Buitenhuis Blanks Mavericks, 3-0

INDEPENDENCE, MO (March 28) - Wichita closed a four-game mini series against Kansas City on Sunday afternoon, blanking the Mavericks by the final of 3-0 at Cable Dahmer Arena. 

Evan Buitenhuis earned his third career shutout, stopping all 30 shots he faced. Patrik Parkkonen, Mathieu Gagnon and Beau Starrett each scored for the Thunder. 

Wichita took a 1-0 lead just 6:20 into the game. Anthony Beauregard won a face-off back to Parkkonen and he fired one past Matt Ginn for his fourth of the year. 

In the second, Gagnon made it 2-0 at 13:59. Brayden Watts and Stephen Johnson came down on a two-on-one. Watts swept a backhand from the front of the net back to Gagnon and he wristed one past Ginn. 

Wichita had several chances to increase the lead early in the third. Ginn was forced to stop two odd-man chances along with a breakaway. Both teams had plenty of chances on the man advantage in the frame as eight minor penalties were called and there were a total of 13-combined power plays in the game.

Starrett sealed it with an empty-net goal at 17:56 to make it 3-0. He stole a puck inside the Thunder zone and sent it the length of the ice for his eighth of the year. 

Wichita has won all four games in the season-series against Kansas City at Cable Dahmer Arena. Gagnon has goals in back-to-back contests. Parkkonen has points in back-to-back outings. Beauregard added an assist, giving him points in three-straight (1g, 4a). Buitenhuis has wins in back-to-back games. 

The Thunder heads to the Black Hills next weekend for the first time this year to face the Rapid City Rush. The two-game weekend series starts Friday, April 2 at 8:05 p.m. CST.

Single game tickets are on sale now. Click here to purchase tickets or call the Thunder office at 316-264-4625.

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