WICHITA, KS – It was like déjà vu all over again for the Wichita Thunder on Friday, as they fell to the Allen Americans for the second straight night, 5-4. Luke Henman led the way for the Americans, scoring a hat trick and Brandren Troock recorded four assists. Four different players scored goals for Wichita and Brayden Watts added two assists.

Allen jumped out to a 2-0 lead less than 13 minutes in the contest. The first goal came on the power-play at 2:28. Troock won the draw back to Philip Beaulieu, who passed the puck along the blueline to Nolan Kneen. Kneen moved in from the boards to about 4 feet above the left face-off circle before firing a wrist shot that deflected off a Thunder defenseman and through the legs of Evan Buitenhuis for his second goal of the year.

Exactly 10 minutes later the Americans were back on the board. Troock gained control of the puck in the neutral zone, carrying it into the Wichita end. As he moved down the slot, he dropped the puck back to Henman. The Allen center looked like he wanted to go across the slot for the back door attempt, but opted to take the shot himself, beating Buitenhuis over the left shoulder with a wrist shot for his first goal of the night.

The Thunder got back into the contest at 15:16 when Jay Dickman scored his eighth goal of the year. An errant pass inside the Thunder zone was intercepted by Peter Crinella. He quickly dished the puck ahead to Dickman who sped through the neutral zone and into the Allen end on a breakaway. As he approached Hayden Lavigne, Dickman looked like he was going to go to the backhand, then pulled back to the forehand, using his long reach to wrap the puck around the Americans netminder and in. The goal extended his point streak to 12 straight games.

Wichita tied the score 3:22 into the second period. Tyler Jeanson, who had scored his first professional goal the night before, lost the puck briefly in the slot, but was able to regain control, wristing a shot past the glove of Lavigne for his second goal of the season.

Wichita was back in the contest, but Allen would strike for three goals in the span of 4:24 to take a commanding lead. Henman scored back-to-back goals 1:31 apart to get the Americans rolling. The first came exactly 1 minute after the Jeanson goal. A bad giveaway put the puck right on the stick of Troock. He moved the puck across the slot to Henman, who looked like he wanted to make a pass into the slot, but took the shot, beating Buitenhuis to the short side for his second goal of the night.

Just before the six-minute mark, Henman completed the hat trick. With Wichita on the power-play, Eric Roy was able to knock the puck out of his end. Henman outraced two Thunder defensemen for the puck, moving in on a breakaway. As he moved across the crease, Henman tucked the puck through the legs of Buitenhuis to make it a 4-2 Allen lead.

At the 8:46 mark, Jack Combs scored his second goal in as many nights. Troock dumped the puck along the boards behind the Thunder net where Combs gained control. He moved out, looking to the wraparound shot and was able to tuck the puck just inside the far post for his fourth goal of the year. That would be all for Buitenhuis, who gave up five goals on 15 shots.

Wichita looked like they were going to be blown out, but the team responded with two goals over the final seven minutes of the second period to make this a one goal contest. The first came at 13:04 with Wichita on the power-play. Dalton Skelley passed the puck out of his own end to Christian Hausinger. Hausinger moved to the puck ahead to Carter Johnson just before he entered the Americans zone. Johnson sped between two Allen defensemen, then made a great move, looking like he was going to go to the backhand, getting Lavigne to shift to his left before coming back to the forehand and putting the puck in for his sixth goal of the year.

With 15 seconds left in the frame, Brendan van Riemsdyk made this a one goal game. Wichita was doing a great job of forechecking, making it impossible for the Americans to get the puck out of their zone. Eventually, the puck came back to the point where Dean Stewart fired a shot that van Riemsdyk redirected past Lavigne for his first goal since joining the Thunder.

Wichita had battled back to pull within a single goal, but Lavigne would let them get no closer. The Americans goaltender stopped 11 shots in the third period, finishing with 35 saves against his former team. Besides the performance of Henman and Troock, Combs had a goal and an assist. Jake Theut stopped all 13 shots he faced after relieving Buitenhuis.

These teams will have Saturday off, then shift to Allen as the Americans will host the Thunder on Sunday. The puck drops at 4:05.

Gamesheet

By Robert Pannier