ALLEN, TX – The Wichita Thunder closed out 2020 in style on Thursday night, blowing past Allen by the final of 7-2 at the Allen Event Center.
Matteo Gennaro, Gordie Green and Jeremy McKenna each had two goals and seven others picked up points in the winning effort. Mitch Gillam claimed his third win of the season, stopping 38 shots he faced.
Green got things started early in the first period when he came around the Americans net, used a screen and fired a shot past Zach Sawchenko to make it 1-0. McKenna netted his first as a pro at 4:12 to make it 2-0 with a shot from the high slot. The Americans had plenty of chances on the man advantage as Wichita took four minor penalties. Gennaro increased the lead to 3-0 with a shorthanded goal at 14:36. He took a drop pass from Green, cut onto his forehand and beat Sawchenko from a bad angle for his third of the season. Corey Mackin cut the lead back to two with a power play goal at 15:19 to make it 3-1.
In the second, Peter Crinella tallied his first of the year at 1:34 to make it 4-1. Joseph Garreffa got one back just over 20 seconds later as he found a loose puck near the crease and put it past Gillam. At 11:14, McKenna blasted a one-timer past Sawchenko from the left circle to increase the lead to 5-2. Green added his second of the game at 15:18 with assists to Spencer Dorowicz and Bobby McMann. Wichita headed into the locker room with a 6-2 lead after two.
The only goal of the third period came from Gennaro at 1:10 as he caught a pass from McMann and buried it for his second of the night and a 7-2 lead.
Green and Gennaro led the way with three points each (2 goals, 1 assist). Mathieu Gagnon (2 assists), Anthony Beauregard (2 assists) and McMann each had two points as well. Three players were a plus-4 (Cam Clarke, Green, Gagnon). Wichita scored a goal in each period before the two-minute mark.
The Thunder open their home schedule on Friday, January 1st against Allen at 7:05 p.m.
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