Bates Offensive Surge Continues as Thunder Down Rush, 2-1
WICHITA, KS – Peter Bates is on a roll. The Wichita Thunder forward extended his point streak to six straight games, recording two assists, giving him at least two points in five of the last six contests and four goals and 10 assists in the last six as the Thunder defeated the Rapid City Rush, 2-1. Roman Kinal scored the game-winner and Jay Dickman had a goal and an assist. Beck Warm was spectacular, stopping 27 shots for his fourth victory of the year.
Dickman put his team on top 2:40 into the contest when he scored his 12th goal of the season. With the Thunder on the power-play, Bates passed the puck to Aaron Miller who blasted a shot that hit off the post and out in front. Dickman quickly pounced on it, putting in the rebound to make it 1-0. Dickman’s goal with his eighth of the season with the man-advantage, the most in the league.
It was the fifth power-play goal for the Thunder in the last three games and the team has at least one power-play goal in five straight contests.
Wichita clung to the one goal advantage for the next 37 minutes. Warm and Rapid City netminder Connor Murphy were both spectacular in this contest. Murphy stopped 15 shots through the first two periods while Warm had 22 saves.
In the third, Rapid City was finally able to break through just before the six-minute mark. Logan Nelson made a perfect pass into the slot and onto the stick Alex Aleardi, who beat Warm through the legs with a backhander for his seventh goal of the season.
This contest looked headed for overtime, but Kinal sent the crowd home with an early Christmas present, scoring the game-winner with seven seconds left in the contest. Kinal started the play when he fed the puck to Bates in the neutral zone. Bates entered the Rapid City end, firing a shot that was knocked down near the front, but Kinal worked his way through two defenders to collect the loose puck and put it in for his fifth goal of the season.
The Wichita Thunder (8-11-2) head to the road on Thursday, traveling to Rapid City to take on the Rush (6-10-1) for the first of three games. The puck drops at 8:05 Wichita time.
By Robert Pannier
