Rookies Lead Thunder Past KC

INDEPENDENCE, MO (Dec. 26) - Playing in their first professional games on Saturday night, Gordie Green, Noel Hoefenmayer and Bobby McMann paced the Thunder to a 3-1 win against the Kansas City Mavericks at Cable Dahmer Arena.

The three rookies potted their first goals as pros while Mitch Gillam earned his second win of the season, stopping 33 shots.

Green got things started at 3:59 as he found a loose puck near the slot and buried a wrist shot past Andrew Shortridge to make it 1-0. The Thunder were awarded a power play just six minutes later and grabbed a 2-0 lead. Hoefenmayer got to a long rebound in the slot and put it past Shortridge.

Both teams had some good scoring chances in the second, but couldn't find the back of the net. Kansas City outshot Wichita by a count of 13-7. Gillam made two terrific saves to keep the Thunder up by two during the frame. He stopped Austin Farley on a point-blank chance during Kansas City's only power play through the first 40 minutes.

In the third, Kansas City cut the lead to one at 10:07 as Brendan Robbins beat Gillam with a shorthanded marker. McMann increased the lead back to two with his first as a pro at 19:20. He battled in the corner, found a loose puck and scored into an empty net to make it 3-1.

McMann led all scorers with three points (1g, 2a) and had six shots on net. Matteo Gennaro added an assist and has points in two-straight. Spencer Dorowicz, Stefan Fournier and Jay Dickman also added helpers.

The Thunder closes out 2020 with their first meeting of the season on December 31 against the Allen Americans at the Allen Event Center.

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