March 4, 2014

Junior Gold falls to May-Port in state hockey title game

Watford City’s Junior Gold hockey team came home with the runner-up hardware from the State Tournament held in Crosby, N.D., this past weekend.
The Oilers opened the tournament with an impressive 9-4 win against the Richland Rangers in dominating fashion. Scoring for the Oilers was Cody Johnson, two goals and two assists; Ted Ramage, two goals and one assist; Derrike Hayden, two goals and one assist; Dalton Wright, one goal and three assists; Tyler Uhlich, one goal and one assist; and Bridger Morken one goal. Adding assists in the game for the Oilers was Jon Dunn, Beau Heiser, Wyatt Staal and Cody Kirkland, with one assist each. Quayde Shores turned aside 25 Richland shots in net for the Oilers.
In semifinal action, the Oilers were matched up against the Crosby Comets, a team the Oilers had  played three times this season with the Oilers winning all three games by one goal each time.
Crosby opened the scoring when Taylor Elsberned had a break-away, beating Quayde Shores on the stick side for an early Comets lead. Dalton Wright scored for the Oilers just two minutes later teaming up with linemate Ted Ramage to knot the score at 1-1 midway through the first period. Ramage put the Oilers up 2-1 just 16 seconds later when he slipped the puck between the legs of the Comets’ goalie on a Derrike Hayden assist. The Oilers kept buzzing the Comets and Hayden found the back of the net on a Wright assist, putting the Oilers up 3-1 with five minutes to play in the period. Jon Dunn closed out the scoring with just five seconds remaining in the period, converting a nice feed from Wright for a commanding 4-1 lead at the intermission.
The Oilers would score one goal in the second period on a great play from Cody Johnson as he snipped a shot over the glove of the Comets goalie. Beau Heiser and Daniel Marmon added assists on the play.
Crosby opened the scoring just six seconds into the third period while the Oilers were killing a 5-on-3 power play. For the Comets, Will Landsverk stepped over the Oilers blueline and ripped a shot beating Shores on the blocker side. Oilers Alternate Captain Ted Ramage, on a Heiser assist, answered the call two minutes later when he walked in all alone and slipped the puck into the net for a 6-2 Oiler lead. Jon Dunn kept the Oilers rolling when he ripped a shot over the shoulder of the Comets’ goalie for a 7-2 Oiler lead. Daniel Marmon added the assist on the scoring play. Eric Leiseth closed out the scoring for both teams on an unassisted goal with 3:33 remaining.
Shores was very impressive in the net for the Oilers, turning back 31 shots.
In the title game, Ted Ramage opened the scoring when he took a Dunn assist, drove hard to the net and slid the puck past the Ice Dawgs’ goalie for an early Oiler lead.
May-Port would answer the call six minutes later when they pounded home a rebound past Shores to even the score at 1-1. The Oilers would strike again with five minutes remaining in the period when Daniel Marmon, on a Dunn assist, blasted a shot over the shoulder of the Ice Dawgs’ goalie.
May-Port scored the next four goals to close out the scoring, claiming their second straight title.
Shores turned aside 37 shots in goal for the Oilers.
The Oilers closed out the season with an impressive 22-9 season record.

WATFORD CITY WEATHER