Thunder Holds Off Oilers In Front Of 9,716 On Saturday Night

WICHITA, Kan. (Dec. 23) – Jake Wahlin scored the go-ahead goal with just over 12 minutes left in the third and Wichita held off Tulsa, 4-3, on Saturday night in front of 9,716 at INTRUST Bank Arena. 

Jay Dickman and Wahlin each finished with two points. Beck Warm earned his fifth victory of the year, stopping 43 shots. 

Tulsa struck first midway through the opening period to make it 1-0. Michael Farren tipped a shot from Kylor Wall from the blue line that got past Warm for his first of two on the night. 

In the second, Kelly Bent tied the game at 2:52. He deflected a shot from Roman Kinal that beat Gage Alexander for his third of the season. 

At 7:52, Nolan Kneen made it 2-1 for his first of the season. He collected a drop pass at the right circle and buried a wrist shot past Alexander with helpers to Dickman and Wahlin. 

Peter Bates made it 3-1 at 10:14 when he fired a wrist shot from the slot past Alexander for his 16th of the year. 

Yaroslav Yevdokimov cut the lead to one on the power play at 19:37. Carson Focht fired a shot from the right boards that hit his stick, clanked off a shoulder near the net and got past Warm. 

Alexander was lifted out of the game at the start of the final period after making an unbelievable save on Dickman in the second. Julian Junca came into the contest to start the third. 

Michael Farren collected his second of the game to tie it at three at 5:11. Wichita turned the puck over in its own zone and Farren made them pay with his 11th of the season. 

At 7:37, Dickman found Wahlin near the Tulsa line and he tallied his third of the year for the eventual game-winner. He skated in on a breakaway and beat Julian Junca over the glove to make it 4-3. 

Tulsa pulled Junca and had a late offensive zone faceoff with just over a minute left. Warm made two terrific saves down the stretch and the Thunder held on for the win. 

Wichita went 0-for-5 on the power play. Tulsa was 1-for-4 with the man advantage. 

The Thunder have played in nine-straight one-goal games and every game against Tulsa has been decided by one.

Dickman finished with two helpers, giving him 200 ECHL points in his career. Wahlin tallied his second multi-point game of the season. Bates has points in 10 of his last 11 games. Stinil extended his point-steak to five contests with an assist. Kinal has points in three of his last four outings.

Wichita returns to action at home on Friday, December 29 to start a three-game series against the Kansas City Mavericks.

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