WICHITA, Kan. (May 15) – Tyler Coulter scored a power play goal with nine minutes left in the contest and Rapid City held on for a 3-2 win over Wichita on Saturday night at INTRUST Bank Arena.
Stefan Fournier set a new ECHL franchise-high with two points while Beau Starrett added a goal and an assist. Evan Weninger suffered the loss in his return to the lineup, stopping 30 shots.
Cedric Montminy put the Rush on the board at 1:59 of the first. He put home a rebound off a shot from Johnny Coughlin for his 16th of the season. At 10:23, Avery Peterson scored on the power play and increased the lead to 2-0.
In the second, Fournier caught a pass from Starrett near the crease and beat David Tendeck to cut the lead to 2-1. At 15:43, Starrett tied the game at two as he found a rebound near the left post and slid it past Tendeck for his 14th of the season.
Coulter scored the game winner at 11:12 of the third. Jacob Graves was called for a high stick at 10:45. Coulter tipped a shot from David Quenneville that got through Weninger for his 21st of the season and a 3-2 lead.
Wichita lifted Weninger with two minutes left to put Ian Scott in the game. He was then pulled after entering for just 40 seconds and the extra attacker came out for the Thunder. Wichita couldn't find the tying goal and fell 3-2.
Wichita's win streak ends at four games while Rapid City snaps a six-game losing skid. The Thunder's magic number remains at one despite the loss.
Fournier recorded a goal and an assist and is now the franchise leader in points for the Thunder since joining the ECHL with 109. Starrett has points in six-straight. Dickman and Peters also added helpers. Weninger made his first start since March 24.
The Thunder closes their three-game set against Rapid City tomorrow afternoon at 4:05 p.m.
Single game tickets are on sale now. Click here to purchase tickets or call the Thunder office at 316-264-4625.
ECHL TV has a new provider for the 2020-21 season. We are proud to partner with FloHockey, which provides subscribers with plenty of content. Watch live events across all screens by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Chromecast. To become a subscriber, click here.
Follow along with us on our social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.