Third Period Sinks Thunder On Friday Night

WICHITA, Kan. (Dec. 29) – Kansas City broke open a tie game with four third-period goals and skated past Wichita on Friday night, 5-2, at INTRUST Bank Arena.

Nolan Kneen and Aaron Miller provided the offense for the Thunder. Beck Warm stopped 21 shots in the losing effort.

In the first, Kneen opened the scoring at 13:26. He collected a pass near the left faceoff dot and beat Dillon Kelley to make it 1-0.

Less than three minutes later, Marc-Olivier Duquette tied the game as he tallied his second of the season.

Neither team could find the back of the net in the second frame. Wichita outshot the Mavericks, 12-8.

In the third, Nolan Walker broke the tie at 4:50. Cade Borchardt made a nice play off the rush and found him at the right post for a tap-in goal to make it 2-1.

Miller tied it at 5:19 with his fifth of the year. He stole the puck from a Mavericks defenseman, came in on his off-side and beat Kelley over the glove to tie it at two.

Kansas City scored twice in 26 seconds to grab control of the contest. Patrick Curry made it 3-2 at 16:16. Walker found him near the crease and he slid it past Warm for his 14th of the year.

At 16:42, Jacob Hayhurst put home a pass from Max Andreev to make it 4-2.

Wichita pulled Warm in the final minute, but Bobby Hampton found an empty-net and iced the game.

The Thunder didn't have a power play in the contest. The Mavericks were 0-for-2 on the man advantage.

Kneen has goals in back-to-back games. Wahlin has three points over his last two outings. Andy Willis added an assist in his first game since November 26.

Wichita remains at home on Saturday night to host Kansas City.

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