WICHITA, Kan. (Feb. 5) - Billy Exell scored three minutes into overtime to push Wichita past Idaho, 5-4, on Saturday night at INTRUST Bank Arena.
Exell, Peter Crinella and Michal Stinil led the way for the Thunder with two points. Jake Theut grabbed the win, stopping 32 shots.
The game mirrored Friday night's overtime contest between the two teams. Cam Clarke scored on the power play at 3:55 of the first to give the Thunder a 1-0 lead.
Colton Kehler tied it at 7:26 with a power play marker from the left circle. At 9:11, Frederic Letourneau got to a loose puck off a faceoff and beat Theut to the blocker side to make it 2-1.
Dalton Skelly tied the game at 17:47. He fired a shot from the left point that got past Colton Point to make it 2-2.
Alex Peters made it 3-2 at 4:47 of the second. He caught a pass near the top of the crease. With his back to the net, he turned around on his backhand and slid it off the far post. At 12:56, Stinil jammed home a rebound for his eighth of the year to make it 4-2.
Idaho mounted a third period comeback for the second night in a row, scoring twice on the power play. Kyle Marino scored at 6:04 to cut the lead to 4-3. Mason Mitchell redirected a shot from the blueline at 17:14 to even up the contest at four.
In overtime, Exell came up the left wing on a two-on-one and fired a wrist shot to the short side for the game-winner.
Wichita wins its first overtime game of the season. The Thunder had five different goal scorers and 12 different players collected points.
Exell and Stinil each had a goal and an assist. Crinella, in his first game back since returning from Springfield, tallied two helpers.
Wichita and Idaho close a three-game set tomorrow afternoon at 4:05 p.m.
Single game tickets are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at the Wichita Thunder office located at 505 W. Maple, Suite 100, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On weekday game days, the Thunder office closes at 4 p.m. Click here to purchase online!
Fans can also purchase tickets at the Select-A-Seat Box Office at INTRUST Bank Arena Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and starting at noon on weekend game days.