Thunder Downed By Americans On Thanksgiving Eve

WICHITA, Kan. (Nov. 22) – Wichita battled back from a two-goal deficit in the third period, but lost on Wednesday night to Allen, 5-3, at INTRUST Bank Arena. 

Jeremy Masella led the way for the Thunder with two goals while Dillon Boucher added the other for Wichita. 

Boucher got the scoring started at 7:29 of the first. Nolan Kneed fired a shot from the deep slot that was stopped by Mark Sinclair. He wasn't able to hold onto the rebound. Boucher caught it with his skate and it got past Sinclair. The goal was reviewed for a kicking motion, but stood and gave Wichita a 1-0 lead. 

In second, Solag Bakich recorded his second of the year at 10:15 to tie the game. Ty Fournier let a shot go from the slot that Beck Warm stopped. He couldn't handle the loose puck and Bakich slid it in to make it 1-1. 

At 17:58, Spencer Asuchak scored on the power play to make it 2-1. Kris Myllari fired a shot from the deep slot and Asuchak cleaned up the rebound for his third of the year. 

In the third, Hank Crone potted his second of the season at 2:16 to make it 3-1. He fired a wrist shot from the left circle over the shoulder of Warm. 

Masella tallied back-to-back goals to help the Thunder pull even at three. He recorded his first at 5:25 to cut the lead to 3-2. He charged to the blue paint during a net-front scramble and slid a loose puck past Sinclair for his second of the year.

His second of the frame came at 10:38. Masella came out of the penalty box, caught a pass from Xavier Pouliot, got behind the Allen defense and deked out Sinclair with a beautiful forehand, backhand move. 

Just 1:21 later, Matt Marcinew capitalized on a Thunder turnover and scored to make it 4-3. 

Wichita was able to get Warm out for the extra attacker and used its timeout with less than a minute left in regulation. Myllari found a rebound near the blue paint and fired it the length of the ice into the empty-net to seal the victory. 

Wichita was 1-for-2 on the power play. Allen was 1-for-7 on the man advantage. 

Masella notched his first two-goal and two-point game of his career. Jay Dickman has three points in his last two games. Boucher has goals in back-to-back games and points in three-straight. Aaron Miller has three points in his last two outings.

The Thunder heads to Kansas City to start a two-game set beginning on Black Friday beginning at 7:35 p.m. at Cable Dahmer Arena.

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