AMARILLO, Texas–The Oklahoma Warriors improved to 9-1 since January 1st with a pair of victories at Amarillo Civic Center.
The Warriors defeated the Amarillo Wranglers by identical 4-2 scores on Friday and Saturday nights. Oklahoma, who now sits comfortably in playoff position and only four points behind fourth place, led for the vast majority of the series and did not trail once.
A pair of players scored their first Warriors goals to lead the charge on Friday. Edmond, Okla. native Josh Belz turned in his first North American Hockey League goal in the second period, then newly acquired forward Anthony Cafarelli scored his first with Oklahoma later in the second. Max Dronen finished with a goal and an assist, and Kaden Nelson picked up his team-leading 19th goal of the season.
Saturday’s game saw only one repeat scorer: Anthony Cafarelli, whose power play goal early in the third period stood as the game-winner. Louie Kamienski and Geno McEnery scored in the first and second periods, respectively.
In his first two games since committing to Long Island University, Daniel Duris recorded 61 saves on 65 shots and made numerous stops in high-leverage situations throughout the series. Duris earned his 50th career win on Saturday, extending his Warriors franchise record.
Oklahoma now begins a home game-heavy stretch of games in February, beginning with the Lone Star Brahmas at Blazers Ice Centre. The Warriors take on the top team in the south on Friday, February 9 and Saturday, February 10 at 7:15 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets at www.okwarriors.com/tickets.
