Special Teams Helps Thunder to 5-1 Win over Tulsa

Tulsa, OK (April 8th) - Wichita blew open a one-goal game, scoring three times in the final three minutes of the third period and skated past Tulsa with a 5-1 victory on Friday night at the BOK Center.

Louick Marcotte scored twice and Gerrad Grant added two points to pace the Thunder offense. The Thunder finished with three shorthanded tallies and two empty-net markers in the win.

Marcotte netted his 17th of the season at 8:23 of the first period to give the Thunder a 1-0 lead. He caught a pass behind the Oilers' defense and scored a shorthanded tally with a backhand through Jonah Imoo.

Tulsa tied the game at 4:58 of the second. Garrett Ladd was waiting near the red line, caught a long pass behind the Wichita defense and scored with a backhand on a breakaway. Blake Tatchell re-captured the lead for the Thunder at 8:58. He took a pass from Chris LeBlanc, skated in all alone and beat Imoo with a backhand to make it 2-1.

Late in the third, Grant blocked a shot near the Wichita line, skated past the Oilers defense and fired a wrist shot to make it 3-1 at 16:20. His goal was the second shorthanded marker of the game. Jake Bolton added to the lead just 19 seconds later as Imoo was pulled for an extra attacker. He lifted a shot from the Thunder zone into an empty net to make it 4-1 and the third shorthanded goal of the contest. Louick Marcotte finished off the scoring with an empty-netter at 19:15 to make it 5-1.

Wichita sets a new season-high with three shorthanded markers in one game and improves to 7-4-0-0 when scoring with a man down. Marcotte sets a new career-high in goals, recording his 17th and 18th of the season.

Owsley claims his ninth win of the season, stopping 39 of 40 shots. Imoo suffers the loss, stopping 24 of 27 shots he faced.

Wichita went 0-for-2 on the power play. Tulsa was 0-for-6 on the man advantage.

The Thunder returns home tomorrow afternoon to close the regular season starting at 4:05 p.m. against the Allen Americans.

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