Mavericks Hand Thunder 5-2 Loss

WICHITA, Kan. (Feb. 16) – Wichita returned home on Friday night to host rival, Kansas City, losing 5-2 at INTRUST Bank Arena. 

Nolan Kneen and Shane Kuzmeski provided a late spark in the third, but the Mavericks held on for their 10th win in the season-series. 

In the first, Nolan Walker gave the Mavericks a 1-0 lead. Wichita was about to be whistled for a penalty. Kansas City was able to get the extra attacker on the ice. Walker fired a shot from the left circle past Trevor Gorsuch for his 24th of the year. 

Early in the second, Jake Wahlin appeared to tie the game as he redirected a shot from Dillon Boucher that beat Cale Morris. The official waived it off and then decided to review the goal. He determined there was not enough evidence to overturn it and the call on the ice stood. 

Jeremy McKenna made it 2-0 at 9:28. Kyle Jackson stole a puck from a Thunder defenseman, fed it across the slot and McKenna beat Gorsuch for his 11th of the year. 

At 15:44, Patrick Curry recorded a controversial goal to make it 3-0. During a net-mouth scramble seconds earlier, Gorsuch lost his helmet and the play was never stopped. Curry buried his first of two on the night with a one-timer at the right circle. 

He added to the lead at 9:05 of the third. Cade Borchardt won a board-battle and found Curry through the slot. He beat Gorsuch for his 25th of the year to make it 4-0. 

Kneen put the Thunder on the board with a highlight-reel goal at 14:08. He caught a pass in the high slot, stickhandled around two Mavericks and beat Morris with a wrist shot to make it 4-1.

Kuzmeski cut the lead to 4-2 at 15:49. Wahlin fed him a pass in the slot and he fired a shot past Morris for his second of the year. 

Jeremy Masella and Marc-Olivier Duquette were whistled for roughing minors that created a four-on-four late in the frame. Wichita pulled Gorsuch with two minutes to go to make the situation on the ice a five-on-four.

Max Andreev found an empty-net at 17:52 to end the scoring at 5-2.

Wichita had the only power play of the night and was unsuccessful. 

Kneen tallied his third goal of the year. Dickman has three points over his last four games. Brayden Watts has two helpers over his last three contests. Dillon Boucher has three helpers over his last four outings. 

The Thunder heads to Independence tomorrow night at 6:05 p.m. to face the Mavericks at Cable Dahmer Arena.

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