Jamie Phillips Rebounds to Shutdown Thunder; Oilers Win 3-1
A night after Tulsa Oilers goalie Jamie Phillips yielded five goals, the netminder stopped 19 of the 20 shots that the Wichita Thunder took against him Saturday night, guiding his team to a 3-1 victory. Two third period goals by Tyson Wilson and Emerson Clark, coming less than three and a half minutes apart, gave the Oilers the lead and Tulsa would earn their 11th victory of the season, tops in the East Coast Hockey League.
This was the second game of a home-and-home series between the two teams, and this contest got off to the same start as Friday night’s game, with the Thunder taking the lead. At the 6:42 mark, with Wichita on the power-play, Nick Trecapelli beat Phillips with a wrist shot for his second goal of the season.
The shots were even at nine in the first period, but the Oilers dominated the second period, outshooting the Thunder 12-6 and tying the score. At the 8:19 mark, Axel Blomqvist carried the puck into the Wichita end and fired a wrist shot that Drew Owsley could not save. It was Blomqvist’s second goal of the season and evened the game.
Into the third period the contest would go. Both teams had their chances early in the period to give their team the lead, but both goalies were up to the task, keeping the score tied at one.
Finally, at the 12:15 mark, the Tulsa Oilers gained their first lead of the game. Adam Pleskach, who had two goals Friday night, tried to get the puck past Owsley on a wraparound attempt, but the goalie kept it out. However, Tyson Wilson poked home the rebound to give his team the lead. It was Wilson’s first goal of the season.
At the 16:43 mark, Emerson Clark took the puck along the goal line and then came out in front of the net where he would fire a back-hander past Owsley. That was his sixth goal of the year, and made it 3-1.
The Thunder pulled their goalie for the final two minutes of the game, but could not get another shot past Phillips. Tulsa would outshoot Wichita 28-20. Jamie Phillips moved his record to 11-1 on the season and Owsley dropped his second game of the year.
The Wichita Thunder (5-3-0-0) head back home to play an early evening game Sunday against the Fort Wayne Komets (7-2-2-0). The puck drops at 4:05.
By Robert Pannier