Independence, MO (April 2nd) - Matt DeBlouw scored with 25 seconds left and Ian Lowe added an empty-netter to help Wichita claim a 5-3 victory over Missouri on Sunday afternoon at Silverstein Eye Centers Arena.
The Thunder had a balanced attack, getting goals from five different players. Jeremy Beaudry finished with two assists while DeBlouw netted his 14th of the season.
Missouri appeared to grab an early lead when a shot from Conner Bleackley hit Scott Greenham, redirected off of Andrew Courtney and in the net. The goal was waived off by the official and the game remained scoreless.
Randy Cure scored a fluky goal at 11:19 when his wrist shot got past Josh Robinson's glove into the upper corner and made it 1-0 in favor of the Thunder.
Ryan Rupert increased the lead to 2-0 early in the second as he fired a one-timer from the top of the left circle past Robinson. Conner Bleackley got the Mavericks on the board a minute later, recording his sixth of the year to make it 2-1. Wichita re-gained a two-goal advantage as Ryan Tesink went coast-to-coast and buried a wrist shot from the right circle. Radoslav Illo got one back at 13:08 as he scored during a Wichita power play to make it 3-2.
Jesse Graham tied the game with a power play goal at 4:08 of the third period. He blasted a shot from the deep slot that got through traffic to make it 3-3.
With 25 seconds left, DeBlouw took the puck across the slot on his backhand, switched it to his forehand and fired a wrist shot over Robinson's shoulder to make it 4-3. Lowe tacked on an empty-netter with one second left and a 5-3 lead. As he shot the puck in, Lowe was tripped down and that sparked a full out brawl. 12 separate misconduct penalties were handed out with one second left. The two teams combined for 134 penalty minutes when it was all said and done.
Wichita finishes the season-series, 6-4-4-4, against Missouri. O'Brien grabbed an assist and has points in three-straight (2g, 3a). Greenham claims the win, stopping 36 of 39 shots. Robinson suffered the loss, stopping 26 of 30 shots he faced.
Wichita went 0-for-5 on the power play. Missouri was 1-for-2 on the man advantage.
The Thunder returns home on Tuesday night at 7:05 to host the Tulsa Oilers.
Tuesday is Eddy's Everything Buy-In Night. Head to any of the Eddy's dealerships to get your free upper level ticket voucher. Fans can upgrade their tickets at will call to the lower level.
Individual tickets for all Thunder home games are now on sale. Tickets can be purchased at the INTRUST Arena Box office, by calling 855-755-SEAT or go online at www.selectaseat.com.
Contact a Thunder representative at the office today to learn more about our great season, group and other ticket package opportunities!
Follow along with us on our social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter (@wichita_thunder), Snapchat (wichthunder), Instagram (Wichita_Thunder) and LinkedIn, presented by Wichita Brewing Company.
-Thunder-