Allen Wins 3-2, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Europe Playoff Update, FPHL (Martinson) Showdown, ECHL Attendance Since 2018-19 and More

 

Over 2000 school kids provided the energy and their cheering (screaming) helped propel the Allen Americans to a 3-2 win over the Tulsa Oilers yesterday. Yes, hockey at 10:30 am on a Tuesday was one of the most entertaining games of the season.

 

- It was one of the most complete games of the season for the Americans. Here are some examples:

• Allen scored the first goal just 52 seconds after the opening puck drop and never trailed the entire game.
• Allen took a 2-0 lead at the 6:45 mark of the first period.
• Allen led 2-1 after the first period.
• Allen outshot Tulsa 15-0 to start the second period. Tulsa got its first shot with 3:13 left in the period.
• Despite the big shot advantage in the second period (17-5) there was no scoring.
• Allen led 2-1 after the second period.
  
• Tulsa tied the score in the third period, but Allen answered back three minutes later with the game winner.
• The game winner was scored on the power play.
• Allen outshot Tulsa 40-37. The first time in nine games this season the Americans have outshot Tulsa. It was just the third time in the last 24 games against Tulsa the Americans had more shots.
• Cole Fraser, who hadn't played in the last five games, stuck up for his teammate with a scrap toward the end of the second period and the crowd (kids) went wild.
• Luke Richardson stopped 35 of 37 shots for a .946 save percentage.
  
• Allen snapped a five game losing streak against Tulsa.
  
• Allen snapped a 10 game home losing streak.    

 

- The Americans have been playing good hockey for a while now. They are a bigger, stronger team and tougher to play against with the additions coach Ferguson has made since becoming the coach. It is nice to see the team get rewarded the last few games. Allen is now on a three game point streak. It may not sound like much, but it is only the second time in four month the Americans have had a three game point streak.

 

- Goal scorers for Allen were Jared Wescott (7, 8) and Noah Kane (2). Brad Morrison assisted on all three Allen goals. Morrison has nine points (2G, 7A) in the last three games. With a goal and an assist Noah Kane extended his point streak to five game (1G, 7A). Here are the video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/tulsa-oilers-vs-allen-americans-apr-1-2025 

- Here are the game recaps from both teams:

• Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2025/04/americans-extend-point-streak-with-3-2-win-over-tulsa 
• Tulsa Oilers: https://tulsaoilers.com/news/2025/04/slow-start-special-teams-hamper-oilers-at-americans 

OTHER COMMENTS 

- Coach Ferguson talks about the race to three goals as a key to winning. In 13 of its 16 wins this season Allen allowed two or fewer goals. The score of the other three wins was 5-3, 4-3 in OT, and 6-4.  

 

- It seems like it always happens that former Allen players score against the Americans. Allen alums Tyler Poulsen and Solag Bakich had Tulsa's goals yesterday. Poulsen has five goals in nine games against Allen. In his other 50 games this season he has 13 goals. If Poulsen scored goals at the rate he scores against Allen he would have 33 goals in his 59 games played this season. Over a full 72 game season it would be 40 goals.

 

- The game yesterday was a big loss for the Oilers. Tulsa has a three point lead over Idaho for the last playoff spot and trails Wichita by one point for third place. Idaho has a game in hand over both of them. Here are the maximum points for each team if they win their remaining games.

• 91 points - Wichita, 5 games remaining, Tulsa (A), Allen (H), Tahoe 3 times (A)
• 90 points - Tulsa, 5 games remaining, Wichita (H), Idaho (H), Allen 3 times (A)
• 89 points - Idaho , 6 games remaining, Allen 2 times (A), Tulsa (A), Kansas City 3 times (H)

How big of an impact will Allen have on which two teams make the playoffs? If you add the games remaining for Wichita, Tulsa and Idaho the total is 16 games. Six of the 16 games (38%) are against Allen. The Americans will have a big say on who makes the playoffs. 

 

 

- Next up for Allen are the final two games of the season against Idaho on Friday and Saturday. It will be a challenge for Allen to keep its point streak alive. The Americans are 0-4 against the Steelheads this season, have been shutout twice and been outscored 19-4. 

 

 

 

- If you follow the FPHL where Steve Martinson is the coach of the Athens Rock Lobsters, you know Martinson's team, a first year team, is having a great season. There are two conferences in the FPHL with seven teams in each. Athens leads the Continental Conference and Binghamton, NY leads the Empire Conference. The two teams play each other tonight and tomorrow night in Athens and it should be quite the contest. These teams are not only the best in their conference, they lead their conference in penalty minutes. Athens is 8-2-0-0 in the last 10 games, Binghamton is 9-1-0-0. 

 

 

- The top league in Germany (DEL) and one of the best leagues in Europe, is in the middle of the playoffs with the semifinals just starting.

• Alex Breton (2018-20) and Sam Ruopp (2020-21) play for ERC Ingolstadt, who is the #1 seed and has advanced to the semifinals.
• Les Lancaster (2019-20) and Konrad Abeltshauser (2014-15) play for EHC Munchen, but they lost in the quarterfinals.

 

 

- The EIHL in Great Britain has tons of former ECHL players including many Allen Americans. The regular season is just concluding and eight teams will make the playoffs. The EIHL has a soccer style playoff that happen very quickly. The first round is a two game, home and home series with total goals as the tiebreaker if the teams split. The four teams that advance finish the playoffs on one weekend (April 19 & 20). The two teams that lose on Saturday play for third and fourth place on Sunday. The two teams that win on Saturday play for the championship on Sunday. The team that wins the championship will have played a grand total of four games in the playoffs. Here are some of the former Allen players playing in the EIHL this season. Will keep you posted as the playoffs get underway.

 

• Scott Conway
• Tim Doherty 
• Daniel Leavens
• Dominic Cormier  
• Liam Finlay
• Rylan Schwartz
• Terrance Amorosa  
• Kameron Kielly
• Travis Brown
• Colton Saucerman
• Dallas Ehrhardt
• Jordan Stallard 

DID YOU KNOW: ECHL average attendance with high and low teams since 2018-19:

 

2024-25

4966 Average: 9269 (Jacksonville) - 1555 (Iowa)

 

2023-24

4981 Average: 8768 (Jacksonville) - 2015 (Iowa)

 

2022-23

4566 Average: 7751 (Fort Wayne) - 1782 (Iowa)

 

2021-22

3935 Average: 7358 (Toledo) - 1681 (Wheeling)

 

2020-21 (COVID restricted)

2275 Average: 3493 (Florida) - 987 (Wheeling)

 

2019-20

4327 Average: 8090 (Toledo) - 2267 (Wheeling)

 

2018-19

4445 Average: 7932 (Fort Wayne) - 2265 (Wheeling)