First Period Dooms Thunder in 7-2 Loss to Mavericks

Wichita, KS (Nov. 13th) - Wichita (5-8-0-0) fell behind early on Friday night and could never recover, losing to Missouri (9-2-0-1) by the final score of 7-2. The Mavericks used a five-goal first period to skate away with their fifth win against the Thunder this season. Kenton Miller and Mason Baptista recorded the two Thunder markers in the losing effort.

Missouri took advantage of an early power play as Tyler Barnes scored on a rebound in front of David Shantz. Colin Markison added to the lead with his first of three, beating Shantz over the glove side on a two-on-one at 9:11. Miller answered just minutes later to cut the lead to one with his third of the season. Missouri re-took a two-goal advantage when Andrew Courtney fed Markison for a one-timer at 14:31. The Mavericks added another goal just over 30 seconds later as Sebastien Sylvestre put home a pass in the slot. At 17:55, Courtney added another power-play goal for the Mavericks and extended their lead to 5-1. Rollheiser came in to relieve Shantz after the Mavericks fifth goal. The only goal of the second period was scored by Markison, his third of the night with minutes to go in the frame. It was the first hat trick given up by the Thunder this season.

In the third, Barnes added another just 51 seconds in after stealing the puck at the Thunder line and scoring his second of the game. Wichita got a late tally from Baptista at 14:01 to make it 7-2 to close the scoring.

Miller scored his first goal since Opening Night. Baptista recorded his fourth of the year, tying him for the team-lead. Shantz took the loss, allowing five goals on 17 shots. Robinson earned his sixth win of the season, stopping 18 of 20 he faced.

The Thunder and the Mavericks will face each other tomorrow night in Wichita starting at 7:05 p.m.

Individual tickets for all games are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at the INTRUST Arena Box office, by calling 855-755-SEAT or go online at www.selectaseat.com.

Season tickets are on sale now. Don't delay! Call the Wichita Thunder office and visit with a season ticket rep today to learn more. Stay up-to-date on all the news during the season by visiting www.wichitathunder.com.

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About the ECHL

The ECHL began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states and has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 28 teams in 20 states and one Canadian province for its 27th season in 2014-15. There have been 541 players who have started their career in the ECHL have gone on to play in the National Hockey League, including 29 who made their NHL debuts in the 2013-14 season. The ECHL had affiliations with 26 of the 30 NHL teams in 2013-14, marking the 17th consecutive season that the league had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available on its website at ECHL.com, as well as on Twitter and Facebook.

-Thunder-