OILERS KNOCK OFF RAPID CITY IN FINAL GAME OF HOMESTAND
Tulsa defeats short-handed Rush 5-2 Tuesday at the BOKCenter and hits the road for five straight against Rapid City and Utah.
TULSA, OK – 2019 is off to a good start forthe Tulsa Oilers (19-12-6), who finished a four-game home stand with a 5-2 winover a short-handed Rapid City Rush (15-18-5) Tuesday at the BOK Center. Thewin was Tulsa’s third in four games to start the new year and sixth victory inthe last seven games. The Oilers end the night in a tie for first place in theMountain Division.
The Oilers grabbed an early 6-0shots advantage, but Rapid City scored on its first shot of the game, adeflection off the stick of Shaquille Merasty on a Rush power play. Tulsa tiedit at 1-1 when Alex Globke cleanedup a rebound and lifted the puck past Tyler Parks. Ian McNulty gave the Oilers a 2-1 lead after stepping into the zoneand blasting a shot into the net from the point. Parks stopped 16 of 18attempts in the opening frame, while Oilers goaltender Devin Williams made five saves on six shots in the period.
Charlie Sampair gave the Oilers a brief two-goalcushion when he followed up his initial shot which was blocked and buried aquick snap-shot into the back of the net. Late in the middle frame, Merastydeflected another shot in front of the Oilers net for his second goal of thegame to bring Rapid City back to within one. Tulsa’s shots advantage over theRush, who played two-men short, grew to 30-11 through 40 minutes.
Tulsa made it 4-2 in the third,when Scott Henegar raced in behindthe defense and lifted a shot under the crossbar, and Tommy Mele scored the fifth goal on a backdoor pass from Alex Kromm. The Oilers outshot the Rush45-19, as Williams won for the sixth time in his last eight starts.
The Oilers and Rush hit the roadand head up to South Dakota for a pair of games Friday and Saturday at 8:05pmCT at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. Catch all the action on theSports Animal radio network in Tulsa, www.tulsaoilers.comor ECHL.TV, with pregame coverage starting at 7:45pm CT.
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Season and Group Tickets are on sale now by calling theOilers front office at 918-632-7825. Visit www.tulsaoilers.comfor more information.
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