(Photo by Kevin Pyle – www.photopyle.com)
On Friday night the Tulsa Oilers claimed a 5-2 victory in the only matchup the BOK Center would see this season against the Evansville Icemen.
3:52 into the first period, Evansville’s goaltender Scott Greenham was down on the ice when Jimmy Lodge saw an open net opportunity that he took. The Lodge goal from Captain Nathan Lutz gave Tulsa the first lead of the night and earned the forward his first goal of the season and first as an Oiler.
Taking out the net in the process, Brian Nugent waited a whole three minutes before he accepted a Brady Ramsay drifter that he shoved in, doubling the Oilers’ lead.
Alex Wideman brought Evansville back within one when he beat Jussi Olkinuora from his left side to the net. Jordan Sims was credited with his 15th assist of the season.
Four minutes into the second frame Brady Ramsay and Tyson Fawcett would drop the gloves. Right as each went to their respective penalty boxes, a face off play from Sims to Wideman led to an even score (2-2) and a second point for the two skaters.
The Oilers responded with two goals of their own in the second period.
Dennis Brown pulled the trigger at the blue line and forward Phil Brewer tipped in rubber to give the Oilers back their lead.
His nine-game point streak was snapped on Tuesday night in Missouri but Dan DeSalvo put himself back on the board against the Icemen. Adam Pleskach worked the puck and gave it to DeSalvo who passed it to newcomer Jiri Fronk. Fronk then shifted the puck back to DeSalvo where he scored his 13th goal of the season. Fronk, in his first game with Tulsa, would tally his first assist as an Oiler.
Tulsa finished off the second period with a 4-2 lead over Evansville.
The final frame would be sweet only for the Oilers. Jordan Kremyr accepted a pass on the backhand and slapped a hard one that pushed the Oilers to 5-2 with less than two minutes left in the contest.
Icing on the cake for Oilers fans would be to see an Adam Pleskach fight and they did.
Shots would ink 28 for the Oilers and 36 for the Icemen.
The Oilers host Central Division rivals, the Allen Americans, tomorrow and Sunday in the BOK Center. A specialty camouflage jersey will be sported by Tulsa tomorrow night presented by the National Wild Turkey Federation. The jerseys will be auctioned off after the game as well as a rifle drawing.
Brewer is a big body. His claim to skating and shooting, well it isn’t a lie. Trust us, we see him every game. He absolutely uses those qualities on the ice. He uses these to his advantage when he is playing on the ice. Brewer raves about the facilities, but makes sure to mention that the fan support is incredible. Fresh out of school in Minnesota, Phil is quick to add that the weather down here is something you can’t complain about. Stick around to see what he thinks during tornado season.
Phil adds that hockey is a super unique sport. With the ice being less than an inch thick, having a skate with a one inch or so blade, the high speed intensity, skills and fights all in one sport makes it a rival for every other sport out there. Every day he works on something to get better than he can stick with. The determination to get better, really craving a desire to be better, is what pushes him to improve every single day. One of his most treasured memories was putting on the Tulsa Oilers jersey and becoming a professional hockey player for the first time, but there’s nothing that compares to scoring his first goal as a professional hockey player with the Tulsa Oilers.
Make sure you come Phil Brewer light the lamp or smash into the offending team, one of our remaining games this season. It’s just another great one of the things to do in Tulsa! If you really want to get the most bang for your buck, make sure you grab tickets for the game on Friday, February 19th where you can snag an adult jersey to wear to upcoming games. Don’t forget about the jersey auction on Saturday, February 20th where you can grab your own game worn jersey! That’s not all, make sure to bring your jerseys and other memorabilia to the post game skate on Sunday, February 21st where you can get on the same ice the Oilers defend after the game. Many of our player will be on the ice, skating around, to take pictures and sign autographs. How many players can you get to sign your gear next weekend? You’ll want to add this to the top of your things to do list because it will be the last chance to skate with the players after the game during the regular season!
Tonight the Oilers host the Evansville Icemen for their first visit of the season. The last time these two teams got together was in February of 2012 when both existed in the Central Hockey League. Now together in the ECHL, the Oilers will look to snag two points off of the 18-23-5-1 Icemen. Evansville is 12th in the Western Conference with 42 points.
If you are looking for some incredibly fun things to do in Tulsa, make sure to check out one of the upcoming Tulsa Oilers hockey games right here in Tulsa, Oklahoma at the BOK Center. The Tulsa Oilers have been in Tulsa consecutively since 1992. Back then, the team was housed in the Cox Convention Center, which is located directly across from their current home, the BOK Center. The Oilers moved into the BOK Center when they opened in Fall 2008, making them the longest running permanent tenants to host games at the BOK Center, located on South Denver Avenue in Downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The BOK Center is located in the up and coming Blue Dome District. The area is a great for families, and attending an Oilers would be the perfect way to end a day trip to Downtown Tulsa. The BOK Center is Tulsa’s premier facilities for events, and the Tulsa Oilers are no exception. The entire venue is state of the art. At your next Oilers game, make sure to look around at all the art the BOK Center houses. Each level has something special that can catch your eye, and always remember to look up. You never know what could come out of the sky, or the ceiling for that matter.
