ODESSA, Texas – The Oklahoma Warriors battled back from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits before Malte Hasselgren scored the game-winning goal on a powerplay with 3:45 remaining to secure a 3-2 win over the Odessa Jackalopes at the Ector Count Coliseum Saturday.
Warriors netminder Daniel Duris made many grade-A stops in the first period and turned aside 16 Odessa shots to keep his team in a scoreless game through 20 minutes of play.
The Jackalopes opened the game’s scoring halfway through the middle frame off a Warriors turnover in front and took a 1-0 lead 11:49 into the second. Oklahoma answered two minutes and 48 seconds later. Hunter Allen and Blaise Miller passed back and forth in tight on the blueline and entered in onside. Allen then found Max Dronen busting into the zone, and Dronen delayed with the puck before firing in his sixth of the season 14:37. Odessa once again answered back and took a 2-1 lead with 1:36 left in the frame but the lead wouldn’t last long. Nearing the end of the period, Owen Carlile won a draw to Joey Delgreco who fed the puck to Cole Teleki at the point. Teleki skated to the far-side faceoff circle and sent a puck into Rylan Brady in the slot, who scored his 11th of the season to tie the game at 2’s with 17 seconds left.
The game-winning goal came late in the third period courtesy of the Warriors’ powerplay unit. Hasselgren brought the puck into the zone along the far side and set up a give-and-go with Garrett Horsager. Horsager floated the puck to Hasselgren, who slapped home his team-leading 12th goal of the season with just 3:45 left in the game.
The Warriors will be back in action following a holiday break for a 7 p.m. puck drop at NYTEX Sports Centre against the Lone Star Brahmas.