TULSA, Okla. – The Idaho Steelheads (19-11-5) slip in the first game of the New Year, 4-1, to the Tulsa Oilers (14-18-3) on Friday night from the BOK Center.
Like their first meeting, the Steelheads and Oilers traded first period goals in an even start. The Oilers took the 1-0 lead when forward Danny Moynihan was opened for a shot in the left circle at 5:37. Later in the frame at 15:31, Steelheads forward Marc-Olivier Roy did the hard work of pushing the puck toward the Oilers net, and defenseman Jeff King cashed in on a stab between the pads of the netminder to level the scoring at 1-1.
The Oilers posted two more goals in the second period starting at 1:26 thanks to forward Cory Ward to take back the lead, 2-1. The lead increased to 3-1 at 14:04 when former Steelhead Jack Nevins forced a turnover and slipped a shot by the goaltender in the right circle.
The Steelheads found the better opportunities in the third period and pressured the Oilers for much of the frame. However, the Oilers sealed off the win at 18:41 with an empty-net goal from forward J.J. Piccinich, taking home the 4-1 win.
Oilers netminder Devin Williams (10-7-1) turned away 27 of 28 shots in the win, while Steelheads goaltender Tomas Sholl (14-5-4) stopped 27 of 30 shots in the loss.
The Steelheads and Oilers meet again on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 6:05 p.m. MT from the BOK Center. Coverage begins at 5:45 p.m. MT on 1350 KTIK-AM “The Ticket” & ECHL.tv.
The Steelheads return to CenturyLink Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 7:10 p.m. against the Tulsa Oilers. The Hockey Starter Pack provides the benefits of the ultimate fan on the time you want! Call the Steelheads Front Office at 208-383-0080 to inquire about getting your pack as well as planning your next outing with single-game tickets, flex plans and season tickets. Stay connected to the Steelheads on idahosteelheads.com or by following the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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