en-us Thu, 17 May 2012 03:08:55 -0500 Thu, 17 May 2012 03:08:55 -0500 www.wichitathunder.com http://www.wichitathunder.com/rss/hockey_news.xml http://www.wichitathunder.com/rss/hockey_news.xml webmaster@wichitathunder.com (Managing Editor) 60 Wichita Thunder Hockey News Wichita, KS (May 16th) The Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League are pleased to announce that the contract for Head Coach Kevin McClelland has been extended through the 2014-15 season. In just his second season behind the Thunder bench, McClelland led Wichita to their first CHL Finals appearance in 14 seasons. He has orchestrated one of the leagues best turnarounds, going from just nine wins in 2009-10 to tying a franchise record this season with 44 victories and collecting his second Governors Cup of his career for the most points in the regular season. We are thrilled to be able to retain Kevin for three more years, said Thunder owner Rodney Steven II. Kevin has done great things for this franchise over the last two seasons and we look to build on that success as we strive to bring a CHL Championship back to Wichita. McClelland was named as the CHL Coach of the Year this past season, which is the second of his career. He earned the honor back in 2006-07 while guiding the Memphis RiverKings to a 39-19-6 record and a trip to the Northern Conference Finals. He became just the second coach in CHL history to win the distinguished award twice. McClelland was also named Best Coach in the annual Best-of-the-Best Poll, which is voted on by CHL players, coaches and operational staff from all 14 CHL teams. Earlier this year, McClelland joined an elite club, coaching in his 400th game on November 25th as Wichita beat Tulsa 4-2. He is just the 11th coach in CHL history to reach that milestone. In seven seasons, McClelland has amassed a record of 265-152-35 with the RiverKings, Colorado Eagles and Wichita. He ranks eighth on the leagues all-time wins. Prior to coaching, McClelland won four Stanley Cups and played in 588 NHL games where he scored 68 goals, 112 assists and collected a staggering 1,672 penalty minutes. The Oshawa, Ontario native was a fourth round draft pick of the Hartford Whalers in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft. Wichita Thunder season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in season tickets. Stay up-to-date on all the news this off-season by visiting . -Thunder- Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1509.html#1337242135 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1509.html By Jeffrey Lutz, Wichita Eagle - If there is any good news about the Thunder ending its season with a loss in the CHL Finals on May 7, its that there isnt a lot of time to stew about it. The 2012-13 season begins in about five months, which means that in about four, the Thunder will begin practice. The amount of time between the end of last season and the beginning of next may seem longer because of the negative feelings the break accompanies, but the actual time wont allow those feelings to fester as much. "Theres a lot of highs and lows, but the only thing we can do is learn from that," Thunder defenseman Justin Sawyer said. "Everyone individually can learn a few things. We fell short, but now we know what it takes. For more on this story, click Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1508.html#1337242136 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1508.html Fort Wayne, IN (May 7th) Wichita avoided elimination this past Saturday, but couldn't extend the series back to the Air Capital, losing 6-3 to the Fort Wayne Komets in Game 5 of the 2012 President's Cup Finals on Monday night. Fort Wayne wins the series 4-1 and earns its first President's Cup since joining the CHL. Wichita got off to a good start as Aaron Davis was pulled down heading to the net and was awarded a penalty shot. He took advantage of the opportunity and beat Nick Boucher to give the Thunder a 1-0 lead. The lead didn't last long, however, as the Komets scored three times in 2:14. Colin Chaulk redirected a shot from the blue line past Bryan Hogan and tied the game at one. Just 41 seconds later, Kaleigh Schrock made it 2-1 with a wrist shot from the right face-off circle. At 7:33, Frankie DeAngelis added to the Komet lead to make it 3-1. Fort Wayne tacked on another as Bobby Chaumont redirected one in and the Komets led 4-1, scoring four unanswered goals. Wichita's Matt Robinson (3) cut the lead to two as he got away from a defender at the Komets line and blasted one from the deep slot past Boucher to make it 4-2. Fort Wayne would get one back at 14:27 when Mike Vaskivuo tipped one home and it was 5-2 after the first 20 minutes. In the second period, the Komets extended the lead to four when Bobby Chaumont added his second of the game at 6:39 to make it 6-2. Thomas Beauregard (8) added his sixth point of the Finals, scoring from the right face-off circle and made it a 6-3 game in the third period. The Thunder outplayed the Komets in the final period, outshooting them 13-3, but couldn't pull any closer and the Komets won 6-3. Aaron Davis and Thomas Beauregard each scored for the second straight game and both had a goal and an assist. Wichita was 0-for-4 with the man advantage and Fort Wayne went 1-for-2. Fort Wayne Komets vs. Wichita Thunder (best-of-7) Komets win series 4-1 Game 1 Sat, Apr. 28 Fort Wayne 5 Wichita 3 Game 2 Sun, Apr. 29 Fort Wayne 6 Wichita 3 Game 3 Thurs., May 3rd - Wichita 3 Fort Wayne 7 Game 4 Sat., May 5th Wichita 4 Fort Wayne 3 Game 5 Mon., May 7th Wichita 3 Fort Wayne 6 Wichita Thunder season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625. -Thunder- Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1506.html#1337242137 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1506.html Fort Wayne, IN (May 5th) Thomas Beauregard broke a tie game halfway through the third period to keep the Thunder's hopes alive with a 4-3 win over Fort Wayne in Game 4 of the CHL Finals Saturday night. The Komets lead the best-of-seven series 3-1 with Game 5 taking place on Monday night at 6:30 p.m. central time. Just 19 seconds into the game, Wichita was called for covering the puck up with a closed hand in the crease and the Komets took advantage. Mike Vaskivuo scored on a penalty shot and gave Fort Wayne a 1-0 lead. Wichita tied it at 6:49 with a goal from Daniel Tetrault (4). Chris Chappell made a nice move to the front of the net and Tetrault pounced on a rebound to make it 1-1. The Komets retook the lead at 15:50 with a power play goal. Daniel Maggio put a shot on net from the blue line and Chris Auger got a piece of it in front to make it 2-1, Komets. With less than 30 seconds remaining in the opening period, Matt Summers (4) caught a pass from Chris Greene and beat Boucher to tie it back up at two. Each team struck in the second period with the Komets regaining the lead at 5:52. Jean-Michel Rizk caught a pass in the deep slot, split two defenders and scored to make it 3-2. Wichita answered at 13:40 when Aaron Davis caught a Thomas Beauregard pass up the left wing and blasted a slap shot past Nick Boucher to tie it at three. Through the first two periods, there were three lead changes. With 9:50 remaining in the third, Davis fed a pass over to Beauregard (7) at the right wing circle and put a wrist shot past Boucher to give Wichita its first lead of the game, 4-3. The Thunder held off a late charge by the Komets, who finished the game with a six-on-four power play while pulling their goalie. The puck grazed the post with five seconds left and the Thunder hung on for the 4-3 win. Daniel Tetrault had three points (1g, 2a) and moves into first place all-time in points for a Thunder defenseman in the playoffs, jumping Cam Plante with 19 points. Thomas Beauregard, Aaron Davis and Matt Summers each finished with two points (1g, 1a) and Bryan Hogan earned his first professional playoff win, making 36 saves on 39 shots. Wichita went 1-for-6 with the man advantage while the Komets went 2-for-8. Wichita stays alive in the series and will have a chance to extend the Finals back to the Air Capital on Monday night. Game 5 will take place from the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum at 6:30 p.m. central time. If the Thunder can win, they will play Game 6 back in Wichita on the following Friday. Fort Wayne Komets vs. Wichita Thunder (best-of-7) Komets lead series 3-1 Game 1 Sat, Apr. 28 Fort Wayne 5 Wichita 3 Game 2 Sun, Apr. 29 Fort Wayne 6 Wichita 3 Game 3 Thurs., May 3rd - Wichita 3 Fort Wayne 7 Game 4 Sat., May 5th Wichita 4 Fort Wayne 3 Game 5 Mon., May 7th Wichita at Fort Wayne, 6:30 PM *Game 6 Fri., May 11th Fort Wayne at Wichita, 7:05 PM *Game 7 Sat., May 12th Fort Wayne at Wichita, 7:05 PM * If necessary **All times CST ***All Thunder games are broadcast live on 92.7 KWME and 1550 KKLE Wichita Thunder season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Sat, 05 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1505.html#1337242138 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1505.html Fort Wayne, IN (May 3rd) Despite a two-goal effort from Matt Summers, Wichita couldn't recover from an early deficit in Game 3 of the President's Cup Finals, losing 7-3 to Fort Wayne at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum Thursday night. The Thunder trail in the best-of-seven series 3-0 and will try to stay alive on Saturday night in Game 4. Fort Wayne didn't waste any time, scoring two goals in a span of 32 seconds in the first period. Kaleigh Schrock scored at 3:22 to make it 1-0 on the rush. Off a face-off, Bryant Molle worked himself to the middle of the blue line and found the back of the net to make it 2-0. Wichita would cut into the lead at 9:43 when Aaron Davis (3) stole a clearing attempt and his bad-angle wrist shot got past Nick Boucher to make it 2-1. The Komets came out firing in the second, scoring three unanswered goals in the span of 1:31. The first came on the power play when Daniel Maggio blasted one in at 8:34. The Komets were then awarded a power play and it took them only 11 seconds to score as Colin Chaulk made it 4-1 at 8:59. As the Thunder was about to be called for another penalty, Leo Thomas found himself all alone in front of the Wichita net and extended the Komets lead to 5-1. Wichita was able to get the lead down to two as Summers (3) scored twice in a two-minute span to make it 5-3. In the third, Chaulk and Schrock each scored their second on the night and the Komets skated away with a 7-3 victory. With the win, Fort Wayne leads the series 3-0 with Game 4 taking place on Saturday night. Summers had his first multi-goal game of the playoffs, Chris Chappell added two assists and Daniel Tetrault moves into a tie with Cam Plante (17) for first place all-time for points scored by a Thunder defenseman in the post-season with an assist tonight. Wichita will try to stave off elimination Saturday night in the CHL Finals. Game 4 will take place from the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum at 7:15 p.m. central time. If the Thunder can win, they will play Game 5 on Monday night with a chance to extend the series back to Wichita. Fort Wayne Komets vs. Wichita Thunder (best-of-7) Komets lead series 3-0 Game 1 Sat, Apr. 28 Fort Wayne 5 Wichita 3 Game 2 Sun, Apr. 29 Fort Wayne 6 Wichita 3 Game 3 Thurs., May 3rd - Wichita 3Fort Wayne 7 Game 4 Sat., May 5th Wichita at Fort Wayne, 7:15 PM *Game 5 Mon., May 7th Wichita at Fort Wayne, 6:30 PM *Game 6 Fri., May 11th Fort Wayne at Wichita, 7:05 PM *Game 7 Sat., May 12th Fort Wayne at Wichita, 7:05 PM * If necessary **All times CST ***All Thunder games are broadcast live on 92.7 KWME and 1550 KKLE Wichita Thunder season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1503.html#1337242139 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1503.html For more info on tonight's Game 4, click Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1504.html#1337242140 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1504.html Fort Wayne, IN (May 3rd) The Wichita Thunder hit the road tonight, looking to get back into the CHL Finals after dropping the first two games at home. For insurance, Wichita has added goaltender Scott Darling to the roster prior to Game 3. Darling (6-6, 230-lbs) is making his second stint with the Thunder. He was called-up prior to Wichita's game against Arizona on January 18th. Darling appeared in one game for the Thunder, losing 5-2 to the Texas Brahmas on January 21st and made 21 saves on 25 shots in the loss. Darling was released on January 26th and rejoined the Mississippi RiverKings for the rest of the year. Darling was a sixth round draft pick of the Phoenix Coyotes in 2007, taken 153rd overall. The second-year pro appeared in 18 games for Mississippi, going 7-10-1 with a 3.25 GAA and a save percentage of .892 before his first call-up to Wichita. Darling also received call-ups this season to the Charlotte Checkers and the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL. Prior to turning pro, Darling attended the University of Maine, where he appeared in 54 games. In his two seasons as a Black Bear from 2008-10, he was 25-20-6 with a 2.93 GAA and a save percentage of .893. He turned pro in 2010, signing with the Louisiana IceGators of the SPHL. Wichita and Fort Wayne meet tonight in Game 3 of the 2012 President's Cup Finals. The Thunder all-time in Game 3 during the playoffs are 11-9, but have lost both Game 3's during this post-season to Texas and Rio Grande Valley. Wichita finished the regular season 20-11-2 on the road and has gone 2-3 in the post-season away from the Air Capital. All-time, Wichita is 20-34 away from home in the playoffs. Kevin Young and Kevin Seibel each have point-streaks heading into tonight. Young has recorded points in his last four playoff games (5 assists) while Seibel has three points (1g, 2a) in his last three games. Thomas Beauregard has two goals and one assist against the Komets so far in the Finals. The line of Chris Auger, Mike Vaskivuo and Colin Chaulk have combined for five goals, nine assists and both game-winners in the first two games of the series. 