Pouliot's First Pro Goal Propels Thunder Past Heartlanders

WICHITA, Kan. (Oct. 28) – Xavier Pouliot tallied his first goal as a pro, which turned out to be the game-winner late in the third and helped Wichita hold off Iowa on Saturday night, 4-3, at INTRUST Bank Arena. 

Michal Stinil, Peter Bates and Brayden Watts each finished with two points. Trevor Gorsuch earned his first win of the season, stopping 30 shots. 

After a scoreless first, Stinil broke through with his second of the year just 38 seconds into the second. Ryan Finnegan fired a wrist shot off Hunter Jones and Stinil pumped home the rebound to make it 1-0.

The Heartlanders responded at 3:22 off a goal from Jesse Jacques. He stepped around a defenseman and beat Gorsuch to make it 1-1.

Just five seconds later, Watts re-gained the lead with his first of the year. Aaron Miller fed him right off the faceoff at center ice and he beat Jones to make it 2-1. 

Maxim Cajkovic recorded his first of the year at 4:22 on the power play to equal the score at two. 

Bates made it 3-2 at 15:20 when he put home a rebound after he was stopped on a breakaway. The Heartlanders challenged the play for an illegal goal, but the marker stood.

In the third, the Heartlanders tied the game at 7:50 as Cajkovic tallied his second of the night off of a faceoff win. 

Pouliot scored the go-ahead goal at 13:31 to make it 4-3. He found a loose puck that redirected off of Bradley Marek and fired a shot through a screen past Jones for his first of his career. 

Iowa was awarded a late power play and lifted Jones for the extra attacker with less than two minutes left. The Thunder held off the late push and claimed the win. 

Wichita was 0-for-3 on the power play. Iowa went 1-for-5 with the man advantage.

Watts earned his 100th career assist. Bates and Stinil had a goal and an assist. Masella finished with 21 penalty minutes. Finnegan has points in three-straight. Lleyton Moore has three assists in his last two games. 

The Thunder finishes a busy week tomorrow afternoon at 4:05 p.m. against Iowa.

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