The chill of the air outside can mean only one thing…ITS HOCKEY SEASON!!! Opening
night in the CHL for the Tulsa Oilers with a new coach, many new faces and a different attitude for this fresh season.Tonight's game pitted the Oilers against the newest addition to the CHL, the Colorado
Eagles. The first period was nip and tuck as both teams tried to gain the advantage. The first goal in this young season was scored at 5:27 of the first period by Riley Nelson, first in Colorado Eagles
history, assisted by Greg Pankewicz and Igor Bonderev. This was the only scoring of the first period. After the first goal Tulsa seemed to settle down and play steady defense, with superb goaltending by Rod
Branch. Branch stopped fifteen of sixteen shots in the first period while the Oilers countered with only four shots on goal. The first period was rather unremarkable as far as the penalties with only two
minutes on an elbowing penalty on Brent Thompson of Colorado and two minutes on both Shawn Scanzano and Regan Harper of Tulsa for interference.
Tulsa came out strong in the second period with a goal at
3:49 by Anthony D'Arpino assisted by Todd Marcellus which tied the game at one goal a piece. The Oilers stepped up the intensity after several acrobatic saves by Rod Branch. Less than three minutes later the
Oilers struck again on a goal by R.J. Gates, assisted by Marion Koleda and Aaron Millar at 6:41 of the period. There was only one minor penalty on each team in the period. Eagles Greg Pankewicz was whistled
for high sticking and Oilers Anthony D'Arpino was called for tripping. No goals resulted on either power play. Once again Branch stood tall in net for the Oilers turning away all nine Eagles shots while the
Oilers countered with thirteen shots in the second frame.
The Oilers went into the third period holding a 2-1 lead which was increased to 3-1 on a power play goal by Mark Scott at 8:29 of the period
assisted by Anthony D'Arpino and Regan Harper. The goal was originally given to D'Arpino but was later changed. Tulsa had three penalties in this period. Shawn Scanzano was whistled for holding at 1:13 of
the period. Branch was huge on this as Colorado picked up the pace and sent several shots at him. Tulsa was also given a bench minor for too many men at 9:58 of the period. Colorado exerted a valiant effort
to try and tie the game late in the third by pulling goalie Ryan Bach in favor of the extra attacker. Their gamble paid dividends in the form of a goal at 19:04 of the period by Riley Nelson, assisted by
Igor Bonderev and Brent Thompson. In the final minute of the game, Colorado still with the extra attacker fired several point blank shots at the net but Branch denied all comers with several sprawling saves.
This left the score 3-2 at the final buzzer. Tulsa was out shot in the third period nineteen to six and for the game Colorado out shot Tulsa forty-four to twenty three.
For those of you interested in the
fight card for the evening, there was only one contest. It happened at 15:44 of the third between Tulsa's Jordon Flodell and Colorado's Fraser Fillipic. Jordon got the early advantage by quickly throwing
several punches that caught Fillipic by surprise.
All being said and done, a fine opening game performance by the Oilers who showed a lot of grit and determination against a team that was picked by some to
win the division this year.