2012 CHL Ray Miron Presidents' Cup Finals Schedule Fort Wayne Komets vs. Wichita Thunder (best-of-7) Komets lead series 2-0 Game 1 Sat, Apr. 28 Fort Wayne 5 Wichita 3 Game 2 Sun, Apr. 29 Fort Wayne 6 Wichita 3 Game 3 Thurs., May 3rd - Wichita at Fort Wayne, 6:30 PM Game 4 Sat., May 5th Wichita at Fort Wayne, 7:15 PM *Game 5 Mon., May 7th Wichita at Fort Wayne, 6:30 PM *Game 6 Fri., May 11th Fort Wayne at Wichita, 7:05 PM *Game 7 Sat., May 12th Fort Wayne at Wichita, 7:05 PM * If necessary **All times CST ***All Thunder games are broadcast live on 92.7 KWME and 1550 KKLE Wichita Thunder season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1502.html#1337242141 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1502.html For an in-depth look at the Wichita Thunder's post-season run, click (courtesy of Shane Ewing from KAKE) Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1501.html#1337242142 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1501.html Wichita, KS (April 29th) Wichita was unable to sustain the momentum from scoring first and lost Game Two of the CHL Finals to Fort Wayne, 6-3, on Sunday afternoon at INTRUST Bank Arena. Chris Auger scored twice for the third game in a row and the Thunder find themselves in a 2-0 hole as the series will shift to Fort Wayne on Thursday night. The Thunder scored first for just the third game this post-season with a goal from Kevin Seibel at 9:40 of the first period. After Chris Chappell carried the puck around the Komets zone, his pass to Aaron Davis ended up on the side of Boucher. Seibel was able to elevate it up past the Komets goalie and it popped in over the line to make it 1-0. Fort Wayne tied the game at 12:53 in what appeared to be a dead play. Adam Russo came out of his net to clear a dump-in and as he turned it over to Jean-Michel Rizk, Kevin Young went sliding into the post to block the shot. Rizk continued to make his way to the net and put it in with the net off its pegs. The official ruled it a goal and the game was tied at one. The Komets came out firing in the second period. Colin Chaulk won a face-off and Daniel Maggio blasted it past Russo to make it 2-1 at 7:36 to begin a string of three unanswered goals for Fort Wayne. Chris Auger scored his first of two at 10:31 on the power play to make it 3-1. Mike Vaskivuo added to the lead at 14:58 after stealing a puck deep in the Wichita end to make it 4-1. At that point, Adam Russo was lifted and Bryan Hogan entered the game. Wichita took advantage of a power play with four minutes left and tried to gain some momentum heading into the locker room. Chris Chappell (5) found a rebound in front of Boucher and was able to get the Thunder back into the game, trailing 4-2 heading into the second intermission. The Komets would not be denied as they added two more in the third period. Bobby Chaumont and Chris Auger scored 16 seconds apart to extend the lead to 6-2. Erick Lizon scored his first of the post-season late in the game, but it was not enough and the Komets won Game Two, 6-3. Wichita scored its first power play goal against the Komets this season, now 1-for-18 in four meetings including the regular season. Kevin Young extended his point-streak to four games while Thomas Beauregard added an assist and has 16 points (6g, 10a) to lead the team in the playoffs. Wichita went 1-for-3 on the power play while Fort Wayne was 1-for-2. Wichita will look to regroup with Game Three of the President's Cup Finals taking place next Thursday. With the series shifting to Indiana, the start time for Game Three is 6:30 p.m. central time. Game Four will take place on Saturday, May 5th at 7:15 p.m. central time. A possible Game Five would happen on Monday, May 7th. Wichita Thunder season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1500.html#1337242143 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1500.html Wichita, KS (April 28th) Chris Auger scored the game-winning goal at 8:04 of the third period to give the Fort Wayne Komets a 5-3 win over Wichita in Game One of the Central Hockey League Finals Saturday night at INTRUST Bank Arena. Thomas Beauregard scored twice for Wichita and Alex Bourret added a pair of helpers in the losing effort. Fort Wayne grabs a 1-0 lead in the President's Cup Finals with Game Two taking place tomorrow afternoon. Fort Wayne grabbed a two-goal lead in the opening period, scoring twice in 1:55. Jamie Milam made it 1-0 after a nice passing play sprung him loose and beat Adam Russo with a backhand. At 12:10, Bobby Chaumont redirected a Brett Smith shot and made it 2-0. Wichita had three chances on the power play including back-to-back opportunities but was unable to take advantage. In the second, Garett Bembridge got the Thunder on the board, scoring his first of the playoffs and first since joining Wichita late in the season to cut the Fort Wayne lead to one. Bourret's shot from the left point was loose in front of Nick Boucher and Bembridge jumped on the rebound to make it 2-1. The Komets got one back when Auger scored his first of the game at 12:26 of the second and extended the lead back to two, 3-1. The Thunder then got back into the game as Thomas Beauregard (6) scored at 17:16 and 18:34 to tie the game at three. After Nick Boucher made a few terrific saves at the start of the third, Chris Auger scored from the top of the right circle to make it 4-3 with less than 12 minutes left and the Komets held on late to take the first game of the series, 5-3. Jamie Lovell added an empty-net goal with one second left in the game to preserve the victory. The loss is Wichita's first of the post-season on home-ice and is the first time the Thunder have trailed in a series during the playoffs. Also, the Komets won their first game against the Thunder this year, which includes the regular season meetings. Wichita continues to dominate teams in the second period with three more tonight and have scored 24 second-period goals in the playoffs. Wichita went 0-for-7 on the power play and Fort Wayne was 0-for-2. Game Two of the President's Cup Finals is tomorrow afternoon at 5:05 p.m. Don't forget about the Championship Tailgate that will take place at the Wichita Ice Center from 12-4 p.m. For more details, check out the Wichita Thunder website. Tickets are on sale now and going fast! For more information, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena Box office or go online at . Wichita Thunder season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Sat, 28 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1499.html#1337242144 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1499.html Wichita, KS (April 27th) The 2012 Ray Miron Presidents Cup Finals Schedule was announced this afternoon as the Berry Conference Champion Wichita Thunder will take on the Turner Conference Champion Fort Wayne Komets in a best-of-seven series beginning Saturday night at INTRUST Bank Arena. Wichita finished the regular season with a 44-19-3 record (91 points), earning home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. With the most points in the regular season, Wichita claimed the Bud Poile Governors Cup and was the number one seed overall. The Thunder got to the CHL Finals by beating Rio Grande Valley in five games in the opening round. In the Berry Conference Finals, the Thunder defeated the Texas Brahmas in six games, winning the final two games of the series in overtime. The Thunder has been led by Thomas Beauregard, who has 13 points (4g, 9a), and Alex Bourret (5g, 7a) and Chris Chappell (4g, 8a) each have 12 points during the playoffs. Fort Wayne finished the regular season in first place in the Turner Conference with a 40-19-7 record (87 points). The Komets battled through a tough series with Rapid City, clinching their opening round in six games. In the Turner Conference Finals, Fort Wayne beat Missouri in seven and advanced last night to take on Wichita. The Komets are led by Chris Auger, who has 15 points (6g, 9a) and Mike Vaskivuos 14 points (6g, 8a) during the post-season. The trip to the Finals is the fourth for the Thunder, who won the CHL championship in 1994, 1995 and lost in the Finals in 1998. This will be the first journey to the CHL Finals for the Komets who have eight championships under their belt in other leagues (seven in the International Hockey League and one in the United Hockey League). Prior to joining the CHL in 2010, the Komets had won three straight IHL titles (2008, 2009 and 2010). Both teams are celebrating milestone seasons as it is the 60th campaign for Fort Wayne and the 20th for Wichita. This season is also the 20th Anniversary for the Central Hockey League. The series will follow a 2-3-2 format with games one, two, six and seven taking place in the Air Capital at INTRUST Bank Arena. President's Cup Finals- Series "G" (best-of-seven) Wichita Thunder vs. Fort Wayne Komets Game 1 Sat, Apr. 28 Fort Wayne at Wichita, 7:05 PM Game 2 Sun, Apr. 29 Fort Wayne at Wichita, 5:05 PM Game 3 Thur., May 3rd -Wichita at Fort Wayne, 7:30 PM Game 4 Sat., May 5th Wichita at Fort Wayne, 8:15 PM *Game 5 Mon., May 7th Wichita at Fort Wayne, 7:30 PM *Game 6 Fri., May 11th Fort Wayne at Wichita, 7:05 PM *Game 7 Sat., May 12th Fort Wayne at Wichita, 7:05 PM * If necessary **All times local, Wichita is CST, Fort Wayne is EST ***All Thunder games are broadcast live on 92.7 KWME and 1550 KKLE Tickets are on sale now and going fast! For more information, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena Box office or go online at . Wichita Thunder season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1497.html#1337242145 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1497.html By Bob Lutz, Wichita Eagle - The Wichita Thunder hit rock bottom a couple of years ago and when that happens, theres no guarantee of coming back. Rocks, after all, are very hard and falling on them is painful. In fact, it was fair to wonder whether the Thunder would continue to exist following that 9-50-5 record in 2009-10. The ownership situation was sketchy with long-time Thunder owner Horn Chen losing interest. And general manager Joel Lomurno was under the gun to not only keep the franchise from sinking, but also to find a coach who could spark some life into a team that not only had the disastrous nine-win season, but had suffered through two terrible seasons before that. Given those circumstances, Im not sure how the Thunder pulled off becoming not only a viable Central Hockey League franchise once again, but one that will be playing in the CHL Finals beginning Saturday night at Intrust Bank Arena. Lomurno found his man in Kevin McClelland, formerly a successful player in the NHL and a decorated minor league coach, most recently with Colorado. McClelland might have been told a few things that werent 100 percent accurate about the condition of the Thunder, but he bit at the challenge of coaching a once-proud franchise that was down in the dumps. For more, click Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1498.html#1337242146 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1498.html Wichita, KS (April 27th) The Wichita Thunder learned who its opponent would be in the CHL Finals as the Fort Wayne Komets knocked off Missouri Thursday night in Game Seven of the Turner Conference Finals, 6-4. This is the first time both number one seeds will meet in the CHL Finals since 2008-09, when the Texas Brahmas defeated the Colorado Eagles 4-1 to win the title. Wichita is appearing in its fourth CHL Final, winning its last title in 1994-95 and its first trip back since 1997-98. Wichita and Fort Wayne met only twice this season. The Thunder went 2-0-0 against the Komets, winning 5-3 on December 13th in the Air Capital and came back from a two-goal deficit to win in a shootout 3-2 on March 4th in Fort Wayne. Both teams feature high-powered offenses as Wichita finished first in the league in goals scored (231) while the Komets were third in scoring (228). President's Cup Finals- Series "G" (best-of-seven) Wichita Thunder vs. Fort Wayne Komets Game 1 Sat, Apr. 28 Fort Wayne at Wichita, 7:05 PM Game 2 Sun, Apr. 29 Fort Wayne at Wichita, 5:05 PM Game 3 Thurs., May 3rd- Wichita at Fort Wayne, 7:30 PM Game 4- Sat., May 5th- Wichita at Fort Wayne, 8:15 PM Games 5-7 TBD, if necessary *All times local, Fort Wayne is EST Wichita will host the first two games at INTRUST Bank Arena this Saturday and Sunday. Games Three and Four will shift to Fort Wayne, IN on Thursday, May 3rd and Saturday, May 5th. Games Five through Seven have not been finalized and expected to be announced tomorrow. Tickets are on sale now and going fast! For more information, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena Box office or go online at . Join us Sunday for some family fun. Bring the whole family for one low price. By calling the Thunder office, you can purchase four green level tickets, four hot dogs, and four sodas for just 60! Contact Amy Wilds at or call 264-4625 by 3 p.m. on Sunday to order yours. The Thunder office will be open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday and 12-3 p.m. on Sunday. Wichita Thunder season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1494.html#1337242147 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1494.html By Jeffrey Lutz, Wichita Eagle - During the last two months, Thunder forward Chris Chappell has evolved from a hockey player who received more playing time due to teammates injuries to one who has himself become indispensable. It was a long distance to travel for Chappell, who was little more than an extra piece for the first half of the season. When Wichitas best scorers began to go down with injuries in December, Chappell was one of few remaining options. Starting with a game in late December that broke a long stretch without a goal, Chappell has proven himself as one of the Thunders most important players. He took his improved scoring into the postseason, where his overtime goal helped Wichita defeat Texas in Game 5 of the Berry Conference finals last Saturday. For more, click Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1493.html#1337242148 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1493.html Wichita, KS (April 25th) With the Central Hockey League Finals approaching, the Wichita Thunder is very excited to announce the details for Sundays Championship Tailgate prior to Game Two. The festivities begin at the Wichita Ice Center at 505 W. Maple Street, where from 12-4 p.m., there will be all kinds of fun for the family. Inflatables, courtesy of Big Sky Inflatables, will be on hand as well as face painting, a balloon artist and DJ Malik spinning the party jams and good outdoor music. From 1-4 p.m., fans that have a ticket to Game Two will receive FREE ice skating and skate rental. Fans are also encouraged to bring a canned good to donate to the Red Cross for Tornado Relief. Outside, there will be food trucks from The Flying Stove, B.S. Sandwich Press and MMM Sandwiches, with a portion of their proceeds benefitting the Tornado Relief Fund as well. To top it all off, fans are encouraged to bring grills and tailgate in the parking lot of the Wichita Ice Center. This is the first time the Thunder have appeared in the Finals since 1997-98 and everyone is revved up to bring the championship back to the Air Capital. Games One and Two are set for this weekend at INTRUST Bank Arena. Game One is Saturday, April 28th at 7:05 p.m. and Game Two is Sunday, April 29th at 5:05 p.m. Wichitas opponent has not been determined as the Turner Conference Finals continue tomorrow with the series tied at three. The rest of the CHL Finals schedule will be announced after the conclusion of Game Seven between Fort Wayne and Missouri. Tickets are on sale now and going fast! For more information, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena Box office or go online at . Sunday Family Fun will not stop at the Wichita Ice Center. Bring the whole family for one low price. By calling the Thunder office, you can purchase four green level tickets, four hot