Two nights after falling to the Utah Grizzlies 6-2, the Wichita Thunder would find themselves struggling once again, this time falling to the Colorado Eagles, 8-2. The Eagles absolutely dominated this contest, led by Matt Garbowsky who netted the hat trick, and by Alex Belzile, whose play-making skills gave him 5-assists on the night.

The first period could have very well been 5-0 Eagles, as Colorado outshot Wichita 16-4. Only goalie Kent Patterson and a few great plays by his defenseman kept this a close affair, as the Thunder did not record their first shot until 11:06 into the frame. By that point, the Eagles led 1-0.

Colorado would grab the lead at 5:51 when Belzile carried the puck into the Thunder end. He passed the puck to Matt Garbowsky in the slot, who wristed a shot by Patterson for his 23rd goal of the year.

A little over seven minutes later the Eagles looked like they would extend their lead while on the power-play. Josh Nicholls had the puck behind the net and passed out to Garbowsky who was cruising down the slot, however, Patterson made a huge save to keep it a one-goal game.

A little more than a minute later, Patterson made a great save on a shot, but the puck bounced off his chest and looked like it would bound over him and into the net. However, two Wichita defenseman converged and batted the puck out of the air and away from the net, saving the goal.

At the 16:20 point, Cody Corbett fired a slapshot that Patterson saved, but the puck trickled through his pads and was left in front of the goal, as the Wichita goalie did not know where it was. Nicholls swept in looking to make the easy empty-net goal, but he directed it wide.

Finally, with 1:10 left in the period, the Colorado Eagles would extend their lead. Alex Belzile had the puck in the slot and made a brilliant pass to Casey Pierro-Zabotel at the side of the net. He simply had to tip the puck over Patterson’s pads and into the goal to make it 2-0.

Into the second period the game would go, where Colorado would blow the contest open. At the 4:16 mark, the Thunder were unable to clear the puck out of their own end. Garbowsky fired a shot that the Wichita goalie saved, but he stuck with the play and put his own rebound in for his second goal of the game.

Less than a minute later the Thunder would respond. Alexis Vanier passed to Ian Lowe in the left faceoff circle and he beat Kent Simpson with a wrist shot for his third goal of the season. That made the score 3-1.

The euphoria would not last long as the Eagles would score two goals in the ninth minute of the contest. At 8:02, Mitch Holmberg passed the puck Nicholls, whose shot was saved, but the rebound went right to Garbowsky at the other side of the net and he drilled it home to complete the hat trick.

Just 52-seconds later, Colorado would be back on the board again. Pierro-Zabotel and Luke Salazar worked a perfect give-and-go. Salazar beat Patterson for his 14th goal of the season, and that would be it for Patterson…at least at that point.

Drew Owsley entered in the contest and made two great saves before the end of the second period. He even made a great save on a penalty shot at the 3:02 mark of the third period. However, the Eagles would get a goal at 5:23 to extend their lead to five.

The Thunder goalie went behind the net to play the puck and made a bad pass that went right to Belzile. He passed out in front to Holmberg who buried it for his ninth goal of the season. That was a short-handed goal for the Eagles, their ECHL leading 12th such goal of the season.

A little over there mintues later Nicholls would add his ninth goal of the season. Belzile carried the puck into the Thunder end down the boards, staving off a Wichita defender. As he reached the corner he passed out to Nicholls who buried it. That goal would lead to Patterson returning.

At the 11:51 mark Kenny Brooks would get into the action. With the Thunder about to take a penalty, Brooks led a 2-on-1 break. At the last second he opted to simply shoot, putting the wrist shot over Patterson’s shoulder for his third goal of the year.

With a little less than two minutes left in the contest, the Thunder would get back on the board. While killing a penalty, Ryan Tesink was able to get control of the puck and led a 2-on-0 break with Arseneau. He passed to Arseneau who netted the short-handed goal for his 12th tally of the season. That would make it 8-2, which would be the final.

Matt Garbowsky finished with 3-goals giving him 25 on the season. Alex Belzile added 5-assists and was the catalyst for the team on the evening. Matt Register added 3-assists and Josh Nicholls had a goal and 2-assists. No Thunder player had more than one point.

These two teams will meet again tomorrow night. The puck drops at 7:05.

Boxscore

By Robert Pannier