January 6, 2015

Oilers skate to overtime wins

By Dave Hansen
Junior Gold Coach

Watford City’s Junior Gold hockey team skated to a pair of 8-7 overtime wins this past weekend at home. On Friday, the Oilers skated against the Walsh County Warriors, a team the Oilers beat earlier in the season, 11-1.
Scoring goals for the Oilers in the first period was Dalton Wright, Ted Ramage and Daniel Marmon, with assists by Cody Johnson, Beau Heiser, Jon Dunn and Ramage.
The Oilers held a 3-2 lead at the first intermission with both teams trading a pair of goals in the second  period. Ramage scored his second goal of the game, with Dunn adding the assist. Erick Leiseth closed out the scoring on an unassisted tally to give the Oilers a 5-4 lead heading into the third period.
Walsh County outscored the Oilers, 3-2, in the final period to force the overtime. Scoring for the Oilers in the third period was Rait Elliot and Dunn, on assists by Marmon and Wright.
Junior defenseman Derrike Hayden scored the game winner for the Oilers unassisted, when he picked up a loose puck and skated the distance, beating the Warrior goalie between the pads to end the game.
Quayde Shores kicked aside 36 Warrior shots, picking up his eighth win in nine games.
On Saturday, the Oilers skated against the Fargo Freeze in a very exciting game.
Rait Elliot opened the scoring converting a Dalton Wright feed to put the Oilers up, 1-0, five minutes into the contest. Fargo answered two minutes later, beating Shores low stick side.
Erick Hellandsaas, Jon Dunn and Cody Johnson added unassisted tallies to send the Oilers to the locker room with a comfortable, 4-1, lead. But Fargo scored the next three goals of the game to even the score at 4-4.
Dalton Wright completed a play from Hayden to end the scoring in the second period, sending the Oilers to the dressing room with a 5-4 lead.
But once again, Fargo answered as they knotted the game at 5-5. just 14 seconds into the third period, before Wright would add his second goal of the game on an unassisted tally with 16 minutes to play.
Jon Dunn then pounded home a rebound off a shot from Hellandsaas to give the Oilers a two-goal lead with less than 10 minutes remaining.
Fargo cut the lead with seven minutes remaining, beating Shores to the glove side. With 2:18 left on the clock, the Freeze would tie the game on a power play to force the overtime.
Both teams had great scoring chances in overtime, before Wright would score unassisted to complete his hat trick goal to end the game.
Shores turned aside 40 Fargo shots for his ninth win of the season.
The Oilers will be at home this weekend as they host the Grand Forks Stallions on Friday, Jan. 9, at 7 p.m. and then take on the Langdon Blades at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

WATFORD CITY WEATHER