INDEPENDENCE, MO (January 30, 2016)— The Missouri Mavericks took a 5-2 victory over the Wichita Thunder at Silverstein Eye Centers Arena on Saturday night, improving their overall record to 34-5-1-1, with 70 points atop the ECHL standings.
Goaltender Josh Robinson extended his ECHL record win-streak to 18 consecutive victories. The 26 year-old net-minder broke the previous league record on Tuesday, Jan. 26 with the Mavs’ 6-5 OT victory over the Evansville IceMen.
The Mavericks began Saturday night’s contest against the Thunder just as they did the night before, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first period. Rookie forward, Tanner Fritz, scored first for the Mavs at 8:58 with the help of Andrew Courtney and defenseman Bryce Aneloski.
Then Rocco Carzo stuffed the puck past net-minder Grant Rollheiser during a flurry of action in front of the Wichita goal. Tyler Barnes and Jesse Root were credited with the assists on Carzo’s eighth goal of the season at 12:45 of the opening period.
Carzo moved the needle up another notch in the 2nd frame for the home team when he took a feed from Root to make it 3-0 in favor of Missouri. Ian Lowe cut into the Mavericks’ lead at 13:59 with an unassisted goal past Josh Robinson.
The Thunder closed the gap early in the final frame of regulation when Lowe scored yet another unassisted tally just 36 seconds into play while his team was short-handed, but the Mavericks were able to find a beautiful tic-tack-toe goal in front of Rollheiser for a 4-2 lead at 11:33. Tyler Barnes made the scoring drive off the play from teammates Root and Carzo.
Then Jesse Root—the Mavs leading goal scorer notched his 20th goal of the season, unassisted, at 16:53 to secure a 5-2 win at home for Missouri.
The Missouri Mavericks play their next home game on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 7:05p.m. when they host the Colorado Eagles for the first time at Silverstein Eye Centers Arena since joining the ECHL in 2014.
Text courtesy of the Missouri Mavericks
Photography courtesy of Jeremiah Griffith. You may contact the photographer @JAGriffith_PHN, or at Jeremiah.Griffith@prohockeynews.com
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