Thunder Finishes Wheeling Trip With Comeback Win

WHEELING, WV (March 21) - Wichita closed its three-game series on Sunday against Wheeling in dramatic style, coming back from a two-goal deficit for a 6-4 win at WeBanco Arena. 

Trailing 4-2 in the third, the Thunder scored a season-high four times to take four out-of-a possible six points.

Anthony Beauregard led the way for the Thunder with five points. Stefan Fournier had a Gordie Howe hat trick (goal, assist, fight). Jay Dickman had four points and was named the number one star. Evan Weninger earned his 15th win of the season, stopping 31 shots. 

Matt Miller gave Wheeling an early lead as he put home a rebound at 3:21 of the first period. At 11:45, Beau Starrett scored on the power play to tie the game. He blocked a clearing attempt in the slot and fired a wrist shot past Taran Kozun for his sixth of the year. Austin Fyten tallied his 12th of the season at 17:16 to regain the lead for Wheeling. With less than a minute to go, Dickman recorded his first of two and sent the game tied at two into the first intermission. 

The Nailers scored twice in a three-minute span in the second to take a 4-2 lead. Miller found the net for the second time in the contest at 9:16 and gave Wheeling a 3-2 advantage. Josh Winquist made it 4-2 at 11:58 and he recorded his third of the season. 

The comeback began just four minutes into the third as Beauregard put home a rebound on the power play during a two-man advantage to cut the lead to one.

At 10:21, Fournier jammed home a loose puck for his 15th of the year and tied the contest at four. He almost had back-to-back tallies with under five minutes left, but the goal was waved off. The official determined the puck was kicked in with his skate.

Dickman gave the Thunder their first lead at 17:52 as his pass banked off a Nailers stick over Kozun for his second of the contest to make it 5-4. 

Wheeling pulled Kozun with two minutes to go, but Beauregard found an empty net at 19:20 and closed the scoring for the Thunder. 

Wichita tallied its second two-goal game on the power play and went 2-for-6 on the day. Beauregard finished with two goals, three assists and was a +3. Fournier was a +4 and had five shots on net. Dickman had a two goals and two helpers.

Wichita returns home on Wednesday night to host Kansas City starting at 7:05 p.m.

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