Tulsa Oilers Fall To Allen

The Tulsa Oilers welcomed three former forwards back to the BOK Center on Tuesday night and all three forwards - Jack Combs, Chad Costello, and Gary Steffes - helped the Allen Americans hand the Oilers a 3-1 defeat. Steffes, who played three seasons in Tulsa (2010-2013) led Allen's offensive effort with a goal and assist. Costello and Combs, the Oilers top two scorers in the 2010-11 campaign, each chipped in a point as Allen won its sixth straight game.

Combs opened the scoring at 11:46 of the first period by receiving a breakaway pass from Costello and sliding the puck through Oilers goalie Kevin Carr. Combs, who led Tulsa with 40 goals in the 2010-11 season, posted his tenth goal of this season pushed his point streak to 12 games. Only 34 seconds after Combs gave the visitors the early advantage, Greger Hanson swatted a rebound past Carr to put Allen up 2-0. Hanson's eighth goal of the season was assisted by Spencer Asuchak and Steffes. The Oilers cut the lead in half at 15:34 when Kyle O'Kane's shot deflected over the back of Allen netminder Riley Gill and trickled across the goal line. O'Kane's third goal of the season and second in as many games, was one of only four shots fired by the Oilers in the first period.

With the Americans still leading 2-1 in the second period, Steffes won an offensive zone face off and moved to the front of the Tulsa net. Tyler Ludwig's shot from the blue line was knocked down by Carr but Steffes' quick stick batted home the loose puck to give the Americans a two-goal edge.

The Oilers enjoyed three power plays in the second period and one more power play in the third but were unable to beat Gill and a staunch Allen defense. Tulsa was held to its second-lowest goal total of the season and was outshot for the ninth consecutive game. Allen leveled the season series between the two clubs at 2-2 with another matchup looming on Thanksgiving Day at 7:05 p.m. at the BOK Center.

Tulsa center Jon Booras, the reigning ECHL Player of the Week, extended his point streak to four games with an assist on the O'Kane goal. The Oilers are 5-3-1 on home ice and find themselves in a three-way tie with Quad City and Allen for first place in the Central Division.