Cincinnati, OH (Feb. 10th) - Wichita battled back to force overtime on Saturday night, but fell to Cincinnati by the final of 5-4 at US Bank Arena. The Thunder gain a point and move into a third place tie with Allen in the Mountain Division playoff race.
Dyson Stevenson had three points, Lane Bauer recorded a goal and an assist and Kyle Platzer had two helpers to lead the Wichita offense.
Just 2:49 into the opening period, Stevenson gave Wichita a 1-0 lead as he got to the front of the net and put a Kyle Platzer pass through Jason Kasdorf. Bauer made it 2-0 at 7:41 when he fired a shot from the top of the left circle that got through Kasdorf. Cincinnati cut the lead to one with a goal from Alex Kile at 15:17.
Justin Vaive tied the game at 3:46 of the second. He was battling for position in front of Nick Riopel and tipped in a shot for his 19th of the year. Justin Danforth gave the Cyclones a 3-2 lead at 12:01. Mark MacMillan tried to clear it up the penalty box side of the ice. The puck hit a stanchion, re-directed back to Jesse Schultz and he found Danforth at the left circle. Nick Latta tied the game at 18:44, tipping in a shot from Jeremy Beaudry to make it 3-3.
Daniel Muzito-Bagenda scored just 35 seconds into the third to give Cincinnati a 3-2 lead. The Cyclones had a power play carry over into the final frame and he beat Riopel with a wrist shot from the left circle. Wichita tied the game late with a goal from Stevenson at 18:15. MacMillan made a terrific play just inside the Cyclones line, came down on a two-on-one and dished it off to Stevenson who tied the game at four to force overtime.
In the overtime, Danforth tipped a shot from Brandon McNally at 2:22 that gave Cincinnati a 5-4 win.
Stevenson had two goals, an assist and was a +4. He needs three more points to reach 100 career points in the ECHL. Bauer has three points in his last two games. Dufour extended his point-streak to six games with an assist and has eight points over that span (4g, 4a).
Wichita went 0-for-3 on the power play. Cincinnati was 2-for-5 on the man advantage.
The Thunder continues their six-game road trip tomorrow afternoon with their first-ever trip to the Huntington Center to face Toledo at 4:15 p.m. CST.
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