Wichita Begins Weekend With Loss To Kansas City

WICHITA, Kan. (Feb. 2) – Wichita returned home on Friday to start a three-game series against Kansas City, losing 4-2 at INTRUST Bank Arena in front of 9,036. 

Mitchell Russell recorded his first professional goal in the losing effort. Jack LaFontaine was terrific for Kansas City, stopping 45 shots. 

The first period was quite eventful as the two teams combined for 38 penalty minutes and three separate altercations that resulted in a fight.

Nolan Walker was awarded a penalty shot at 18:02 when he was taken down near the edge of the right circle. Trevor Gorsuch came up big, making a stick save to prevent the goal.  

Kansas City opened the scoring just 1:47 into the second. Jake Jaremko spun a backhand near the net that redirected off a Thunder defenseman's stick past Gorsuch to make it 1-0. 

Kelly Bent tied it less than three minutes later. He pounced on a rebound off a shot from Quinn Preston and beat LaFontaine for his fourth of the year 

The Mavericks answered quickly and re-took the lead. David Cotton found a loose puck in the crease after Gorsuch couldn't hold onto a shot from Jacob Hayhurst and made it 2-1. 

At the 11-minute mark, Russell wired a shot past LaFontaine from the right circle and tied it at two. 

In the third, Patrick Curry gave the Mavericks a 3-2 lead. Cade Borchardt found a loose puck behind the Thunder net. As Gorsuch pushed over to the right post, he knocked it off its pegs. Borchardt fed a pass in front to Curry and he fired it into the cage. The goal was reviewed and stood. 

The Thunder lifted Gorsuch with a minute to go and called their timeout. Cotton recorded his second of the game with four seconds left into an empty net and the Mavericks escaped with a 4-2 win. 

Wichita was 0-for-1 on the power play. Kansas City was 1-for-2 with the man advantage. 

Russell has three points in his last two games. Bent tallied his first goal since Thanksgiving weekend. Preston has points in back-to-back games. 

The two teams head to Independence, MO tomorrow night to play the second of a three-game set starting at 6:05 p.m.

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