January 15, 2014

Oilers skate to wins over Grand Forks, Langdon

By Neal A. Shipman
Farmer Editor

The Watford City Junior Gold hockey team continued its winning ways picking up a pair of impressive wins in league action over Grand Forks and Langdon.
On Friday, the Oilers skated to a 4-0 win over the Grand Forks Stallions with goalie, Jon Dunn, recording his first shutout as he turned aside just eight Stallion shots.
Oilers’ Coach Dave Hansen felt that his club played their best complete game of the year against Grand Forks.
 “We played hard for 60 minutes both with and without the puck and Dunn stepped up and played a great game,” stated Hansen.
Junior wing Daniel Marmon opened the scoring for the Oilers when he jumped on a loose rebound and pounded it past the Stallions net minder, Cameron Berg. Captain Beau Heiser set up the score as he held the puck in at the blue line and blasted the puck at Berg with Marmon waiting for the rebound.
With the Oilers up 1-0 into the second period, Marmon would strike again as he slammed in a Dalton Wright rebound putting Watford City up, 2-0, midway through the period. Wright had a breakaway and was fouled from behind, and it looked like a penalty shot would be called before Marmon’s second goal of the game.
With six seconds left in the period,  sophomore Derrike Hayden took a nice feed from Ted Ramage, walked around the Stallions’ defenseman and then hit Eric Hellandsaas with a perfect pass. Hellandsaas, who was breaking down the right side, slid the puck past Berg as the horn sounded to send the Oilers into the locker room with a commanding, 3-0, lead.
The Oilers closed out the scoring with Hellandsaas picking up his second goal  of the game off an assist from Hayden.
The Oilers outshot the Stallions by an impressive 66-8, in what was the most impressive showing of the season.
On Saturday, the Oilers were up against the league leader, the Langdon Blades, and skated to a big 9-1 win as Watford City outshot the Blades, 59-20.
These two clubs played back in December with the Oilers winning in Langdon, 5-4.
“The boys really came together and played as a team,” said Hansen. “We lost our starting goalie and the boys have banded together and are holding each other accountable to work and compete hard.”
Goalie Jon Dunn turned aside 20 Langdon shots as he picked up his second win of the season.
Leading the Oilers’ scoring was Daniel Marmon, Derrike Hayden and Cody Johnson with two goals each, while single goals came off the sticks of Eric Hellandsaas, Dalton Wright and Ted Ramage.
Adding assists in the contest was Ted Ramage, 3; Brandon Allex, 2; while Tyler Uhlich, Dalton Wright and Wyatt Staal had one assist each.
The Oilers, who are 11-4 overall and 5-0 in league action, will now take on the defending state champions, the May-Port Ice Dawgs, at 8 p.m. on Friday, Jan.17, at the McKenzie County Multi-Purpose Building.

WATFORD CITY WEATHER