledo of the ECHL before coming to Tulsa.
TULSA 4, FORT WORTH 2
| Fort Worth |
0 |
1 |
1 |
- |
2 |
| Tulsa |
0 |
3 |
1 |
- |
4 |
First Period: No scoring. Penalties: Tulsa, Gingera (too many men) 11:57. Tulsa, Menei (tripping) 19:19.
Second Period: 1, Tulsa, Gordon, 3 (Cramer, Register) 2:20 (pp). 2, Tulsa, Menei, 2 (Akins, Erickson) 5:31. 3, Tulsa, Beausoleil, 3 (Steffes) 11:03 (sh). 4, Fort Worth, Hamilton, 1 (Spady, Boychuk) 11:38. Penalties: Fort Worth, Szydlowski (slashing) :32. Tulsa, Akins (interference) 10:07. Tulsa, Cramer (hooking) 13:29. Fort Worth Spady (unsportmanlike conduct) 16:50.
Third Period: 5, Fort Worth, Hodge, 2 (Boychuk) 12:43. 6, Tulsa, Akins, 1 (empty net) (Flamminio, Beausoleil) 19:42.
Power Plays: Fort Worth, 1-4. Tulsa, 1-2.
Shots: Fort Worth, 6-13-13 - 32. Tulsa, 6-14-11 - 31.
Saves: Fort Worth, Sterling 6-11-10 - 27. Tulsa, Keserich 6-12-12 - 30.
Referee: Brent Coulombe. A: 3,476.
Original Print Headline: Oilers return home to beat Fort Worth
