Mavericks look-ahead

MAVERICKS LOOK-AHEAD

■ TODAY’S GAME: Missouri Mavericks vs. Tulsa Oilers
■ WHEN: 7:05 p.m. today
■ WHERE: Independence Events
Center
■ RADIO: KCWJ (1030 AM).
■ VIDEO: CHLTV.insinc.com.
■ MATCHUP NOTES: Tonight’s game marks the third game in the past two weeks between the Mavericks and Oilers. Missouri won both contests last week and is 4-2-1 this season against the Oilers, but the Mavericks still trail Tulsa by just one point in the standings for the fifth and final playoff spot in the Northern Conference. Tulsa defeated Wichita 5-1 Wednesday to vault back ahead of the Mavs. Forward Jeff Christian leads the Mavericks in scoring against his former team with 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists) and Tulsa’s Aaron Davis leads all scorers in the series with 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists) against the Mavericks.
■ ZOO-PERSTARS & DOLLAR DOGS: The ZOOperstars! will be featured at tonight’s game. The ZOOperstars! have been featured on America’s Got Talent and have been called the “fastest growing entertainment act” in the country. Join Mackerel Jordan, Whale Gretzky, Bobby Orrangutang, Shark McGwire and Dennis Frogman. It also marks the first of two $1 Hot Dog Nights. Fans can enjoy $1 hot dogs during the game.

■ SATURDAY’S GAME: Missouri Mavericks vs.
Wichita Thunder
■ WHEN: 7:05 p.m. Saturday
■ WHERE: Independence Events Center
■ RADIO: KCWJ (1030 AM).
■ VIDEO: CHLTV.insinc.com.
■ MATCHUP NOTES: The Mavericks play host to the Wichita Thunder in the last game between the teams at Independence Events Center this season. Missouri has not lost to the Thunder this season, going 8-0-0 and outscoring the Thunder 33-9. The teams will meet one more time in Wichita on Sunday, March 14. Paul Kelly is Wichita’s leading scorer with 37 points this season but 21 of those points came with Odessa.

■ SUNDAY’S GAME: Missouri Mavericks vs.
Texas Brahmas
■ WHEN: 4:05 p.m. Sunday
■ WHERE: NYTEX Sports Centre, North Richland Hills, Texas.
■ RADIO: KCWJ (1030 AM).
■ VIDEO: CHLTV.insinc.com.
■ MATCHUP NOTES: The Mavericks play their third game in three days when they travel to the Dallas area to take on the defending champion Texas Brahmas in the only matchup of the season between the two teams. Mavericks forward Braden Walls played in six games this season for the Brahmas before coming to Missouri. Texas is currently in third place in the Southern Conference with 61 points, trailing Odessa (80) and Allen (74), which have already clinched playoff spots. The Brahmas have won eight of their past 11 games but have lost their last two, 1-0 to Wichita on Sunday and a 4-2 loss to Bossier-Shreveport on Tuesday. Jordan Cameron leads Texas in scoring with 50 points (17 goals, 33 assists). Their top goaltender is Brett Jaeger, who has won four of his last five to improve to 17-11-1 on the season with a 2.51 goals-against average.

■ NUMBERS, NOTES, ET CETERA: The Mavericks, who trail fifth-place Tulsa by one point and fourth-place Mississippi by three points, have 12 games left on their inaugural season schedule, including seven at home. The final three, though, are on the road at Wichita (March 14), Allen (March 17) and Bossier-Shreveport (March 19). … Tuesday’s home game against the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees will be the first Shocking Prices Youth Jersey Night. The first 1,000 children ages 12 and younger will receive a free Mavericks jersey. The first 1,500 fans Tuesday also will receive mini basketballs courtesy of Kryger Glass to recognize March Madness. … Despite missing several games recently to be with his ill daughter, veteran right wing Jeff Christian is still sixth in the Central Hockey League in scoring with 66 points. His 27 goals are tied for fifth best with Odessa’s Mike Ramsay. … Mavs forward Nick Sirota remains in second place in scoring among CHL rookies with 40 points. His 17 goals are second among CHL rookies to Corpus Christi forward Ryan Garbutt’s 20. His plus-minus rating of plus-12 also is second behind Garbutt’s plus-20. … Forward Braden Walls leads all CHL rookies with a .156 shooting percentage with five goals in 32 shots in 20 games. Sirota is fourth at .129 with 17 goals in 132 shots. … Mavs right wing Carlyle Lewis is second in the CHL in penalty minutes with 217. He trails only Colorado’s Fraser Filipic (236). Missouri’s Karl Sellan is seventh with 170. … Jeff MacDermid is fifth in the CHL in power-play goals with 12. … Entering Thursday, the Mavs are third in the CHL in average home attendance with 4,738 per game with 118,465 fans in 25 home games, trailing only Colorado (5,289) and Rapid City (4,804).