EL PASO, Texas – Daniel Duris stopped all 23 shots against for his 24th win of the season- a single season franchise record- and got six goals in support as the Oklahoma Warriors topped the El Paso Rhinos 6-0 Saturday at the El Paso County Events Center.
Oklahoma opened the scoring past the halfway point of the first period after Joey DelGreco held control during a Warriors line change and set up the reinforcements or his third assist of the weekend. DelGreco stopped up and stick handled just over the blueline and Malte Hasselgren joined the zone from the bench. Hasselgren circled the puck away from a Rhino on the far side before dishing to Adam Smith, who ripped in his third of the season to give the visitors a 1-0 lead at 11:43. Oklahoma took its lead into the first intermission.
The Warriors controlled pace in the second period and added further insurance to their lead. William Lawson-Body scored a slot-shot rebound just four seconds into a powerplay from DelGreco and William Ahlrik to make it a 2-0 game with 9:40 left to be played. Seven minutes later, Drew Sutton set up DelGreco on a breakaway, and the Warriors point leader potted his 19th goal through the five-hole to give Oklahoma a 3-0 going into the third period.
The score was stretched further with two goals in 55 seconds late in the final frame. After controlling the puck for an extended sequence in the offensive zone, a DelGreco point shot found Hasselgren behind the net, and Hasselgren set up Ahlrik at 12:27. Moments later, Lawson-Body set up a give-and-go with Rylan Brady, who dished to Brendan Williams for a backdoor one-timer. The 5-0 marker was Williams’s 20th goal of the season. He added a second on a tip from Blaise Miller and Owen Baumgartner while the Warriors were on the powerplay with 2:31 left in the game.
The Warriors will be back in action for a two-game set against the Shreveport Mudbugs from Blazers Ice Centre in Oklahoma City March 31 and April 1.