Snipers Battle but OKC Takes Series

by Scott Harrington

DALLAS SNIPERS @ OKLAHOMA CITY BLAZERS

OKC blazes past Dallas, remains undefeated

10.27.17 – Oklahoma City 13, Dallas 1

10.28.17 – Oklahoma City 7, Dallas 2

10.29.17 – Oklahoma City 5, Dallas 2

The Oklahoma City Blazers ran their streak to nine wins in a row to start the season and maintained a tie atop the Mid-West Division with El Paso, which boasts an identical 9-0-0 record.

Ivan Bondarenko scored three goals and Joshua Chamberlain and Dionne Demke each lit the lamp twice as the Blazers scored six times in the third period and pulled away for a 13-1 win on Friday night.

Oklahoma City’s Bobby Cloutier stopped nine of 10 shots, allowing only Jaroslav Vasicek’s goal late in the first period.

Patrick Tondl and Griffin Wieneck each had three assists for OKC while Bondarenko also had a pair of assists.

The Snipers hung around longer in Saturday’s game.  It was 1-0 OKC at the end of the first period, and Dallas stayed within two goals until Bondarenko’s tally at 13:54 of the second period made it 3-0 Blazers.

But Travis Hudek’s goal in the final minute of the period, and three more in the third for Oklahoma City, propelled them to a 7-2 win. 

Alex Hladonik put Dallas on the board at 10:42 of the third period and Dennis Berdnicks added the other goal for the Snipers.

Bondarenko and Wieneck each scored a pair of goals and Patrick Wiens made 35 saves for the Blazers.

Many teams that are out-played in a series wear down by Sunday, but the Snipers came up with their best effort in the third game.

Cloutier stopped all 17 shots he faced through the first two periods, but Oklahoma City was oly able to get of their own past Dallas netminder Brady Weiss – those off the sticks of Tondl and Bondarenko.

Vasicek and Marom Avraham scored goals four minutes apart to tie things up, 2-2, but Connor Dunn put the Blazers back in front at 9:58.  Travis Hudek’s tally with 5:53 left gave OKC a two-goal lead and Tondl’s second of the game a minute and a half later out the finishing touches on a 5-2 Blazers win.

Weiss made 32 of his 39 saves through the final two periods.