Third Period Dooms Thunder in 3-0 Loss to Missouri

Wichita, KS (October 23rd) - In their first match-up of the season, Wichita was outlasted by Missouri in a 3-0 loss on Friday night at INTRUST Bank Arena. The Mavericks scored three third-period goals, two of which were in the first 1:17 that helped propel them to the victory. With the win, the Mavericks take a 1-0 lead in the Independence Cup Series. David Shantz and Josh Robinson stole the show in the first 40 minutes of the contest, kicking aside 37-combined shots. Wichita's best chance came early in the second when Josh Holmstrom and Patrick Cullity were sent off for minor penalties. The Thunder couldn't break through during their first two-man advantage of the season and the game remained scoreless. Early in the third, Wichita's hopes were dashed when Tyler Barnes caught a head-man pass from Jesse Root and scored the game's first goal 53 seconds in. Missouri added to the lead 24 seconds later when Colin Markison beat Shantz from the top of the circles to make it 2-0. Kellen Jones tacked on another at 7:40 and Robinson held the fort for his second shutout in his last three starts for the victory. Anthony Deluca led the Thunder in shots with four. The two teams combined to go 0-for-9 on the power play. Wichita continues to be strong in the second period, firing 12 shots on net. Shantz took the loss, stopping 29 of 32 shots he faced. Robinson earns the win, stopping all 27 shots he saw.The two teams will switch venues tomorrow night as the Thunder will face Missouri in their home opener 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.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.About the ECHLThe 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-