Brett Jaeger stopped 26 of 27 shots faced tonight at the BOK Center

Brahmas win sixth game in a row

Kolanos, Jacobsen each score twice, Texas moves up to third place in the South

The Texas Brahmas handed the Tulsa Oilers their sixth loss in a row while earning their sixth win in a row tonight at the BOK Center. The 4-1 victory included two goals each scored by Mark Kolanos and Grant Jacobsen. Kolanos has three points on the night, as did defenseman Justin Kinnunen who had three assists.

The win moves the Brahmas into third place in the Southern Conference with a 13-9-3 record with 29 points. They remain six points behind Allen and Odessa, who are now tied with 35 points each. The win also puts the Brahmas in fifth place in the league.

The Brahmas scored first on a quick goal by Mark Kolanos at the 3:53 mark, assisted by Elias Godoy and Justin Kinnunen.

Just over five minutes later, a second tally would come from Grant Jacobsen, giving the Brahmas a 2-0 lead at the 8:56 mark. Elias Godoy and Mark Kolanos were in on the assist.

The Brahmas narrowly led the shot count 9-8 in the first frame but were in firm control of the period throughout. The Oilers struggled with passing and were never able to get any offensive momentum going.

The Oilers came out in the second seemingly more ready to play the game, and that was proven by a shorthanded marker by Jake Riddle on a breakaway at the 1:59 mark. Sean Erickson and Troy Riddle were credited with the assist.

Any hope of a Tulsa comeback was silenced Grant Jacobsen’s second goal, a quick, twice-defected shot off the face off past Oilers goalie Marty Magers at the 13:53 mark. Justin Kinnunen assisted.

The Brahmas led the shot count again in the middle frame, 14-10. The Oilers continued to struggle throughout the period which for them was included five trips to the penalty box. By the end of the period, head coach Bruce Ramsay was quite animated in his frustration with his team's play.

Ineffective play continued to hinder the Oilers in the 3rd period although they ended up leading the shot count 9-3. Outside of killing off a five on three advantage for the Brahmas in the opening minutes of the third, not much else would go their way.

The Brahmas scored once more in the final frame, a power play tally by Mark Kolanos assisted by Justin Kinnunen to extend the Texas lead to 3 goals. The Oilers had a 27-26 lead in the shot count but would end the night with a disheartening sixth straight loss.

The Brahmas now own the series, winning three of four meetings. The two teams will meet again on January 15th and 31st. Both games will be played at the NYTEX Sports Center.

Brett Jaeger made 26 saves on 27 shots and earned the win. His record goes to 7-6-1. Marty Magers made 22 saves on 26 shots and takes the loss. His record goes to 1-5-0.

The Brahmas went 1 for 8 on the power play. Tulsa went 0 for 8. Both teams were assessed 16 minutes on eight infractions.

The 3rd Star of the game went to Elias Godoy who had a power play goal and two assists on the night. The 2nd Star was awarded to Brett Jaeger for his performance in net and the 1st Star went to Kevin McLeod for an assist and the game-winning goal.

You can view the box score here

You can view Les Stockton's photos from the game here

Observations:

• The line of Mark Kolanos, Grant Jacobsen and Elias Godoy accounted for seven points tonight (4 G, 3 A). Jacobsen leads the Brahmas with game winning goals. Tonight was his third. He also leads the team with a .255 shot percentage.
• The Brahmas dressed 16 players, with 15 on the ice tonight. Only four defensemen played (Minard, McLeod, Kinnunen, Mason). Jason Deitsch is still on the 30-day IR. Ross Rouleau was out for undisclosed reasons. James Hiebert and Luke Sellars are serving league suspensions.
• Kevin McLeod leads all CHL defensemen in 3 Star points with 13. Joe Palmer leads all rookies with 15. McLeod is third among defensemen with 18 points. AJ Gale is second amongst rookies with 16 points.
• Tulsa's leading scorer, Rob Hisey, was held to no points tonight for the second game in a row.

The Brahmas will return home for a few days before making the long trip to Prescott Valley for a two-game series against the Arizona Sundogs.

Photo Credit: Les Stockton