Bates Two Goal Night Not Enough as Thunder Fall in OT, 4-3
RAPID CITY, SD – Peter Bates scored two goals to help force overtime, but the Wichita Thunder fell to the Rapid City Rush, 4-3. Blake Bennett scored the game-winner in overtime, spoiling the Thunder comeback. Beck Warm took the loss despite making 31 saves.
Rapid City came away with the only goal of the first period when Maurizio Colella notched his fifth goal of the season 7:38 into the frame. Keltie Jeri-Leon passed the puck toward the front of the net where Colella redirected it past Warm to make it 1-0.
The second period would see the Rush extend their lead to two before Wichita battled back to tie the game. This was a weird frame that saw three goals scored, all unassisted.
Rapid City extended the lead to two when Logan Nelson intercepted a pass inside the Thunder zone, then beat the Wichita goaltender with his fifth goal of the season. That occurred just 28 seconds into the period.
Bates responded just 62 seconds later, cutting the deficit to one. The Thunder star picked the pocket of a Rapid City defenseman near the top of the circle, then ripped a shot past Jason Pawloski for his first goal of the night.
At 10:40, Jason Pineo netted his second goal of the season, scoring a shorthanded goal. The Thunder penalty killer gained control the puck inside the neutral zone, then sped into the Rapid City zone, coming off the boards through the slot before wristing a shot past the Rapid City netminder to make it 2-2.
Rapid City regained the lead 10:20 into the third period when Brandon Yeamans scored his first goal of the season. Colella passed the puck to Yeamans just before he crossed the blueline. Yeamans moved about 15 feet away from the net before lifting a shot over the shoulder of Warm to make it 3-2.
The Thunder were down once again, but Bates tied the score, taking advantage of a 5-on-3 power-play opportunity. Roman Kinal took a shot that Pawloski saved, but Bates put the rebound in for his 14th goal of the year.
That sent the game to overtime, but a hooking penalty gave Rapid City the man advantage a little less than a minute into the extra session. That is where Bennett redirected a Nelson attempt past Warm with the game-winner, his eighth of the year.
The loss dropped the Wichita Thunder to 9-12-3, fourth place in the Mountain Division standings. Rapid City moved to 8-11-1, four points behind Wichita. These teams will square off again on Saturday with the puck dropping it 5:05 Wichita time.
by Robert Pannier
