Thunder Falls In Utah, 3-1

W. VALLEY CITY, UT (Jan. 18) - Wichita had plenty of chances to tie or even take the lead in the third period on Saturday night, but couldn't find the equalizer in a 3-1 loss to Utah at the Maverik Center.

The Thunder had a penalty shot, a breakaway, two power plays and a three-on-one, but Mason McDonald stood firm to hold off the Wichita attack.

Spencer Dorowicz scored the lone Thunder goal while Mitch Gillam was solid in net, stopping 33 of 35 shots.

Mitch Maxwell gave Utah an early 1-0 lead as he found a loose puck in the crease that got through Mitch Gillam and he put it home. Utah capitalized on a two-man advantage at 17:12 as Taylor Richart blasted a one-timer from the left circle to make it 2-0.

In the second, Dorowicz pulled the Thunder within one as he went coast-to-coast and buried a wrist shot from the right circle off the rush to make it 2-1.

Halfway through the third, Garrett Schmitz was hauled down as he cut through the seam and was awarded a penalty shot. McDonald got a piece of the wrister with his shoulder to preserve the one-goal lead. Several minutes later, Billy Exell led an odd-man rush, but caught the iron with a snap shot.

Late in the contest, Patrik Parkkonen was whistled for slashing and sent off to create a 4-on-4 situation. He came out of the box, caught a long pass from Beau Starrett and went in all alone. McDonald made another tough save on the chance. Travis Barron scored with 5 seconds left and Utah went on to win, 3-1.

Dorowicz scored his first goal since January 10 and has already surpassed his rookie totals from a year ago.

Wichita returns home for the 2020 Warrior ECHL All-Star Classic, presented by Toyota, coming this Wednesday night at INTRUST Bank Arena. The Thunder will hit the road to continue their seven-game road swing with three straight in Rapid City after the All-Star break.

The Thunder are excited to be the host of the 2020 Warrior Hockey/ECHL All-Star Classic, presented by Toyota, on Wednesday January 22, 2020. Get your tickets now for the league's annual showcase that features some of the best young talent across the ECHL by clicking here.

Season tickets for the 2019-20 season are on sale now. Get your seats for just $34 per month. All it takes is a $1 deposit per seat to reserve yours today. To learn more, click here or contact a Thunder representative at the office today!

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-Thunder-