dogs, and four sodas for just 60! Contact Amy Wilds at or call 264-4625 by 3 p.m. on Sunday to order yours. The Thunder office will be open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday and 12-3 p.m. on Sunday. Wichita Thunder season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1492.html#1337242149 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1492.html North Richland, TX (April 23rd) Matt Robinson collected his own rebound and scored the game-winning goal at 4:44 of overtime, sending Wichita to the CHL Finals for the first time since 1997-98 with a 3-2 win over the Texas Brahmas in Game Six of the Berry Conference Finals. Wichita wins the series 4-2 and will await its opponent between Fort Wayne and Missouri. Wichita scored first for the second game in a row, taking advantage of a seven-minute penalty assessed to Erik Spady. Chris Chappell (4) made a nice play in the slot and put a wrist shot past Brad Fogal to make it 1-0 at 2:43 of the second. Texas answered less than two minutes later when Adam Hogg found some room at the left post and beat Russo to tie the game at one. Wichita responded with a shorthanded goal at 15:59 from Chris Greene (3) to regain the lead. He took a pass at the red line from Chappell, made a nice move to get around the defenseman ad popped it over Fogal to give the Thunder a 2-1 lead. In the third period, Texas tied the game at 5:40 when Brett Findlay carried the puck deep in the zone and gave it off to Brendon Hodge who scored to tie it at two. Down the stretch, Wichita had some good chances including a wide-open look from Chappell but was unable to put it past Fogal and for the second game in a row the two teams needed overtime. In the extra period, Wichita was able to kill off a Jarred Mohr hooking penalty that resulted at the end of the third. After Robinson (2) was able to keep it in the zone at the blue line, he found a loose puck in the slot and put his own rebound past Fogal at 4:44, sending Wichita to the CHL Finals with a 3-2 overtime win. Adam Russo was stellar in net, stopping 32 of 34 shots, earning his eighth win of the playoffs. Chappell had a goal and an assist while Chris Greene added a shorthanded goal, Wichita's sixth shorthanded goal of the post-season. Wichita improves to 10-5 all-time in overtime games in the playoffs with its second-straight overtime win against the Brahmas. Wichita went 1-for-3 on the power play while Texas went 0-for-4. Wichita will open the CHL Finals on Saturday, April 28th at INTRUST Bank Arena against either Missouri or Fort Wayne. The Turner Conference Finals continue tomorrow with the Mavericks leading the series 3-2 and have a chance to close it out in Fort Wayne in Game 6. The rest of the Finals schedule has not been determined. Tickets will be on sale beginning tomorrow morning for Game One of the Finals. For more information, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena Box office or go online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1491.html#1337242150 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1491.html Wichita, KS (April 21st) Chris Chappell scored 1:59 into the first overtime and propelled Wichita to a 2-1 victory over the Texas Brahmas in Game Five of the Berry Conference Finals Saturday Night at INTRUST Bank Arena. Wichita leads the best-of-seven series 3-2 with the series shifting back to the Dallas/Fort Worth area for Game Six on Monday night. Wichita came out and asserted itself in the first period. Daniel Tetrault capitalized on a Thunder power play, which had scored just one goal in its last 35 chances in the post-season. At 12:11, Thomas Beauregard got to a loose puck and gave it over to Tetrault (3) who beat Brad Fogal to make it 1-0. The Brahmas had plenty of opportunities in the first, but could not convert on three power play chances. Texas tied the game in the third period after Dustin Donaghy was called for tripping. Brett Findlay put home a rebound at 12:54, which was the first goal scored by Texas in the third period in this series and made it 1-1. In the overtime session, Wichita was all over Texas, outshooting the Brahmas 4-0. With the Thunder pressuring and getting scoring opportunities, Kevin Young kept the puck in the zone at the right point and it bounced loose to Chappell at the left circle and he put it over the blocker of Fogal to give the Thunder a 2-1 win. Wichita is now 9-5 all-time in overtime games in the post-season and improves to 6-0 on home-ice in the playoffs. Thomas Beauregard extended his point-scoring streak to eight games with an assist tonight. The Thunder finally bucked the trend, scoring first for the first time in the post-season. Wichita also cashed in on a power play, going 1-for-4 with the man advantage while Texas also went 1-for-4. Wichita leads the best-of-seven series 3-2 with Game Six taking place Monday night in North Richland Hills, TX. Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Sun, 22 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1489.html#1337242151 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1489.html Check out the Highlights from Saturday's Thunder overtime win . Sun, 22 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1490.html#1337242152 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1490.html North Richland Hills, TX (April 20th) Wichita dropped its second game in a row on Friday night, losing 2-1 to the Texas Brahmas at the NYTEX Sports Centre. With the win, the Brahmas pull even in the series as both teams have won in their own buildings. Texas took advantage of a five-minute power play and scored the first goal of the game eight minutes in. After Chris Greene was called for charging Brahmas starter Brad Fogal, Erik Spady scored from the right face-off circle and gave Texas a 1-0 lead. With 4:30 remaining in the first, Daniel Tetrault made a nice move around a defender and found Thomas Beauregard (4) in front of the net and he tied the game at one. T.J. Fox scored his sixth of the playoffs early in the second period and the Brahmas regained the lead, up 2-1. Wichita had to kill off its second five-minute major in the third as Kevin Seibel went off for kneeing and was able to get through a late five-on-three power play when RG Flath was whistled for an elbow. Russo was lifted for the extra attacker, but Texas held on for its second-straight one-goal win, skating away with a 2-1 victory. Thomas Beauregard ran his point-scoring streak to seven games with a goal in the first period. Wichita has yet to score the first goal of the game in the playoffs, now nine straight. Texas has now scored the first goal in the last seven meetings between the two teams including the last three meetings in the regular season. Wichita went 0-for-3 with the man advantage while Texas went 1-for-6. The best-of-seven series is tied at 2-2 with Game Five taking place tomorrow night in Wichita. Game Five tickets are on sale as the Thunder will return home at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, visit the INTRUST Arena Box office, call 755-SEAT or go to . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1488.html#1337242153 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1488.html North Richland Hills, TX (April 18th) Wichita fell behind in the second period and couldn't recover, losing 3-2 to the Texas Brahmas in Game Three of the Berry Conference Finals Wednesday night at the NYTEX Sports Centre. Wichita leads the best-of-seven series 2-1 with Game Four on Friday night For the eighth-straight time this post-season and third time in this series, Texas scored first when Adam Hogg jumped on a turnover and made it 1-0 at 6:34 of the second. The Brahmas took a 2-0 lead at 11:30 as Andrew Lackner caught a pass on the backdoor and beat Adam Russo. At 17:20, Mike Hellyer added to the lead with a backhand from the left face-off circle to make it 3-0. The Thunder tried to climb back into the game as Kevin Young (3) got the Thunder on the board at 2:32 of the third period to cut the lead to 3-1. RG Flath (8) then made it 3-2 as he came into the Brahmas end and put a wrist shot past Brahmas starter Brad Fogal at 15:33. Wichita had plenty of chances down the stretch and pulled its goaltender with just over a minute to go, but was unable to find the back of the net and the Brahmas hung on for a 3-2 win. Thomas Beauregard added two assists and extended his point-scoring streak in the playoffs to six games. Wichita is 11-9 in Game Three of a series all-time. Wichita went 0-for-4 with the power play and Texas was 0-for-1. The Thunder lead the best-of-seven series 2-1 with Game Four taking place Friday evening in North Richland Hills, TX. Game Five tickets are on sale as the Thunder will return home Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, visit the INTRUST Arena Box office, call 755-SEAT or go to . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1487.html#1337242154 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1487.html For more on this past weekend's stars, click Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1486.html#1337242155 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1486.html Check out the Highlights from Sunday's Thunder Game 2 rout of Texas . Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1485.html#1337242156 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1485.html Wichita, KS (April 15th) Wichita erupted for seven goals in the second period and blew by the Texas Brahmas with an 8-1 win Sunday afternoon at INTRUST Bank Arena. The Thunder takes a 2-0 lead in the Berry Conference Finals as the series will shift to North Richland Hill, TX on Wednesday night. Adam Hogg got things started at 2:47 of the first period to give Texas a 1-0 lead. Wichita has yet to score the first goal of the game in the playoffs, but the Thunder responded just past the midway point of the opening frame. Matt Robinson was rewarded a penalty shot and cashed in, beating Fogal through the legs and started a stretch of eight unanswered goals for the Thunder. In the second period, Wichita took the lead for good when Alex Bourret (5) scored a shorthanded break-a-way goal at 1:18 to make it 2-1. Aaron Davis and Thomas Beauregard got into the act, scoring the next four between the two players to extend the lead to 6-1 in a seven-minute span. Davis finished with his first two goals of the post-season and Beauregard (3) also had two. Matt Summers scored his first of the post-season to make it 7-1 at 17:19 and Chris Greene (2) bookended the period with a shorthanded goal to make it 8-1 as the Thunder cruised in Game two. Wichita's seven goals in one period in the playoffs stands as the most in the 11 years since the CHL and Western Professional Hockey League (WPHL) merger. Adam Russo continued his strong post-season, stopping 29 of 30 shots and improving his record to 6-1. A total of 10 players cracked the score sheet for Wichita with seven of them registering multiple-point games. Jarred Mohrs +6 ties the highest plus minus in a single CHL playoff game (Steve Weidlich - Laredo, 2004). Wichita set a new franchise mark in one playoff season with two more shorthanded goals tonight and have five so far in the playoffs. The Thunder also registered its second game in which they scored two shorthanded goals this post-season. Matt Robinson's penalty shot goal was just the second penalty shot tally for the Thunder in the playoffs all-time. The last time a member of the Thunder scored a penalty shot in the playoffs was Travis Clayton in 2005 against Bossier-Shreveport. Wichita went 0-for-2 on the man advantage while the Brahmas were 0-for-6. The Thunder lead the best-of-seven series 2-0 with Game three taking place Wednesday evening in North Richland Hills, TX. Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Sun, 15 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1484.html#1337242157 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1484.html For highlights of Game 1 of the Berry Conference Finals, click Sat, 14 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1483.html#1337242158 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1483.html Wichita, KS (April 13th) Behind a two-goal performance from Chris Chappell and outstanding play from Adam Russo, Wichita took Game one of the Berry Conference Finals with a 3-1 win over the Texas Brahmas Friday night at INTRUST Bank Arena. RG Flath added his third goal in two games as the Thunder closed out the contest scoring three unanswered. Texas continued the Thunder's recent trend by scoring the first goal of the game at 6:06 of the first period. Chad Woollard was able to come into the zone and found Sy Nutkevitch who made it 1-0 for the Brahmas. Wichita has yet to score the first goal of a game in the post-season. In the second, Wichita climbed back and took its first lead of the game with two second-period goals. Flath (7) skated through center and let a wrist shot fly that beat Brahmas starter Brad Fogal to tie the game at one. Chappell (1) gave the Thunder a 2-1 lead off a face-off for his first playoff goal of his career. The Thunder had a number of chances to increase its lead, but was unable to get one past Fogal until late in the game. Chappell (2) iced it with an empty-net goal with just seven seconds remaining to give the Thunder a 3-1 victory. Wichita continues to dominate in the final two periods, outscoring its opponents in the playoffs 12-5 in the second and 7-1 in the third period. Russo earned his fifth win in the playoffs, making 31 saves on 32 shots. Wichita improves to 12-8 all-time in the first game of a playoff series and jumped over .500, now 50-49 all-time. The Thunder has allowed the first goal in each of its six games in the post-season, but improved to 3-1 when trailing after one with the victory. Wichita went 0-for-4 with the man advantage while the Brahmas were 0-for-3. The Thunder leads the best-of-seven series 1-0 with Game two taking place Sunday afternoon at 5:05 p.m. Join the Blue Revolution! For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1482.html#1337242159 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1482.html For a preview of theBerry Conference Finals, click Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1481.html#1337242160 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1481.html Wichita, KS (April 11th) The Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League is excited to announce the playoff schedule for the Berry Conference Finals against the Texas Brahmas. The Thunder is the number one seed in the Berry Conference while the Brahmas are the three-seed. This is thefirst all-time meeting in the post-season between the Thunder and the Brahmas. For Wichita, this will be the first appearance in the Conference Finals since 2004-05 when the Thunder were ousted by the Colorado Eagles in six games. The series will follow a 2-2-1-1-1 format with games one, two, five and seven taking place in the Air Capital at INTRUST Bank Arena. Game 1 Fri., Apr. 13 Texas at Wichita, 7:05 PM Game 2 Sun., Apr. 15 Texas at Wichita, 5:05 PM Game 3 Wed., Apr. 18 Wichita at Texas, 7:00 PM Game 4 Fri., Apr.20 Wichita at Texas, 7:30 PM *Game 5 Sat., Apr. 21 Texas at Wichita, 7:05 PM *Game 6 Mon., Apr. 23 Wichita at Texas, 7:00 PM *Game 7 Wed., Apr. 25 Texas at Wichita, 7:05 PM * If necessary **All times local Texas closed out its series on Tuesday night in Game 6 with a 4-2 win over the second-seeded Allen Americans and won the series 4-2. This will be the Brahmas first appearance in the Conference Finals since 2009. The Thunder has appeared in 98 post-season games and has a record of 49-49 overall. Wichita has made the finals three times, winning two championships in 1993-94 and 1994-95. This will be the Thunder's seventh appearance in the Conference Finals. Individual tickets are on sale for Games 1 and 2. Game 1 is set for Friday, April 13th at 7:05 p.m. and Game 2 is set for Sunday, April 15th at 5:05 p.m. Join the Blue Revolution! For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1480.html#1337242161 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1480.html Check out the Highlights from Saturday's Thunder first round series-clinching victory . Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1479.html#1337242162 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1479.html Wichita, KS (April 7th) Wichita exploded for five unanswered goals and eliminated the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees with a 6-2 win in Game five at INTRUST Bank Arena on Saturday night. Wichita wins the series 4-1 and will await its opponent in the Berry Conference Finals that will begin next week. Rio Grande Valley scored the first goal in each game of the series and was able to find the back of the net when Aaron Lee scored at 9:54. The Thunder responded less than two minutes later on the power play when Daniel Tetrault (1) blasted a shot from the blue line and beat Bees starter John Murray to tie it at one. It was the first power play goal the Thunder had scored in the series. The Killer Bees started out the second period with a tally as Dan Gendur made it 2-1 at 1:09. Just two and half minutes later, The Thunder tied the game up and scored the next five. RG Flath (5) stole a pass in Killer Bee territory and tied the game at two. Wichita took the lead at 7:29 off a one-timer from the blue line by Tetrault (2) to make it 3-2. Flath (6) scored his second of the game off a beautiful pass from Alex Bourret at 11:41 to make it 4-2. In the third, Thomas Beauregard (1) created a turnover at the Killer Bee line and scored just 31 seconds into the final frame to make it 5-2. Murray was lifted for Wylie Rogers, who finished out the game. With their season on the line and down three goals, Rio Grande Valley pulled their goalie with 3:30 remaining in the contest. Kevin Young (2) capitalized on that decision and scored on an empty-netter at 17:34 and the Thunder won 6-2. Wichita won its first playoff series since 2004-05 when the Thunder beat Bossier-Shreveport in seven games in the Northern Conference Semifinals. Wichita earned its 30th all-time home win in the post-season and improved to 9-18 all-time in elimination games. Wichita's post-season record improved to 49-49 all-time. Daniel Tetrault moved up the all-time list for Thunder defenseman in the playoffs, now in second place and two points back of Cam Plante with 15 points in his career. Flath continues to torment Rio Grande Valley, scoring two more and has 19 goals in 33 career games against the Killer Bees. Wichita went 1-for-7 with the man advantage and Rio Grande Valley was 0-for-3. Wichita awaits its opponent that will either be the Allen Americans or the Texas Brahmas in the Berry Conference Finals. Game 1 is set for Friday, April 13th at 7:05 p.m. Tickets are on sale by calling 755-SEAT, visiting the box office, or going to . Wichita Thunder season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Sun, 08 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1478.html#1337242163 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1478.html Hidalgo, TX (April 5th) Behind a three-goal outing from Alex Bourret, Wichita took a 3-1 lead in its best-of-seven series with a 4-2 win over the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees Thursday night at State Farm Arena. Wichita can close out the series at home on Saturday night at INTRUST Bank Arena. For the fourth time in this series, Rio Grande Valley scored first to take a 1-0 lead. Brady Leavold found a rebound in the left circle and beat Thunder starter Adam Russo with a power play goal. The two teams combined for six power plays and 20 minutes in the first period. Alex Bourret (2) pulled Wichita even with a short-handed goal with 28 seconds to go in the opening frame. Chris Chappell stole the puck at the Thunder line and came up on a two-on-two, fed over to Bourret who slipped it through Bees goalie John Murray to make it 1-1. Wichita outshot the Bees 21 to 6 in the first 20 minutes. Wichita continued the momentum from the end of the previous 20 minutes and scored twice in the first three minutes of the second. Alex Bourret (3) found the back of the net after his centering feed redirected off a Bee in past Murray. At the three minute mark, Bourret came down with RG Flath on a short-handed two-on-one and Flath (4) buried it past Murray to make it 3-1. Dan Gendur cut the lead to one after a bad clearing attempt was intercepted and he made it 3-2 with 11 minutes to go in the period. With two minutes to go in the third period, Rio Grande Valley was awarded a power play, but the Thunder didn't allow the Bees any room. Bourret (4) notched the hat trick with 10 seconds to go with an empty-netter and the Thunder won 4-2. Wichita scored two short-handed goals and now has three in the post-season. Flath added to his career numbers against Rio Grande Valley, scoring 17 goals in 32 games. Bourret's hat trick is the second hat trick recorded by a Thunder player this post-season. Wichita went 0-for-5 with the man advantage and Rio Grande went 1-for-7. The series heads back north to the Air Capital on Saturday night for Game 5, starting at 7:05 p.m. Tickets are on sale by calling 755-SEAT, visiting the box office, or going to . Wichita Thunder season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1477.html#1337242164 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1477.html Hidalgo, TX (April 4th) Despite a late charge by Wichita, the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees held off the Thunder and won Game three Wednesday night 5-2 at State Farm Arena. Dustin Donaghy and Kevin Young provided the offense for the Thunder in the losing effort. Wichita still leads the series 2-1 and will look to avenge the loss tomorrow night in Game 4. Rio Grande Valley scored first for the third straight game in the series as Zac Pearson put a wrist shot in at 11:12 to make it 1-0. The Killer Bees added to the lead off a face-off win and Cody Carlson scored to make it 2-0 at 14:34 of the first period. The Killer Bees kept the momentum going, scoring twice in the first minute of the second period. Dan Gendur blasted a slap shot 12 seconds into the period past Thunder starter Adam Russo to make it 3-0. Russo was taken out for back-up Bryan Hogan, but the Bees added another 33 seconds later. Aaron Lee found a puck at the right circle and wristed it past Hogan to make it 4-0. Wichita got one back at 5:27 when Kevin Young put a snap shot on net that got by Bees goalie John Murray to make it 4-1. Wichita was all over Rio Grande Valley in the third and cut the lead to two when Chris Greene stole the puck on the fore-check and dished in front where Donaghy (2) was able to find the net to make it 4-2. However, Murray was able to stay strong the rest of the way and the Killer Bees added an empty-netter to make it 5-2. The win stops a nine-game losing skid in the post-season for Rio Grande Valley. Wichita was 0-for-1 on the power play and Rio Grande went 0-for-3. The series resumes on Thursday for Game four at State Farm Arena beginning at 7 p.m. There will be a Game five on Saturday night in Wichita at 7:05 p.m. Tickets are on sale by calling 755-SEAT, visiting the box office, or going to . Wichita Thunder season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1476.html#1337242165 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1476.html Checkout theHighlights of Sunday's Thunder Game 2 victory ! Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1474.html#1337242166 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1474.html Wichita, KS (April 1st) Wichita held onto home-ice advantage, coming back to defeat the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees 2-1 and now lead the best-of-seven series two games to none. Chris Greene and Chris Chappell each had two points and Dustin Donaghy scored his first playoff goal of his career. Wichita had trouble staying out of the penalty box in the first period, giving Rio Grande Valley three chances with the man advantage. Tomas Klempa cashed in with 2:37 left, scoring in close and gave the Killer Bees a 1-0 lead for the second-straight game in the series. Wichita was all over the Killer Bees in the first, outshooting Rio Grande Valley 14 to six in the first period. Matt Robinson appeared to tie the game at one at 6:40 of the second period. He came over the Rio Grande line and fired a shot that caught the cross-bar. The official initially ruled it a goal, but after visiting with his linemen and the goal judge, it was waived off. Donaghy (1) tied the game at one with three minutes left in the second when his shot from the goal line slid past Bees starter John Murray inside the post. Minute later, Brady Leavold was awarded a penalty shot and was unable to find the net as his shot sailed past Russo and the game remained tied at a goal-a-piece. Wichita scored quickly in the third when a Daniel Tetrault slapper redirected to Chris Greene (1) and he roofed it past Murray. Rio Grande Valley turned up the pressure and had a late power play, but couldn't solve Adam Russo and Wichita held on for a 2-1 victory. Chris Greene had a goal and an assist and Chris Chappell had two assists. Russo earned his second win of the post-season, stopping 19 of 20 shots. Wichita went 0-for-7 on the power play while Rio Grande Valley was 1-for-5. The series shifts to south Texas on Wednesday and Thursday for Games three and four at State Farm Arena. Both games will start at 7 p.m. Wichita Thunder season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1473.html#1337242167 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1473.html Check out the Highlights from Friday's Game 1 Thunder win . Sat, 31 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1472.html#1337242168 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1472.html Wichita, KS (March 30th) RG Flath recorded his first post-season hat trick and Thomas Beauregard added three assists to pace Wichita past Rio Grande Valley, 4-2. Wichita leads the best-of-seven-series 1-0 with Game two taking place on Sunday afternoon. Rio Grande Valley struck first with a power play goal at 13:45 of the first period. Chris Greene was called for tripping and the Bees capitalized as Mike Wilson's blast was tipped by Brandon Campos past Adam Russo to make it 1-0. Wichita seemed to have the upper-hand, outshooting the Bees 10-1 at one point and delivered a multitude of hits along the boards. Alex Bourret (1) scored off a one-timer from the slot two minutes into the second period to erase the 1-0 deficit. Wichita took the lead with 15:58 left in the second off a power play goal in front of the net by Flath (1). At 14:23, Flath scored his second of the game after Beauregard stole the puck behind the Rio Grande net and found Flath just in front of the crease to make it 3-1. Mike Wilson cut the lead to one after he found a rebound at the left circle and scored to make it 3-2. The only goal of the third period came at 2:12 when Alex Bourret created a turn-over, skated down on a two-on-one shorthanded break and fed it over to Flath for his third of the night. The Thunder clamped down from there and took Game One with a 4-2 victory. Flath, who came into the game with two goals in 10 playoff games, notched his second-career professional hat trick with his first coming 10 days ago in the Thunder's Governor's Cup clinching win against Texas on March 20th. Flath, Beauregard (3a) and Bourret (1g, 2a) combined for nine points with the only other point on the night awarded to Daniel Tetrault. Wichita improves its post-season record to 46-48 all-time and is now 11-8 in the first game of a playoff series. Wichita and Rio Grande Valley will have a day off before getting back after it in Game two on Sunday in the first-ever meeting between the two franchises in the post-season. Individual tickets are on sale now for Game two, which is Sunday, April 1st at 5:05 p.m. At 3:30 p.m., come have fun and be a part of the Blue Revolution Block Party. For details, go to . For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1471.html#1337242169 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1471.html For more on Wichita's opening round series against Rio Grande Valley, click Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1469.html#1337242170 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1469.html To read more about the attendance across the CHL this season, click Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1468.html#1337242171 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1468.html By Jeffrey Lutz, Wichita Eagle - Thunder general manager Joel Lomurno is a Cubs or a Phillies fan depending on the day, but he knows that David Cone pitched for the Royals on April 15, 1994. Dont credit Lomurnos memory for that, though hes reminded of it frequently, as are the Thunder players. Thats because hanging in their dressing room is a print of the Eagle sports section from that day, on which the Thunder was celebrating its first CHL championship. Wichita won it again the next year, and the newspaper from that day resides in the Thunder offices. The dressing-room print provides several reminders of just how long its been since the Thunder was at the top of the CHL, a spot it has regained by earning the top seed in the Berry Conference and home-ice advantage for the playoffs. For more, click Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1470.html#1337242172 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1470.html By Jeffrey Lutz, Wichita Eagle - They say that regular-season statistics dont matter when it comes to predicting how a postseason series will unfold, but there still has to be something said for preparation. In that regard, the Thunders schedule will have it ready for the CHL playoffs and its opening-round series against Rio Grande Valley, even more than Wichitas 3-0 record against the Killer Bees this season. Wichita, the No. 1 seed in the Berry Conference, played exactly two-thirds of its 66 games against the other seven teams that reached the postseason. In those 44 games, the Thunder went 27-15-2 with a winning record