WICHITA, Kan. (Apr. 12) – Wichita closed a four-in-five on Sunday afternoon, losing to rival Allen, 6-3, at INTRUST Bank Arena.
T.J. Lloyd, Jay Dickman and Nolan Kneen found the scoresheet in the losing effort. Roddy Ross took the loss, stopping 26 shots.
The Thunder have had a tendency of scoring first this season against Allen and that occurred once again this afternoon. Lloyd put Wichita on the board at 16:06 for his second of the year. Gavin Best found him across the zone, and he fired a shot into an open net to make it 1-0.
Allen tied the contest at 3:34 of the second period. Harrison Blaisdell, who recorded a hat trick, found the net for his 28th of the year. He stepped around a Thunder defenseman at the left circle and beat Ross from in-tight on the power play.
At 9:19, Maxim Barbashev made it 2-1 with his ninth of the year. Ty Prefontaine got a little help from some interference at the top of the circles. He slid a pass across the crease and Barbashev tapped it past Ross.
Wichita answered quickly as Dickman fired home a one-timer at 9:59 for his 24th of the season. Peter Bates made a wonderful play across the goal line and fed a backhand into the slot. Dickman beat Marco Costantini and tied it at two.
The Americans took the lead for good at 2:13 of the third. Sillinger intercepted an outlet feed, skated across the goal line and Dubois put a shot past Ross for his fourth of the year.
Danny Katic connected at 10:51, which proved to be the game-winning goal. He battled at the top of the crease and tapped home a rebound for his league-leading 37th tally of the season.
Kneen scored his fourth of the year at 12:18 to make it 4-3. He rifled a shot from just inside the blue line at the right point that beat Costantini over the shoulder. The official reviewed the play for a potential high stick, but the goal stood.
Blaisdell added is second of the night at 13:54 to make it 5-3. He had inside position down the slot and lifted it past Ross over the blocker.
Ross was lifted for the extra attacker with 2:30 remaining in the game. Blaisdell found an empty net at 18:35 to close the scoring.
With the loss, the Thunder are winless in their last seven games and fall to 1-6-0-2 in the season-series against Allen.
Best finished with two helpers. Dickman recorded his 18th multi-point game of the season with a goal and an assist. Oliver Tarr added his fourth helper of the year and has assists in back-to-back games. Kneen has points in his last two contests. Bates tallied an assist, giving him points in four of his last five games.
Wichita was 0-for-3 on the power play. Allen went 1-for-4 on the man advantage.
The Thunder close the regular season with two home games next weekend beginning on Friday night against Allen. Faceoff is set for 7:05 p.m.
