Sunday night, the Wichita Thunder earned their fourth win in their last five games, this time downing the Missouri Mavericks, 4-3. Vincent Arseneau continues to be a force since returning from injury, netting two goals, including the game winner, and adding an assist to lead the Thunder to back-to-back victories.

The first period was dominated by the Wichita Thunder. The team scored three goals within the first 15-minutes of the contest and put 16-shots on net in the first frame.

Just 49-seconds into the game the home team jumped out in front. Louick Marcotte circled down near the boards to the side of the net and passed out to Daulton Levielle. Leveille fired the puck on goal but Jason Robinson made a nice save to keep the puck out of the net. However, the rebound bounced to the other side of the net. Marcotte never stopped skating after making the pass, swooping to the other side and corralling the puck, then shooting it into a near empty net for his sixth goal of the season.

At the 12-minute mark the Thunder would extend their lead. While killing a penalty, Marcotte carried the puck down the right wing side leading a 2-on-1 break. At the last possible moment, he passed across to Arseneau, who flipped the puck up and over Robinson for his third goal of the season. It was the third short-handed goal by the team in two nights.

Less than three-minutes later Wichita extended their lead to three. Ryan Tesink was able to gain control of the puck when the Mavericks were unable to clear it out of their zone. He went in on a breakaway but Robinson was able to stop him. However, Jamie Doornbosch was following right behind and put the rebound back and in for the first goal of his professional career.

Wichita was dominating this game, but Missouri would get on the board with a little less than 90-seconds left in the period. While on the power-play, the Mavericks got a shot from the point that ricocheted off the boards and back out in front of the net. A mad scramble ensued and Shawn Pauly was finally able to put it in for his second goal of the season.

In the second period, the Wichita Thunder would extend their lead back to three. At the 13:12 mark in the period, Tesink fed the puck ahead to Arseneau, who carried it into the Missouri end. He fired a shot from the right face-off circle that beat Robinson for his fourth goal of the season and his fifth point in two nights.

Wichita was dominating the contest, but in the span of less than 90-seconds the Mavericks would make this a one-goal game. The first came at the 7:25 mark in the third. While on the power-play, Lukas Lofquist moved in from the point and fired a shot that beat Thunder goalie Scott Greenham to make it 4-2. It was his seventh goal of the season.

A little over 80-seconds later, the Mavericks came flying out of their end and entered the Wichita zone. Ryan Obuchowski dropped the puck back to Dane Fox, who fired a quick shot for his ninth goal of the season.

With the Thunder clinging to a one-goal lead, the last 11-minutes were very exciting. Missouri pulled their goalie with about two minutes left in the contest, and generated continuous pressure on Greenham, outshooting Wichita 14-6 in the third period. However, they could not get the equalizer and the Wichita Thunder won 4-3.

Vincent Arseneau finished with 2-goals and an assist for the Thunder. Louick Marcotte added a goal and an assist, and Ryan Tesink had 2-assists. Greenham saved 41-shots on the night. Radoslav Illo had 2-assists for the Mavericks.

The Wichita Thunder are off until Friday when they travel to Allen, TX to take on the Americans. The game starts at 7:05.

Read Feature on Scott Greenham

Boxscore

By Robert Pannier