ALLEN, TX (Jan. 4) – Wichita kicked off the 2020 portion of its schedule on Saturday night, falling in Allen by the final of 7-2 at the Allen Event Center.Fabrizio Ricci and Jason Salvaggio scored in the losing effort for the Thunder.
Allen hopped out to a quick 2-0 lead with goals from Jordan Topping and Corey Durocher less than three minutes apart. Salvaggio cut the lead to 2-1 at 6:16 with a wrist shot from the slot to make it 3-1. With six minutes to go in the frame, Peter Crinella was hauled down on a breakaway and was awarded a penalty shot. He missed the net with a wrist shot and it remained 2-1. The Americans added to the lead at 15:14 as Topping walked out of the corner and beat Evan Weninger for his second of the frame.
Ricci cut the lead to 3-2 at 6:44 of the second as he tipped home a shot from Chris Crane on the power play. Allen scored twice down the stretch in the frame as Gabriel Gagne and Alex Guptil netted markers in the final nine minutes.
Topping tallied his hat trick goal early in the third after blocking a pass from Ostap Safin and raced the other way on a breakaway to make it 6-2. At 16:21, Gagne tipped in a shot from the blueline for his second of the night to end the scoring at 7-2.
Wichita has power play goals in five of its last six games. Ricci had a goal and an assist. Crane, Crinella and Vincent Desharnais picked assists.
The two teams will head to Wichita on Tuesday night to close a two-game set with the opening face-off coming at 7:05 p.m.
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