against all of them except Allen. The fourth-seeded Killer Bees, perhaps only in the playoffs because of a recent stretch against lackluster opponents, went 8-18-4 against the other CHL playoff participants, notching wins against just two. "Obviously, we had a tough schedule this year," Thunder coach Kevin McClelland said. "We faced off against some good hockey clubs. The numbers might look like what they are, but Ill tell you every hockey team in the CHL is a good hockey team." For more, click Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1466.html#1337242173 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1466.html Glendale, AZ (March 28th) The Central Hockey League announced its final Coaches Poll of the season Wednesday and Wichita finished number one for the fifth time in nine polls. The Thunder ended its 20th Anniversary Season with the leagues best record of 44-19-3 and the most points with 91 (Bud Poile Governors Cup winners). The poll is released on or near the beginning and middle of each month throughout regular season. Each first place vote receives 10 points, second place votes earn 9 points, etc. The Thunder moved up from the number two spot in the previous poll to overtake the Evansville IceMen for the top spot. A 4-8-0 month of March for Evansville saw them fall three spots to #4 in the final poll. The Turner Conference regular season champion Fort Wayne Komets moved up to finish in the #2 spot ending the season with a 40-19-7 record. Rounding out the top five were the Allen Americans (#3), the IceMen (#4) and the Missouri Mavericks (#5). The Americans reflected the biggest leap jumping up two spots while the IceMens three spot fall was equaled by the Texas Brahmas who went from the #4 ranked team to the #7 ranked team. The Thunder earned 11 first place votes (teams are unable to vote for themselves) while the Komets, Mavericks and the Rapid City Rush all earned one first place vote. Individual tickets are on sale now for Games 1 and 2. Game 1 is set for Friday, March 30th at 7:05 p.m. and Game 2 is set for Sunday, April 1st at 5:05 p.m. Join the Blue Revolution! For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1465.html#1337242174 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1465.html Wichita, KS (March 27th) The Wichita Thunder wants YOU to join the Blue Revolution. Come join us at the Blue Revolution Block Party before Sundays game against the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. The fun begins at 3:30 p.m. in front of Entrance A and B off of Waterman Street. There will be live radio remotes and a "fanatical fan" contest with a chance to win some great prizes, so show your Thunder Spirit. There will be games, inflatables provided by Big Sky Party Rentals, 1 hot dogs and Pepsi products. The arena is opening the doors for the revolution and the party continues on the concourse. Enjoy the festivities and join us in the Blue Beer Garden, where a commemorative 16 oz Thunder cup with blue beer will be available for only 5. Along with all the fun, there will be a Blue Revolution Rally Towel give-a-way to the first 1,000 fans through the door both Friday night for Game 1 and Sunday afternoon for Game 2. Fans are encouraged to wear blue to the game and there will be special Blue Revolution shirts on sale at the merchandise stand. You can pre-order by calling the Thunder office and take a look at the inventory on our Facebook page. Wichita is the number one seed in the Berry Conference and will be matched up against the four-seed Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees in a best-of-seven-series. Individual tickets are on sale now for Games 1 and 2. Game 1 is set for Friday, March 30th at 7:05 p.m. and Game 2 is set for Sunday, April 1st at 5:05 p.m. Join the Blue Revolution! For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1463.html#1337242175 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1463.html Wichita, KS (March 26th) The Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League is excited to announce the playoff schedule for their Conference Semifinal round against the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. The Thunder is the number one seed in the Berry Conference while the Bees are the four-seed. This is the first-ever meeting between the two franchises in the post-season and Wichitas 12th appearance in the playoffs. The series will follow a 2-2-1-1-1 format with games one, two, five and seven taking place in the Air Capital at INTRUST Bank Arena. Game 1 Fri., Mar. 30 Rio Grande Valley at Wichita, 7:05 PM Game 2 Sun., Apr. 1 Rio Grande Valley at Wichita, 5:05 PM Game 3 Wed., Apr. 4 Wichita at Rio Grande Valley, 7:00 PM Game 4 Thu., Apr.5 Wichita at Rio Grande Valley, 7:00 PM *Game 5 Sat., Apr. 7 Rio Grande Valley at Wichita, 7:05 PM *Game 6 Mon., Apr. 9 Wichita at Rio Grande Valley, 7:00 PM *Game 7 Wed., Apr. 11 Rio Grande Valley at Wichita, 7:05 PM *if necessary The Thunder has appeared in 93 post-season games and has a record of 45-48 overall. Wichita has made the finals three times, winning two championships in 1993-94 and 1994-95. The Thunder has also reached the Conference Finals on six separate occasions. Individual tickets are on sale now for Games 1 and 2. Game 1 is set for Friday, March 30th at 7:05 p.m. and Game 2 is set for Sunday, April 1st at 5:05 p.m. Join the Blue Revolution! For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1462.html#1337242176 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1462.html Wichita, KS (March 26th) The Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League announced its playoff roster Monday. The Thunder activated forward Aaron Davis from the IR and will be on the 19-man roster for the post-season. CHL playoff rosters may not change during the course of the tournament, but teams may add up to two amateurs (players with zero professional experience) to their playoff roster as needed. Defenseman Francis Trudel will remain on the IR. 2012 Wichita Thunder Playoff Roster #1 Adam Russo, G #5 Kevin Seibel, D #7 Daniel Tetrault, D #10 Chris Chappell, C #12 Kevin Young, D #13 Alex Bourret, LW #16 Matt Robinson, LW #18 RG Flath, C #19 Chris Greene, C #22 Erick Lizon, RW #26 Jarred Mohr, D #27 Travis Wight, D #28 Thomas Beauregard, RW #29 Justin Sawyer, D #30 Bryan Hogan, G #39 Garett Bembridge, RW #40 Aaron Davis, C #81 Dustin Donaghy, LW #91 Matt Summers, RW Wichita will take on the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees in the opening round of the CHL playoffs. Individual tickets are on sale now for Games 1 and 2. Game 1 is set for Friday, March 30th at 7:05 p.m. and Game 2 is set for Sunday, April 1st at 5:05 p.m. Join the Blue Revolution! For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1461.html#1337242177 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1461.html Allen, TX (March 25th) On the final day of the regular season, Wichita (44-19-3) got behind and was unable to mount a comeback in a 3-1 loss to the Allen Americans (39-18-9). Wichita finishes out the 2011-12 campaign on a three -game losing streak and dropped its second-straight to Allen on the weekend. Allen scored first after Wichita was able to kill off an American power play. Mark Nebus drove the net after stealing the puck and his rebound was put home by Keith Johnson to make it 1-0. In the second period, the Americans added another when Mark Nebus got to a loose puck at the left circle and wristed a shot past Thunder starter Bryan Hogan to make it 2-0. Wichita got one back on the power play as Thomas Beauregard (22) put a one-timer over the blocker of Allen goalie Jon Groenheyde to make it 2-1. The Americans tacked on an insurance goal in the third as Tyler Ludwig extended the lead to 3-1 with a bullet from the right wing circle. Wichita went 1-for-3 on the power play and the Americans went 0-for-4. The Thunder finished out March with a record of 7-4-1, winning five games away from home during the month. Wichita will take on the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees in the opening round of the CHL playoffs. Individual tickets are on sale now for Games 1 and 2. Game 1 is set for Friday, March 30th at 7:05 p.m. and Game 2 is set for Sunday, April 1st at 5:05 p.m. Join the Blue Revolution! For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Sun, 25 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1459.html#1337242178 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1459.html Wichita, KS (March 24th) Wichita (44-18-3) closed out its regular season home schedule Saturday night, losing 3-1 to the Evansville IceMen (40-21-4) at INTRUST Bank Arena. Evansville won both games in Wichita and tied the season-series at three games a piece. Matt Robinson (34) scored the lone-goal in the first period. Chris Chappell got to a loose puck on a dump-in and found Robinsonat the near post to make it 1-0 at 9:16. In the second period, the IceMen scored twice to take its first lead of the game. Phillipe Plante tied it on a power play as he tipped home a Todd Robinson shot from the blue line. The IceMen took the lead at 11:04 when Maxime Boisclair pounced on a loose puck and put it past Thunder starter Adam Russo to make it 2-1. Wichita made late charge in the third and had a couple of power play chances, but were unable to solve IceMen goalie Bryan Gillis down the stretch. He made the save of the game late in the period when Daniel Tetrault put a slap shot towards the goal and as the puck seemed to be making its way over the line, Gillis reached back and swiped it away and denied Wichita a chance to tie it up. Evansville added an empty-net goal and won by the final of 3-1. Evansville won both meetings in Wichita, outscoring the Thunder 8-3. Wichita went 0-for-5 while the IceMen went 1-for-5 on the power play. Wichita finishes the regular season tomorrow afternoon in Allen, TX against the Americans at 5:05 p.m. Wichita will face the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees in the first round as they won earlier coupled with a Tulsa loss to Missouri. Individual tickets are on sale now for Games 1 and 2 in the CHL Playoffs. Game 1 is set for Friday, March 30th at 7:05 p.m. and Game 2 is set for Sunday, April 1st at 5:05 p.m. Join the Blue Revolution! For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Sat, 24 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1458.html#1337242179 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1458.html Wichita, KS (March 23rd) Wichita's four-game winning streak came to an end Friday night as the Thunder (44-17-3) fell 6-2 to the Allen Americans (37-18-9) at INTRUST Bank Arena. Alex Bourret had two points and 17 minutes in penalties in the loss. Wichita is 3-3-0 against the Americans this season with one more meeting this weekend. Wichita found itself in an early hole, trailing 3-0 with nine minutes left in the first period. Allen scored two goals in 56 seconds as Brett Clouthier and Brian McMillin got Allen out to a 2-0 lead. The Americans tacked on another as Jason Deitsch beat Thunder starter Bryan Hogan to make it 3-0. Wichita climbed back into the game at the start of the second period, scoring two goals 23 seconds apart. Erick Lizon (3) ripped a slap shot from the top of the left wing circle and made it 3-1. On the very next shift, Jarred Mohr lifted a puck high to the red line, found Alex Bourret (20) who skated into the right circle and beat Allen goalie Rejean Beauchemin to cut the lead to one, 3-2. Just as Wichita had the Americans on their heels, Bourret caught an elbow in the face, proceeded to slash Jim McKenzie and everyone on the ice got together. The Americans were awarded a five-minute major power play and took advantage of the opportunity. In a span of 1:21, Allen scored three power play goals and ran away with the game. Jeff Martens, Keith Johnson and Brian McMillin all recorded goals to make it 6-2. Wichita went 0-for-6 with the man advantage and Allen went 3-for-4. Wichita closes out its home schedule tomorrow night against the Evansville IceMen before heading down for the season finale in Allen. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. Individual tickets are on sale now for Games 1 and 2 in the CHL Playoffs. Game 1 is set for Friday, March 30th at 7:05 p.m. and Game 2 is set for Sunday, April 1st at 5:05 p.m. Join the Blue Revolution! -Thunder- Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1457.html#1337242180 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1457.html Wichita, KS (March 23rd) The Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League announced Friday that forward Garett Bembridge signed a contract. Bembridge, 30, was drafted by the NHL's New York Rangers in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft and again in the 2001 draft by the Calgary Flames. Bembridge had an impressive junior career, playing in his hometown for the Saskatoon Blades. In three full seasons with the Blades, he scored 88 goals and 186 points in 212 games. The Melfort, Saskatchewan native spent two different seasons in Idaho of the ECHL, being named a starter and assistant captain for the 2006 ECHL All-Star Game. Over the course of 52 games played with the Steelheads in 2005-06, Bembridge scored 75 points (36g-39a), and split time with the AHL's Portland Pirates and Syracuse Crunch. He played under former Thunder coach Derek Laxdal in 2005-06 and rejoined the Steelheads in 2008-09 where he was a teammate of Thunder defenseman Travis Wight. Bembridge has 239 games of AHL experience in his career and tallied up 74 points (35g-39a) with the Saint John Flames, Lowell Lock Monsters, Syracuse, and Portland. He played the 2004-05 season overseas with Crimmitschau ETC of the German Elite League and began the 2007-08 season with Schwenningen ERC, notching a European total 70 points (31g-39a) in 74 games played. He left Germany mid-way through 2007-08 and joined the ECHL's Utah Grizzlies where he recorded 28 points (11g-17a) in 38 games played. Wichita returns to the Air Capital for the final two home games of the season on Friday and Saturday as Allen and Evansville come to town. