WICHITA, KS – It looked like he was going to be a tough night for the Wichita Thunder as the team found themselves trailing by two goals less than three minutes into the contest. However, four unanswered tallies and a spectacular performance by Strauss Mann in his debut with the team led Wichita to a 5-3 victory over the Tulsa Oilers. Mann made 49 saves, including nine during a five-minute power play for Tulsa and Dillon Hamaliuk had two goals and assist.

Tulsa got rolling early as Eddie Matsushima scored 2:04 into the contest. The Oilers forecheck was relentless, as Karl Boudrias gained control, feeding Matsushima, who beat Mann to make it 1-0. Just 49 seconds later, Tulsa was back on the board. Once again, the forecheck generated a turnover behind the Wichita net. J.C. Campagna passed the puck in front to a charging Alex Gilmour, who beat Mann with a redirect to extend the lead to two.

Tulsa dominated the first period in every way, outshooting the Thunder 18-10 and held a two-goal lead. However, Wichita was able to cut the deficit in half 1:47 into the second frame. Hamaliuk entered the Oilers zone and made a spectacular pinpoint pass to Brayden Watts, who was just above the right face-off circle. Watts beat Daniel Mannella with a wrist shot to the upper corner for his second goal of the season.

The Oilers restored their two-goal lead at 3:26 when Jack Doremus netted his first tally of the season. The momentum clearly looked as if it had swung back to the Oilers direction, but a power play goal by Timur Ibragimov just before the 10-minute mark started a run of four straight unanswered goals by Wichita.

Tulsa had the puck deep in their own end, and a terrible clearing pass went right onto the stick of Ibragimov. He moved in on Mannella, roofing a wrist shot that beat the Oilers netminder for his first goal of the year.

Just after the 15-minute mark, Hamaliuk scored the second straight power play goal for the Thunder. Wichita was doing a spectacular job of maintaining control of the puck inside the Tulsa end. Eventually the puck came under the stick of Barret Kirwin, who went across the slot to Hamaliuk, just to the outside of the left face-off circle. He beat Mannella over the shoulder to the short side for his first goal of the year.

In the third, the Thunder continued to pressure. Despite being outshot 21-7 in the frame, they came away with two goals starting at 11:02 when Stefan Fournier scored his second goal of the year. A shot by Jay Dickman was deflected by Fournier to give the Thunder their first lead of the night.

Tulsa had a golden opportunity to tie the score and take the lead when Zach Hoffman was assessed a five-minute major for an illegal check to the head. The Oilers had several golden opportunities, including a number of great opportunities where a player had split between two Thunder defenders or moved around the Thunder defenseman, moving in on Mann alone, but the Wichita netminder was spectacular, making six highlight reel saves to keep his team on top.

With just over two minutes left in the contest, Hamaliuk delivered his second goal of the game, sealing the victory. Hamaliuk finished with three points. Watts had a goal and assist.

The Wichita Thunder (1-1-0) travel to Texas to take on the Allen Americans (1-1-0). The puck drops at 7:00.

Gamesheet

By Robert Pannier