Thunder Falls in Game 3 to Eagles, 4-2

Loveland, CO (April 18th) - Wichita held a two-goal lead in the second, but couldn't sustain it and fell to Colorado by the final of 4-2 on Wednesday night at Budweiser Event Center.

The loss puts Wichita in a 3-0 series hole with Game 4 coming on Friday night.

Ralph Cuddemi and Lane Bauer led the way with two points apiece.

After a scoreless first, Wichita struck twice in a 16-second span to take a 2-0 advantage in the second. Jeremy Beaudry gave the Thunder a 1-0 lead with a power play goal at 5:55. He fired a one-timer from the deep slot for his first of the postseason. At 6:11, Cuddemi found a rebound off a shot from Etienne Boutet and slid it past Joe Cannata to make it 2-0.

The Eagles got back into the game two minutes later when Gabriel Verpaelst beat Shane Starrett with a wrist shot from the right circle to cut the lead to 2-1. Ryan Harrison tied it at 16:50 with his first of the series. Ryan Olsen got all the way to the net, but Starrett made a great leg-pad save. Harrison went to the crease, found the rebound and scored to make it 2-0.

Wichita had a four-minute power play at 9:46 of the third when Drayson Bowman caught Guillaume Lepine in the face. The Eagles didn't allow the Thunder to set up in the offensive zone and killed off the opportunity.

Matt Garbowsky scored the eventual game-winner at 14:24. Michael Joly blocked a shot at his own line, dished it up the ice and sprung Garbowsky. He got behind Lepine, fired a wrist shot past Starrett and both players went crashing into the net. J.C. Beaudin tacked on an empty-netter and closed the scoring at 4-2.

Wichita scored its first power play goal of the series. Cuddemi finished with a goal and an assist. Bauer had two helpers.

Wichita went 1-for-6 on the power play. Colorado was 0-for-6 on the man advantage.

Game 4 is Friday night at the Budweiser Events Center as the Thunder remains in Loveland to take on Colorado at 8:05 p.m. CST.

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