Thunder Closes Weekend Series With Loss At Iowa

CORALVILLE, IA (Mar. 24) – Wichita closed its three-game series against Iowa on Sunday afternoon, losing 2-1 at Xtream Arena. 

Michal Stinil recorded his 30th goal of the season in the losing effort. 

Iowa grabbed a 1-0 lead with less than two minutes to go in the first. Liam Coughlin skated the length of the ice during a Thunder power play. As he went below the goal line in the right corner, he sent a backhand towards Trevor Gorsuch. The puck slipped through him inside the left post for a shorthanded marker. 

In the second, Casey Dornbach made it 2-0 just 30 seconds into the frame. The Thunder had a chance to start a rush up the ice. Iowa picked off a pass near the Wichita line and Dornbach redirected a feed from Louis Boudon past Gorsuch for his 11th of the year.

The Thunder appeared to get on the board with less than 10 minutes left in regulation. Mitchell Russell took an alley-oop pass down the slot from Brandon Saigeon. He got a shot off near the top of the crease that was stopped by Hunter Jones. Russell kept banging at a rebound and appeared to knock the puck across the line. The officials reviewed the play and determined that it never went fully over the line.

Stinil broke through with less than two minutes left. The Thunder pulled Gorsuch for the extra attacker to make it a six-on-five situation. Brayden Watts fired a seam pass over to Stinil in the left circle and he beat Jones to make it 2-1. 

Wichita used its timeout with less than a minute to go and had a few late chances to get the game level. Jones shut the door on a one-timer from Bradley Marek at the left circle and the Heartlanders held on for the win. 

Both teams went 0-for-3 on the man advantage. 

All three games this weekend were decided by one. Stinil has goals in four of his last five games and points in 12 of his last 14. Lleyton Moore registered an assist, giving him points in four of his last five. 

The Thunder finishes their four-game road trip on Friday, March 29 at the BOK Center against Tulsa.

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