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. Individual tickets are on sale now for Games 1 and 2 in the CHL Playoffs. Game 1 is set for Friday, March 30th at 7:05 p.m. and Game 2 is set for Sunday, April 1st at 5:05 p.m. Join the Blue Revolution! -Thunder- Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1456.html#1337242181 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1456.html Wichita, KS (March 22nd) The Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League is excited to announce that Head Coach Kevin McClelland has been selected the recipient of the 2011-12 Central Hockey League Coach of the Year Award following balloting among all 14 CHL head coaches. This is McClellands second Coach of the Year Award as he earned the honor back in 2006-07 while guiding the Memphis RiverKings to a 39-19-6 record and a trip to the Northern Conference Finals. He becomes just the second coach in CHL history to win this distinguished award twice. The Coach of the Year award is presented annually to the Central Hockey League coach adjudged to have contributed most to his teams success. McClelland has done a remarkable job in turning the Thunder around and was rewarded with Best Coach honors in this year's Best-of-the-Best poll. In two seasons with Wichita, McClelland has 78 wins. Under his tutelage, Wichita went from nine wins back in 2009-10 to 44 wins this season with three games left. McClelland finished third in voting for the 2011 CHL Coach of the Year. This past Tuesday, McClelland collected his second Governors Cup for the most points in the regular season and also a Berry Conference regular season title. He also guided the Colorado Eagles to a Governors Cup back in 2008-09 with a record of 45-15-4. Wichitas 6-5 win over Texas also secured the number one overall seed and home-ice for the CHL playoffs. With one more win, McClelland can set a new franchise record for most wins in a single season and also can set a new road mark as this years squad tied its all-time record away from home with its 20th win Tuesday night. Earlier this year, McClelland joined an elite club, coaching in his 400th game on November 25th as Wichita beat Tulsa 4-2. He is just the 11th coach in CHL history to reach that milestone. In seven seasons, McClelland has amassed a record of 265-149-35 with the RiverKings, Colorado and Wichita. He ranks eighth on the leagues all-time wins list. McClelland won four Stanley Cups and played in 588 NHL games where he scored 68 goals, 112 assists and collected a staggering 1,672 penalty minutes. The Oshawa, ONT native was a fourth round draft pick of the Hartford Whalers in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft. Wichita returns home for the final two home games of the season on Friday and Saturday as Allen and Evansville come to town. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. Individual tickets are on sale now for Games 1 and 2 in the CHL Playoffs. Game 1 is set for Friday, March 30th at 7:05 p.m. and Game 2 is set for Sunday, April 1st at 5:05 p.m. Join the Blue Revolution! -Thunder- Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1455.html#1337242182 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1455.html Wichita, KS (March 20th) The Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League is excited to announce that former Thunder great Travis Clayton will be playing in Saturday's Alumni Game and will have his number '38' retired before Saturday's game against Evansville. Clayton spent 11 seasons in Wichita, and still ranks second in Thunder history in games played, goals, assists, and points. In 2008, the Paradise Hill, Saskatchewan native broke the CHL's record for games played (709), which was set by former Oklahoma City great and the CHLs all-time leading scorer Joe Burton. The 5-8, 180-lb. forward was one of the CHL's top players for a number of years, leading Wichita in scoring four times and reaching the 25-goal mark on nine different occasions. His career highs with the Thunder include 42 goals in 1999-00, 57 assists in 2002-03, and 93 points in 2004-05. His number '38' will be hung to the rafters alongside longtime line-mate Jason Duda, who had his number '11' retired a year ago. Clayton will join Ron Handy, Bobby Desjardins, Rob Weingartner and Duda as the only players in the Thunder's 20-year history to receive that honor. Wichita heads south to face the Texas Brahmas on Tuesday night for the final time before returning home for the final two home games of the season on Friday and Saturday. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. Join the Blue Revolution! -Thunder- Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1453.html#1337242183 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1453.html North Richland Hills, TX (March 20th) Alex Bourret scored just over six minutes into the third period and Wichita (44-16-3) held on late for a 6-5 win over the Texas Brahmas (32-23-8) Tuesday night at the NYTEX Sports Centre. RG Flath recorded his first professional hat trick and Chris Chappell added two goals. With the win, Wichita wins a Berry Conference title and claims the Governor's Cup for the most overall points in the CHL. Wichita will have the number one seed and home-ice throughout the playoffs. Wichita rebounded from giving up a goal just two minutes into the game as Flath and Chappell combined for three to give the Thunder a 3-1 lead after the first 20 minutes. Flath (21) tied the game at one off a face-off at 13:28. Wichita was awarded a power play and scored four seconds into the man advantage when Jarred Mohr sent a shot on net and a Flath tip beat Brahmas starter Ken Carroll. Chappell (13, 14) scored the next two with the first at 13:55 and the second at 17:31. After allowing three goals on five shots, Carroll was given the hook and Mark Guggenberger finished out the game. Texas turned the tables in the second, outscoring Wichita 3-2 in the period. Adam Hogg and Sy Nutkevitch scored for Texas while Flath (22, 23) had two for the Thunder. His hat trick goal came at 16:17 when Daniel Tetrault fired a shot from the blue line and Flath put home the rebound to make it 5-4 heading into the third. At 6:16 of the third period, Bourret (19) put home a rebound during a scramble in front of the Brahmas net to make it 6-4. Tetrault and Kevin Seibel were sent to the box with 11 minutes to go in the game and Wichita was forced to kill off a five-on-three power play. Adam Russo made some spectacular saves and kept the Brahmas from pulling closer. With 30 seconds to go, Guggenberger went to the bench and Texas pulled within one when Dan Nicholls scored to make it 6-5. The Thunder held on for the remainder of the contest and earned its 44th win of the season. Russo won for the 27th time this season, stopping 21 of 26 shots he faced. Mohr had three assists, Bourret and Beauregard had two points and Matt Summers extended his point streak to seven games with an assist. Flath's hat trick was the fifth hat trick this season for Wichita, as five different Thunder players have recorded a hat trick. Wichita ties its all-time win total that was set back in 1994-95 and also ties its all-time road win total (20) that was set back in 1994-95. Wichita went 2-for-3 on the power play while the Brahmas went 2-for-8. Wichita's six goals ties a season-high for goals against in a game for the Brahmas. Wichita returns home for the final two home games of the season on Friday and Saturday as Allen and Evansville come to town. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. Individual tickets are on sale now for Games 1 and 2 in the CHL Playoffs. Game 1 is set for Friday, March 30th at 7:05 p.m. and Game 2 is set for Sunday, April 1st at 5:05 p.m. Join the Blue Revolution! -Thunder- Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1454.html#1337242184 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1454.html POINT STREAK TO FOUR GAMES- Wichita closed out a busy week, claiming all but one point in four games. On Wednesday, Wichita finished off its three-game set against Rapid City and lost in a shootout. Konrad Reeder tied the game up with just over five minutes remaining. Thomas Beauregard and Justin Sawyer scored for Wichita. The Rush won 3-2 in a shootout and was the Thunder's first loss in overtime or a shootout at home this year. Right after the game, Wichita jumped on a bus and headed to Moline, IL to face the Quad City Mallards on Friday night for the final time this season. The Thunder scored three-straight goals in the second period and won the game 4-2. Four different players scored and Bryan Hogan earned the win, stopping 42 of 44 shots. Wichita returned home for a pair and won both games against Arizona. In come-from-behind fashion, Wichita trailed heading into the third period on Saturday and was able to score twice to win 2-1. The next day was a different story as the Thunder dominated the first period before pulling away with a 4-0 win over the Sundogs to sweep the season-series, winning all four games. ONE TO CLINCH- With Sundays win against the Sundogs, Wichita needs one point to claim both a division title and the Governors Cup. The Thunder lead Allen by eight points in the race for the number one seed in the Berry Conference and also lead Fort Wayne by eight points in the race for the Governors Cup. With a Thunder win or a loss in overtime or a shootout by both Allen and Fort Wayne, Wichita will achieve both feats and claim home-ice during the playoffs. SETTING NEW HEIGHTS- Wichita leads the league with 43 victories after yesterday's win against the Sundogs. The Thunder is the only team in the league that has more than 40 wins and has a chance to set a new franchise record with four games left. The best Thunder record all-time is 44-18-4 back in the 1994-95 season and is the last time Wichita won a championship. ROAD WARRIORS- Since the beginning of February, Wichita has gone 10-2-0 in its last 12 road games. Against the Turner Conference, Wichita is 11-3-2 away from home. After starting out slow on the road, Wichita is now 19-10-2 with only two road games left on the schedule. The Thunder all-time record for road wins is 20, which happened in 1994-95. MILESTONES- Matt Robinson scored twice over the weekend and now sits alone in eighth place all-time in Thunder franchise history with 72 goals. The MVP-candidate has 33 goals this season and is tied in fourth place in goals scored this season. HOME COOKIN- The Thunder won two more games on home-ice this weekend and now has 24 wins at INTRUST Bank Arena. The Thunder all-time record for home wins is 26, set back in 1993-94. Against the Berry Conference, Wichita is an impressive 15-2-0 at home this season. COMEBACK KINGS- Wichita leads the league in wins when trailing after two periods and added to that number this past Saturday. Arizona had a 1-0 lead heading into the final period before Matt Robinson and Chris Chappell scored to get the Thunder past the Sundogs, 2-1. When trailing after two, Wichita is 8-9-0 this season. Every other team in the league has double-digit losses in that category. PENALTY BUSTERS- Wichitas penalty killing unit has jumped up to eighth-place in the league and has been tremendous over the last 10 games. The Thunder has only allowed two power play goals against in the last 42 chances for the opposition. In the last five games, Wichita has gone a perfect 24-for-24 on the penalty kill. The Thunder stopped all six power play chances this past Friday against the top-ranked unit in Quad City and six on Sunday against Arizona. THUNDERBOLTSWichita is first in goals per game (3.56) and second in goals against per contest (2.65)Wichita is second in shots allowed (29.50/game)Wichita leads the league in wins (43), wins at home (24), winning percentage (.718), points (89) and goals scored (221)Wichita has the fewest regulation losses (16)The Thunder power play away from home is ranked second, going 25-for-124 at a clip of 20.2%...Wichita has four of the top five players in shooting percentage, with RG Flath in first (.253), Summers is third (.207), Robinson in fourth (.199) and Bourret in fifth (.188)In one-goal games, Wichita is 18-6-3In four-goal games, Wichita is 5-0-0When leading after one, The Thunder is 20-3-1Tied after two periods, Wichita is 12-3-2When scoring first, Wichita is 26-8-2When giving up the first goal, Wichita is 17-8-1When outshooting the opponent, Wichita is 23-6-0When outshot by opponent, Wichita is 16-8-3Wichita is 13-7-2 playing on a FridayWichita is 15-4-0 playing on a SaturdayWichita is 6-1-1 in MarchThe Thunder is 20-7-3 against teams from the Turner ConferenceIn 13-straight games against the Turner Conference, Wichita went 9-3-1 in that span from Frebruary 17th to March 16thIn division, Wichita is 23-9-0Wichita has outscored its opponent 88-52 in the third periodWichita leads the league in short-handed goals against (3) UPCOMING WEEK- Wichita heads south to face the Texas Brahmas on Tuesday night for the final time before returning home for the final two home games of the season on Friday and Saturday. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder office Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. Join the Blue Revolution! -Thunder- Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1448.html#1337242185 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1448.html Wichita, KS (March 18th) Rookie goalie Bryan Hogan has been quite a find for the Thunder. The former University of Michigan product has been lights-out for Wichita (43-16-3), earning his second professional shutout with a 4-0 win over the Arizona Sundogs (17-37-9) Sunday afternoon at INTRUST Bank Arena. Brett Hemingway and Kevin Seibel each had two points while four different players found the back of the net. Wichita needs one more point to clinch the Berry Conference Division title and home-ice in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Wichita can still clinch the Governor's Cup as the Thunder has an eight-point lead on Fort Wayne with four games left for both teams. Wichita came out strong in the first period, dominating time of possession while outshooting Arizona 11-6. However, the Thunder was unable to capitalize on a power play and found themselves in a scoreless tie after the first 20 minutes. Matt Robinson (33) scored the first goal for the Thunder at 5:51 of the second period. Matt Summers caught a Seibel feed in the slot and dished it off to Robinson who was able to put in the upper corner to make it 1-0. Wichita was penalized nine times in the second, but managed to score a short-handed goal from Alex Bourret (18) at 11:09 to make it 2-0. Shortly after, Bourret got tangled up with Luke Erickson and was tossed from the game as he received 29 minutes in penalties. Wichita was able to kill off a seven-minute power play that included a five-on-three. The Thunder continued to pour salt on the wound as RG Flath (20) scored off of a steal behind the Arizona net at 6:39 of the third period. Hemingway stole the puck from the defender on the end-wall, left it for Flath who then curled in front of Arizona starter Scott Bowles and scored to make it 3-0. Wichita added another with 8:20 left in the contest as Kevin Young (2) scored a power play tally with a rocket from the blue line. Hogan took it from there and Wichita won 4-0. Bryan Hogan improved to 10-1-0 in 12 appearances with Wichita and his second pro shutout, stopping all 27 shots he faced. Wichita goalies have a combined four shutouts, with each being recorded on home-ice. Matt Summers added an assist to extend his point streak to six games. Robinson tallied his 72nd goal all-time in a Thunder uniform and is alone in first place in the CHL in game-winning-goals (10). The Thunder penalty kill was outstanding over the weekend. Wichita went 6-for-6 against the Sundogs and has killed off its last 14 penalties as Quad City was 0-for-6 while the Sundogs went 0-for-2 last night. Wichita won for the 24th time on home-ice and is just two wins shy of tying its all-time home record set back in 1993-94 (26). With one more victory, Wichita will tie its all-time win total off 44, set back in 1994-95. Wichita heads south to face the Texas Brahmas on Tuesday night for the final time before returning home for the final two home games of the season on Friday and Saturday. