WICHITA, Kan.(Jan. 10) – Wichita returned home on Saturday night to begin a six-game homestand, losing in a shootout to Allen, 5-4, at INTRUST Bank Arena. 

Declan Smith, Michal Stinil, Nico Somerville and Kyle Crnkovic provided the offense for the Thunder. Tyriq Outen suffered the loss in his first ECHL start, stopping 28 shots. 

Allen got off to a quick start for the second game in a row. Just 1:49 into the contest, Colby McAuley put home a rebound off a broken play during a two-on-one and collected his 11th of the season to make it 1-0. 

At 13:27, Danny Katic made it 2-0 on the power play. He set a screen at the top fo the blue paint and redirected a shot past Outen for his 14th of the year.

Stinil cut the lead in half at 15:54. Ryan Finnegan fed a pass to him in transition and he whistled a shot past David Tendeck for his seventh of the campaign.

Early in the second, Smith tied the contest at two. He split two defenders during a delayed penalty and beat Tendeck with a backhand under the glove for his fourth of the season.

Hank Crone re-gained the lead at 12:16 on the power play. He was all alone in the right circle, outwaited Outen and beat him with a wrist shot. 

Somerville tied the game at 14:53 with his first of the year. Nick Nardecchia made a terrific play in the neutral zone and started a rush back the other way. He threaded the needle to Somerville down the slot and he beat Tendeck.

In the third, Crnkovic gave the Thunder their first lead of the night. Kirby Proctor made a great play in the high slot to find him near the right post. Crnkovic slipped it through Tendeck for his 16th marker to make it 4-3.

At 10:16, Brayden Watts tied the game at four. He cut down the middle of the ice and fired a shot from between the circles past Outen. 

Allen was awarded a late power play when Peter Bates was assessed a holding minor at 18:21. The advantage carried over into extra time after 60 minutes expired. 

Despite not being able to find the back of the net, the two teams played almost four-straight minutes of four-on-four in the extra session. Crnkovic nearly ended it with a chance at 2:07. His shot hit square off the post and play continued. 

In the shootout, Crnkovic was the lone scorer for the Thunder at the top of round one. Michael Gildon extended the penalty shot round with a goal in the bottom of round three. Peter Bates was denied at the top of round four. Katic tallied the winner at the bottom of round four and gave the Americans the extra point. 

Wichita sees its winless streak hit three and falls to 1-3 in games decided in the shootout.

Crnkovic has five goals in his last five outings. Bates netted an assist, putting him one point shy of 200 ECHL points. Smith added second goal in 2026 with his last coming on January 2. 

Wichita went 0-for-5 on the power play. Allen was 2-for-6 on the man advantage. 

The Thunder closes a busy week with an afternoon tilt at 2:05 p.m. against Allen.

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