TULSA, OK – A 33-save performance from Devin Williams led the Tulsa Oilers (5-3-0) to a 3-1 win over the Idaho Steelheads (4-2-0) Friday in Game 1 of the Mountain Division Finals at the BOK Center.
Idaho broke the ice in Game 1 with a long shift in the offensive zone capped off by a goal just outside the Tulsa crease scored by Henrik Samuelsson. The Oilers answered when Adam Pleskach swept in a rebound to tie the score at 1-1 in the back half of the frame. Tulsa took the lead with 2:12 left in the first when Alex Dostie skated into the slot and threw a wrist shot back against the grain to beat Tomas Sholl on an Oilers power play.
The Steelheads outshot the Oilers 17-9 in the middle period, but Williams stopped all 17, including a sprawling pad save on Kyle Schempp and a shoulder save right before the buzzer off of the stick of James Phelan. Sholl turned away all nine Oilers shots as Tulsa continued to lead 2-1 through two periods.
Williams stopped 11 more shots in the final stanza and Pleskach added an empty net goal to seal Tulsa’s 3-1 win to take the early lead in the best-of-seven series.
The Oilers host the Steelheads again in Game 2 Sunday at 4:05pm at the BOK Center. Catch all the action on the Sports Animal Radio Network, www.tulsaoilers.com or ECHL.TV, with pregame coverage starting at 3:45pm.
With Tulsa Oilers release
Contact the Photographer: Les.Stockton@prohockeynews.com
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stretched net.
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