Thunder Comeback Complete on New Year's Eve at Kansas City

WICHITA, Kan. (Dec. 31) – Wichita closed out the 2024 portion of this year's schedule in Independence, Missouri, coming back to defeat Kansas City in overtime, 4-3, at Cable Dahmer Arena. 

Jay Dickman tied the game with a minute remaining in regulation and Mitchell Russell potted the overtime winner early in the extra session.

Peter Bates and Jeremie Bucheler finished with two points while Michal Stinil had three helpers to lead the way for the Thunder. Gabriel Carriere earned the win, stopping 24 shots. 

Bates opened the scoring late in the first period. Bucheler fed him a pass at the right dot and he hammered a one-timer past Victor Ostman. 

Casey Carreau tied the game early in the second. Cade Borchardt fed a pass to him in the left circle, and he beat Carriere with a one-timer for his 12th of the season. 

Cam Morrison gave Kansas City its first lead at 8:32. Marcus Crawford unloaded a shot from the deep slot on the power play and Morrison got a piece of it near the top of the crease. 

Wichita tied it at 15:17 on the man advantage. Bucheler stepped in from his point position, got to his own rebound and beat Ostman for his sixth of the year to make it 2-2.

Jackson Berezowski re-gained the lead for the Mavericks just 35 seconds later. Landon McCallum found him across the crease with a pass to the back door and he beat Carriere to make it 3-2. 

Dickman tied the contest late in the third as Carriere went to the bench for the extra attacker. He slammed home a rebound at the 19-minute mark after getting inside position on a Mavericks defender and sent the game to overtime. 

In the extra session, both teams had a few good chances to end the contest. Finnegan was denied by Ostman during a high cycle, but Ostman squeezed the rebound. Kansas City generated an odd-man chance 20 seconds later, but Carriere made the save. 

Russell netted the overtime winner at 15:58. Nolan Burke won a board battle and got the puck over to Braden Hache. He came in on a two-on-one with Russell, gave a pass to him just inside the line and Russell beat Ostman with a wrist shot from the left circle for the victory. 

Bates extended his point-streak to eight games and has two points in each of his last four. Stinil had his second three-assist game of the season and points in five-straight (4g, 6a). Bucheler has four points in his last four outings. Dickman finished with a goal and an assist, giving him four points in his last three games. Carriere has wins in his last four starts. 

Wichita went 2-for-4 on the power play. Kansas City was 1-for-2 on the man advantage. 

The Thunder kicks off the 2025 portion of the schedule on Friday, January 3 as the Iowa Heartlanders come in for three contests.

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