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. Join the Blue Revolution! -Thunder- Sun, 18 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1447.html#1337242186 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1447.html Wichita, KS (March 17th) Dressed in special St. Patrick Day uniforms, Wichita (42-16-3) rallied from behind and scored two unanswered goals in the third to beat the Arizona Sundogs (17-36-9) Saturday night at INTRUST Bank Arena. Matt Robinson and Matt Summers each had two points and Adam Russo won for the 26th time this season. Adam Smyth of the Sundogs delivered the first goal of the game six minutes into the second period with a wrist shot from the slot. The Thunder responded with a goal from Matt Robinson (32) with 13 minutes to go in the third. Matt Summers entered the zone on the right wing wall and made a nice move to get around a man at the circle and found Robinson who pushed it past Sundogs starter Mike Spillane. Wichita then capitalized on its second four-minute power play of the game as Kyle Hood was sent off for high sticking. Chris Chappell (12) put home a rebound with just over two minutes left and gave Wichita its first lead of the night, 2-1. Arizona pulled its goalie in search of equalizer, but Wichita gutted out a 2-1 win. Robinson had a goal and an assist and pulled into a three-way tie for eighth place all-time with Paul Jackson and Cory Dosdall in goals scored (71). Summers had two assists and extended his point-scoring streak to five games. Russo made 26 saves on 27 shots in his 40th appearance of the season. With tonight's win, Wichita is an impressive 8-9-0 when trailing after two periods. Wichita remains eight points ahead of the Allen Americans for first place in the Berry Conference with five games left for each team. In the race for the Governor's Cup, Wichita has a six-point cushion on Fort Wayne with a game in hand on the Komets, who have just four games remaining. Wichita remains home tomorrow against Arizona before heading out to face the Texas Brahmas Tuesday night for the final time. The Stanley Cup will be in the building tomorrow afternoon for fans to see and take pictures with. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. Join the Blue Revolution! -Thunder- Sat, 17 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1446.html#1337242187 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1446.html Moline, IL (March 16th) Wichita (41-16-3) used a three-goal second period to skate past the Quad City Mallards (34-25-2) Friday night at the I-Wireless Center. Bryan Hogan won for the third time this season against Quad City in a Thunder uniform while four different players scored to pace the Thunder. Wichita won for the 19th time on the road and sits just one shy of tying its all-time mark for road wins set back in 1994-95. Chris Greene (7) pounded home a rebound at the six minute mark of the first period to give the Thunder a 1-0 lead. Quad City tied the game just over a minute into the second period as Justin Hofstetter beat Thunder starter Bryan Hogan from the slot. However, Wichita scored the next three to pull ahead 4-1. Just 53 seconds later, Dustin Donaghy (8) found a loose puck at the right wing circle and made it 2-1. Wichita had only three power plays during the game, but took advantage on their second chance as Kevin Young (1) blasted an Alex Bourret feed into the net from the blue line and extended the Thunder lead to 3-1. At the 13 minute mark, Wichita scored a shorthanded goal as RG Flath (19) took a Chris Chappell pass at the red line, came in against the defender and beat Mallard starter David McKee to make it 4-1. Jared Brown added a goal in the third period for Quad City, but it was too little, too late as Wichita skated away with a 4-2 win. Wichita improved to 4-0-2 against Quad City this season and earned its first win at the I-Wireless Center this season. Bryan Hogan improved to 9-1-0 in Thunder blue, making 42 saves on 44 shots. He also was named the number one star of the game. Nine different players recorded points for Wichita. The Thunder smothered Quad City on the penalty kill, keeping the number one power play at bay as they went 0-for-6 with the man advantage. Wichita pulled into a four-way tie for third place in shorthanded goals scored (10) and jumped ahead of the Mallards for first in shorthanded goals allowed (3) as the two teams were tied heading into the night. In the last 12 road games, Wichita is 10-2 and against the Turner Conference, the Thunder is 11-3-2 away from home. Wichita returns home for the next two as the Arizona Sundogs come to town Saturday and Sunday. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. Join the Blue Revolution! -Thunder- Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1445.html#1337242188 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1445.html Wichita, KS (March 15th) The Central Hockey League's annual Best-of-the-Best Poll was released Thursday morning and Wichita earned first place honors in several categories including Best Arena, Best Coach, Best Fighter (heavyweight), Most Annoying Player, Best Goaltender in Shootouts, Best On-Ice Promotions, and Best Booster Club. The poll consists of 50 categories that cover all aspects of the league including on-ice performance, in-game entertainment as well as top venues, concessions, websites, etc. and was voted on by CHL players, coaches and operational staff from all 14 CHL teams (each team submitted one ballot). Each team provided three top choices for each category, with first place votes counting as five points, second place votes counting as three points and third place votes counting as one point. A feature story on this year's poll was written by Bill Althaus of the Independence Examiner in Independence, MO and can be found here: INTRUST Bank Arena won Best Arena for the third straight year, was voted second for Toughest Building to Win In and third in Best Locker Rooms. The facility is a modern, state-of-the-art sports and entertainment venue, perfect for concerts and conventions alike. The arena features 22 suites, 40 loge boxes, and 300 premium seats with a total 15,000-seat capacity (). The arena has given Wichita a clear home ice advantage this season, where the Thunder is 22-6-1 at home, and an even more impressive 13-2-0 against Berry Conference opponents. The Thunder has played at INTRUST Bank Arena since January 23rd, 2010. Head Coach Kevin McClelland has done a remarkable job in turning the Thunder around and was rewarded with Best Coach honors in this year's poll. In two seasons with Wichita, McClelland has 74 wins. Under his tutelage, Wichita went from nine wins back in 2009-10 to 40 wins this season with seven games left. Erick Lizon took home first place honors for Best Fighter in the Heavyweight division while Alex Bourret was voted as the Most Annoying Player. Adam Russo was named as the Best Goaltender in Shootouts as he leads the league in shootout wins (6). Wichita beat out Missouri and Dayton in the Best On-Ice Promotions category, claiming 21 points. The Wichita Storm Booster Club took home first place honors in Best Booster Club, taking three first-place votes, claiming 19 points which was 10 points ahead of the second-place Quad City Mallards. In other categories, Bourret took third in Best Overall Player, Brett Hemingway placed third in Best Shooter in Shootouts, Matt Robinson took third in Most Underrated Player and Andrew Martens voted third in Best Offensive Defenseman. In the category for Most Annoying Fans, Wichita took second place behind the Texas Brahmas. For Best PA Announcer, Wichita's Mike McQuilliam took second. Wichita also placed in third in Best Use of Social Media, Overall, Wichita placed third behind Allen and Evansville, appearing in 16 different categories. Wichita finishes its long run of seeing Turner Conference opponents on Friday night against Quad City before hosting Arizona for a pair of games this weekend. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. Join the Blue Revolution! -Thunder- Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1443.html#1337242189 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1443.html Wichita, KS (March 16th) The Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League is excited to announce that individual tickets will go on sale today for the first two home games in the first round of the CHL playoffs. Game 1 will be Friday, March 30th at 7:05 p.m. and Game 2 will be at 5:05 p.m. on Sunday, April 1st. With seven games remaining in the regular season, Wichita can still finish as the number one seed or the number two seed in the Berry Conference. The Thunder has an eight-point lead over the Allen Americans with two games remaining between the two teams next weekend. Though Wichita's first round opponent has not been determined, the Thunder would face the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees if the playoffs started today. The full playoff schedule will be released at a later date. Wichita finishes its long run of seeing Turner Conference opponents on Friday night against Quad City before hosting Arizona for a pair of games this weekend. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. Join the Blue Revolution! -Thunder- Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1444.html#1337242190 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1444.html Wichita, KS (March 14th) Wichita (40-16-3) let a lead slip out of its hands and lost in a shootout, 3-2, to Rapid City (34-20-6) Wednesday night at INTRUST Bank Arena. Despite the loss, Wichita gains some ground on Allen for the Berry Conference title and three points ahead of the Evansville IceMen for the most points in the CHL. Thomas Beauregard (21) opened up the scoring three minutes into the first period when Alex Bourret stole a dump-in at the left circle and found his line-mate at the right side of the net to make it 1-0. Scott Wray tied the game at one at the 11 minute mark. With just over five minutes to go in the second, Justin Sawyer (5) took a Matt Summers pass at the left face-off circle and put it through Rapid City goalie Tim Boron to give the Thunder a 2-1 lead. Rapid City tied the game at two late in the third period as Konrad Reeder found a rebound at the right of the net and put it home. The two teams needed overtime and both had some quality scoring chances. Neither team could find the back of the net and headed to a shootout for the third time this season. Wichita fell behind two goals to none in rounds two and three as Jesse Schultz and Colin Circelli scored. Matt Summers and Alex Bourret sent it to extra shooters with back-to-back goals to tie it at two through four rounds. In round seven, Riley Weselowski scored the game-winning goal as Chris Chappell was unable to extend it another round and Wichita lost 3-2. Wichita's record in a shootout slips to 7-2, but gained a point and now leads Allen by eight for first place in the Berry Conference. Sawyer set a new career-high and can eclipse his career numbers (7) with three more goals this year. The Thunder closed out its regular season-series against Rapid City, going 4-3-1. The loss is Wichita's first in shootout fashion on home-ice as its record is 22-6-1. Wichita finishes its long run of seeing Turner Conference opponents on Friday night against Quad City before hosting Arizona for a pair of games this weekend. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. Join the Blue Revolution! -Thunder- Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1441.html#1337242191 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1441.html By Jeffrey Lutz, Wichita Eagle - The phrase "good problem to have" could apply to the Thunder and its two standout goaltenders, but the principals dont think its a problem at all. Yes, having multiple players for one position means one of them wont be on the ice at any given time. It also allows for second guessing if one of them starts a game and loses. The first-place Thunder (40-16-2) has managed, though, with goalies Bryan Hogan and Adam Russo both playing brilliantly lately. Not even a minor issue has arisen so far. Russos play was expected; Hogan has been a pleasant surprise who has surpassed even the highest expectations of him when he was acquired in a January trade. The numbers say he has outplayed Russo, and Wichita coach Kevin McClelland wont call either the definitive starter because both have earned that title. "Right now, both goaltenders are playing well," McClelland said. "Thats what you need going into the playoffs. Both guys have to be ready. To accomplish what we want, its going to be very long and grueling." For more, click Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1440.html#1337242192 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1440.html THUNDER SPLIT IN SD- Wichita finished its five-game road trip in the Black Hills with a pair against the Rapid City Rush and went 1-1-0. On Friday, the Rush and Thunder traded goals until the third period when Rapid City outscored Wichita 3-1 and held on for a 5-3 victory. The next night, Wichita got out to a two-goal lead before the Rush tallied one early in the third period. Matt Robinson scored twice and Bryan Hogan made key saves down the stretch, stopping 39 shots and earning a 3-1 win. 40- Saturdays win against Rapid City pushed the Thunder to 40 victories, the first time since 2004-05. Wichita is the first team in the CHL to 40 wins and has a chance to set a new franchise record with eight games left. The best Thunder record all-time is 44-18-4 back in the 1994-95 season and is the last time Wichita won a championship. ROAD WARRIORS- Since the beginning of February, Wichita has gone 9-2-0 in its last 11 road games. During this last road stint, Wichita went 4-1-0. Against the Turner Conference, Wichita is 10-3-2 away from home. After starting out slow on the road, Wichita is now 18-10-2 with only three road games left on the schedule. The Thunder all-time record for road wins is 20, which happened in 1994-95. MILESTONES- Matt Robinson recorded back-to-back 30-goal seasons with his two-goal outing this past Saturday. He is just one-goal shy (70) of tying Paul Jackson and Cory Dosdall in eighth place all-time in Thunder franchise history. HOME COOKIN- Wichita returns to home-ice for the first time since February 26th. The Thunder has five of their last eight games at home and leads the league with the most wins on home-ice (22). The Thunder all-time record for home wins is 26, also set back in 1993-94. RETURN OF LORD STANLEY- On March 18th, the Stanley Cup will be in the building for fans to see and take pictures. This will be the first time since 1998 that the Cup will be at a Thunder home game. The Stanley Cup is awarded annually to the champion of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Boston Bruins are the current reigning champion. THUNDERBOLTSWichita is first in goals per game (3.60) and second in goals against per contest (2.72)Wichita is second in shots allowed (29.29/game)Wichita is first in wins (40)Wichita is first in winning percentage (.707)The Thunder power play away from home is ranked third, going 24-for-121 at a clip of 19.8%...Wichita has four of the top five players in shooting percentage, with RG Flath in first (.277), Summers is second (.221), Robinson in fourth (.199) and Bourret in fifth (.193)In one-goal games, Wichita is 17-6-2In four-goal games, Wichita is 4-0-0When leading after one, The Thunder is 19-3-1Tied after two periods, Wichita is 12-3-2When scoring first, Wichita is 24-8-1When giving up the first goal, Wichita is 16-8-1When outshooting the opponent, Wichita is 21-6-0When outshot by opponent, Wichita is 15-8-2Wichita is 12-7-2 playing on a FridayWichita is 14-4-0 playing on a SaturdayWichita is 3-1-0 in MarchThe Thunder is 19-7-2 against teams from the Turner ConferenceIn division, Wichita is 21-9-0, going 8-7-0 on the road and 13-2-0 at homeWichita has not played a team from its own division since February 14th against Laredo, going 13-straight games against Turner Conference foesThe next Berry Conference opponent is Saturday against Arizona UPCOMING WEEK- Wichita and Rapid City will close out their season-series on March 14th at 7:05 p.m. Wichita leads the season-series four games to three. