ALLEN, TX – Different venue, same result. The Wichita Thunder left Kansas, traveling to Texas on Sunday, but found the Lone Star State to be no more friendly, falling to the Allen Americans, 4-2. After losing to Allen on Thursday and Friday in Wichita, both by identical 5-4 scores, Wichita twice jumped out to one goal leads only to see Allen rally each time, then score the only two goals of the third period to earn the victory. Jack Combs led the way, scoring the go-ahead goal and adding two assists. Brendan van Riemsdyk had a goal and an assist for Wichita.

The Thunder jumped out to a 1-0 lead halfway through the first period. Carson Vance made a perfect pass through the neutral zone and onto the stick of van Riemsdyk before he entered into the Americans zone. The Wichita forward looked like he was going to the far post with a forehand shot, but then tucked the puck through the legs of Allen goaltender Francis Marotte for his second goal of the season.

The lead held for a little under three minutes before the Americans tied the score. Nolan Kneen fired a shot from just above the right face-off circle that Thunder goaltender Evan Buitenhuis saved. However, no one cleared out Tyler Poulsen, who put the rebound in for his third goal of the year.

The score remained tied through the first intermission, with Allen outshooting Wichita, 12-7. It had been a more tentative first period, but the second was a wild affair, with the Americans putting 18 shots on Buitenhuis while the Thunder put 12 on Marotte.

Wichita had the better of the play in the early part of the second, and retook the lead 3:38 into the period. A terrible giveaway by the Americans put the puck right onto the stick of van Riemsdyk. He fed the puck across to Jay Dickman who was moving down the slot. Dickman made a one touch pass over to Carter Johnson who blasted a one-timer by Marotte for his seventh goal of the year. Dickman earned an assist on the play, extending his point streak to 13 straight games, tied for the longest in the ECHL the season.

Wichita hung onto the lead for 10 minutes, but Kneen tied the score at 14:35. With Allen on the power-play, Combs passed the puck to Luke Henman who was standing just to the right of the goal. Henman made a beautiful one-touch, backhand pass to Kneen at the back door, who buried the one-timer for his third goal of the season.

The teams were tied once again heading into the second intermission, but the third. Belonged to the Americans, who outshot Wichita 12-6 and scored both goals in the period. At 7:58, Combs gave his team their first lead of the contest. Chad Costello took a shot from the left face-off circle that Combs redirected for his fifth goal of the year. It appeared that the stick of Combs was above the crossbar on the deflection, but the referee allowed it to stand.

With 1:26 left in the game, Allen sealed the victory when Costello scored an empty net goal. That was his ninth tally of the year, giving the Americans the 4-2 victory.

Costello and Kneen both finished with a goal and an assist for the Americans. Marotte stopped 23 of 25 shots. Despite taking the loss, Buitenhuis played well, stopping 38 of 41 shots.

The Wichita Thunder (10-9-1) travel to Utah to take on the Grizzlies (13-8-1) for a four-game series starting on Wednesday. The puck drops at 8:10 Wichita time.

Gamesheet

By Robert Pannier