Thunder Knocks Off Allen In Shootout

Wichita, KS (Oct. 19th) - Colin Jacobs scored the only shootout goal and Stuart Skinner stopped all three Allen shooters to help Wichita to a 6-5 victory on Friday night at INTRUST Bank Arena.

Dyson Stevenson led the way for the Thunder with three points while Colin Larkin and Hayden Hodgson each collected two a piece.

In what was a low scoring game through the opening frame, the two teams erupted for eight goals combined in the second period.

Ralph Cuddemi had the lone tally in the opening 20 minutes as he netted his first of the season.

The Americans grabbed a 2-1 lead with back-to-back goals at the start of the second. Braylon Shmyr and Dante Salituro scored less than two minutes apart for the visitors. Tyler Elbrecht tied the game at three at 6:51 as he found a loose puck off the end wall behind C.J. Motte and tucked it in on his backhand. Shmyr, who recorded a hat trick, re-gained the lead for the Americans at 9:33. Just 14 seconds later, Hodgson caught a pass from Matt Schmalz and beat Motte to make it 3-3. Stevenson scored the next two with his first coming at 10:31 and second at 16:13 to give Wichita a 5-3 lead. Shmyr cut it to one at 17:42 with a nifty backhand during a two-on-one break. His goal ended the eight-goal onslaught with the two teams combining for 31 shots in the second.

Alex Breton tied the game for Allen at 8:33 of the third. He fired a shot from the left point that got past Skinner to make it 5-5. Regulation wouldn't be enough and the two teams headed to overtime.

Wichita began the extra session on a power play, but failed to convert. For the second-straight Friday, the Thunder headed to a shootout.

Skinner denied Shmyr, Casey Pierro-Zabotel and Dante Salituro. Jacobs scored in the first round and that would be the only marker that would hold up as the Thunder escaped with a 6-5 win.

Stevenson finished with two goals and an assist. Hodgson was a +2 with a goal and an assist. Larkin recorded his first pro multi-point outing with a pair of helpers. Skinner earned the win and is now 2-0 in shootout situations.

Wichita travels to Allen to finish the weekend and closes a three-game mini series against the Americans tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m.

The Thunder's next home game is November 4th when the Utah Grizzlies make their first trip of the season to the Air Capital. November 4th is Military Appreciation Night, presented by Spirit Aerosystems. Join us before the game for the Air Force vs. Marines at 2 p.m. All active military with a valid ID get a complimentary ticket to the game.

Season tickets for the 2018-19 campaign are on sale now. Get your seats for just $15 per month. All it takes is a $1 down per seat to reserve yours today. To learn more, click here or contact a Thunder representative at the office today!

Follow along with us on our social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter (@wichita_thunder), Snapchat (wichthunder), Instagram (Wichita_Thunder) and LinkedIn.

-Thunder-