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder office Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1438.html#1337242193 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1438.html Wichita, KS (March 13th) The Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League announced Tuesday that they have signed defenseman Kevin Young. Young, 29, played for Strasbourg in France earlier this season. The White Rock, BC native turned pro in 2005-06 after spending two seasons with the University of New Brunswick. He was named the CIS Clare Drake Rookie of the Year in 2003-04. He has been an important part of two championship teams, one in 2005-06 with the Nijmegen Devils in Netherlands and last season with the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs. He was also named Netherlands Best Defenseman in 2010-11 with Eindhoven Kemphanen where he tallied 17 goals and 48 assists in 40 games. Young is expected to be in the line-up tomorrow when the Thunder host the Rapid City Rush. To make room, defenseman T.J. Miller has been waived. Wichita and Rapid City close out their regular season series tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. Join the Blue Revolution! -Thunder- Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1439.html#1337242194 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1439.html Rapid City, SD (March 10th) Wichita (40-16-2) stopped a three-game losing skid to Rapid City (32-20-6), scoring a goal in each period and held on late for a 3-1 win Saturday night at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. Matt Robinson scored twice and Bryan Hogan won for the eighth time since coming to Wichita. The Thunder is the first team in the CHL to reach 40 wins. Wichita ends its five-game road trip on a high note, going 4-1 over the past two weeks. Matt Summers (19) put Wichita on the board first off a face-off as Travis Wight found him in front of the net and made a nice stick handling move around Rush starter Tim Boron to make it 1-0. During a penalty-filled second period, Wichita added to its lead when Matt Robinson (30) came through the neutral zone, made a move to the middle of the ice over the Rush line and fired a wrist shot past Boron to make it 2-0. The two teams combined for six power play chances during the second. Les Reaney cut the Thunder lead to 2-1 at 3:48 of the third period during a scramble near the crease and slipped it through Hogan's pads. The Rush pulled Boron for the extra attacker with just over a minute to go, but Robinson (31) got to a loose puck in the Thunder zone and lifted it all the way down the ice into the empty-net and Wichita pulled out a 3-1 win. Robinson hit the 30-goal barrier for the second straight season and is just one shy (70) of tying Paul Jackson and Cory Dosdall for 8th place all-time. Hogan improved his record to 8-1-0 since coming over from Dayton, making 39 saves on 40 shots. Wichita leads the regular season series 4-3 over Rapid City with one more game between the two teams next Wednesday. The Thunder remain seven points ahead of Allen in first place in the Berry Conference and two points in front of Evansville for the league-lead in points. Wichita will return to the Air Capital on March 14th for its regular season finale against the Rush. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. Join the Blue Revolution! Want to Ante up with the players? Call 264-4625 to sign up for the Thunder poker tournament to be held March 11th. Come join us for a fun afternoon of food, drinks, friends and poker with the Wichita Thunder! -Thunder- Sun, 11 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1437.html#1337242195 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1437.html Rapid City, SD (March 9th) Wichita (39-16-2) tied the game three separate times, but was unable to own a lead and Rapid City (32-19-6) stopped the Thunder's winning streak at five, claiming a 5-3 win on Friday night at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. Thomas Beauregard had two points and Brett Hemingway scored in his first game back since late January despite the loss. Rapid City got things going just seven minutes into the contest as Konrad Reeder beat Thunder starter Adam Russo to make it 1-0. Kevin Seibel (6) tied the game at one at 3:36 of the second period when he collected a pass at the top of the right circle and blasted it past Rush goalie Tim Boron. Reeder regained the lead for the Rush with his second on the night at 10:41. Rapid City was awarded a five-on-three power play and capitalized as Reeder intercepted a clearing attempt and put it past Russo. Wichita tied the game at two at 18:43 as Chris Chappell (11) drove the net after getting around the defenseman at the right circle and made a nice move to beat Boron. In the third period, Anthony Perdicaro gave Rapid City a 3-2 lead when a dump-in by the Rush rode the rail along the right corner boards, popped off the window right in front of the Thunder goal and Perdicaro put it into the empty net. Wichita came right back to tie the game at three as Brett Hemingway (14) sniped one just under the bar at 5:36 that was initially waved off. After the next stoppage in play, the official spoke to his linesmen and determined that the goal was good. However, Rapid City scored twice more, once from Andrew Smale and an empty-net goal from Scott Wray to seal the deal for the Rush, winning 5-3. The Thunder winning streak is stopped at five, one shy of tying its season-long streak. Wichita has lost the last three contests to Rapid City with two more to go in the season-series (3-3). Francis Trudel extended his point streak to six games, scoring nine points in that span. Wichita also fell for the just the third time on the road in regulation against the Turner Conference, now 9-3-2. Wichita still leads the Berry Conference over Allen, who closed the gap to seven points with a win over Laredo earlier this evening. The Thunder still holds a two-point advantage over Evansville in the race for the Governor's Cup as the IceMen won tonight in a shootout. Wichita closes out its five-game road swing tomorrow night against Rapid City and will return to the Air Capital on March 14th against the Rush. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. Join the Blue Revolution! Want to Ante up with the players? Call 264-4625 to sign up for the Thunder poker tournament to be held March 11th. Come join us for a fun afternoon of food, drinks, friends and poker with the Wichita Thunder! -Thunder- Fri, 09 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1436.html#1337242196 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1436.html Wichita, KS (March 8th) The Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League is excited to announce that the Stanley Cup will be in the building when the Thunder host the Arizona Sundogs on Sunday, March 18th at 5:05 p.m. This will be the first time the Cup has been at a Thunder game since 1998. We are thrilled to be able to have such an important piece of sports history on display for our fans, said Thunder GM Joel T. Lomurno. The Stanley Cup is the most recognizable trophy in sports and is even more awe inspiring up close. The Stanley Cup is the oldest trophy competed for by professional athletes in North America. It is awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs champion and was first awarded in 1893. Unlike the trophies awarded by the other three major professional sports leagues of North America, a new cup is not made each year and the winners keep it until the next champion is crowned. The cup has the names of all of the winning players, coaches, management and club staff engraved on it. Currently, the Boston Bruins are the reigning Stanley Cup champions. The Cup will be on display on the concourse for fans to view and take pictures during the game. Wichita closes out its five-game road swing with a pair in Rapid City on Friday and Saturday and will return to the Air Capital on March 14th against the Rush. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. Join the Blue Revolution! Want to Ante up with the players? Call 264-4625 to sign up for the Thunder poker tournament to be held March 11th. Come join us for a fun afternoon of food, drinks, friends and poker with the Wichita Thunder! -Thunder- Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1435.html#1337242197 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1435.html Wichita, KS (March 7th) The Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League announced Wednesday that forward Matt Robinson and goaltender Adam Russo have been selected as finalists for post-season awards. Robinson has been selected as a finalist for the Most Valuable Player Award and Russo has been nominated as a finalist for the Scott Brower Award given to the Most Outstanding Goaltender. Both are among four other finalists that will be announced at a later date. Robinson, 26, has been instrumental in leading Wichita to the top of the Central Hockey League standings. With a number of top players on the shelf at some point during the season, Robinson flourished after returning from missing two games before the beginning of February. The South Surrey, BC native led the Thunder last month with 12 goals and six assists and was a +11. In February, he had four multi-goal games and scored five of his eight game-winning goals. He recorded three straight game-winners that helped earn him Oakley Player of the Week Honors for the week of February 20th and was named the Oakley Number One Star for the month. Robinson is one goal shy of reaching 30 for the second straight season and is just three goals shy of moving into a three-way tie for 8th place all-time for goals scored in Thunder history. Robinson currently has 68 and can tie Paul Jackson and Cory Dosdall, who both have 71. Overall, Robinson has 29 goals and 21 assists and is a +19. Russo, 28, was brought over in the off-season to solidify the goaltender position and he has done just that. The Montreal, PQ native set a new career-high in wins (25) and sits in third place in the CHL in that category. He is tied for the league-lead in shutouts (3), first in shootout wins (6) and third in minutes played (2182:53). Russo has earned Goalie of the Week Honors twice this season, once for the week of November 29th and once for the week of December 20th. The full list of nominees is listed below: Most Valuable Player Finalists Bruce Graham, Allen Shawn Limpright, Rapid City Brandon Marino, Quad City Matt Robinson, Wichita Todd Robinson, Evansville Most Outstanding Goaltender (Scott Brower Award) Finalists Nick Boucher, Fort Wayne Charlie Effinger, Missouri Bryan Gillis, Evansville Mark Guggenberger, Texas Adam Russo, Wichita Most Outstanding Defenseman Finalists Frankie DeAngelis, Fort Wayne Matt Gens, Evansville Darren McMillan, Quad City Dave Pszenyczny, Missouri Riley Weselowski, Rapid City Rookie of the Year Finalists Jared Brown, Quad City Andrew Courtney, Missouri Bryan Gillis, Evansville Mark Guggenberger, Texas Mike Ullrich, Tulsa Wichita closes out its five-game road swing with two games in Rapid City this Friday and Saturday and will return to the Air Capital on March 14th against the Rush. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1434.html#1337242198 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1434.html On February 18, the Wichita Thunder looked at the road ahead of them and had to say that it might be a bumpy one. The Thunder were an impressive 33-13-2 and coming off an equally impressive 2-1 victory over Quad City on February 17. What was waiting for Wichita was a true test of where they stood in the CHL with 11 games over nearly a month against the top teams in the league; four games against Missouri, three games against Evansville, three games against Rapid City and one game against Fort Wayne. In that stretch were seven road games in an eight game span including five straight away from home. For more, click Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1433.html#1337242199 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1433.html THUNDER STAKE CLAIM IN HOOSIER STATE- Wichita closed out its week-long road trip with three victories in the state of Indiana. On Wednesday, Wichita climbed out of a three-goal hole and beat the Evansville IceMen 8-5. Behind a two-goal effort from Chris Greene, Wichita scored six goals in the last 13 minutes of the third period to end the IceMens win streak at 10 games. The Thunder held the IceMen to just three shots in the final frame and also scored three in 2:57, its fastest three goals to-date this season. On Friday, the two teams reunited at the Ford Center and this time, the game was a defensive struggle. RG Flath extended his goal-scoring streak to three games to give the Thunder an early lead. Evansville tied it at one in the second period on a two-man advantage. Chris Chappell scored the game-winner midway through the third period and Wichita won for the second time on the week at Evansville, 2-1. The final game on the road trip through the Hoosier state saw the Thunder climb out of a two-goal deficit and won its seventh game in shootout fashion over the Fort Wayne Komets on Sunday afternoon, 3-2. Dustin Donaghy and Kevin Seibel each had goals and the Thunder outscored the Komets 3-1 in the shootout for the win. BACK IN BUSINESS- Wednesdays win against the Evansville IceMen clinched a playoff spot for the Thunder. Its the first time since the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons that Wichita has gone to the playoffs in back-to-back years. Wichita is the first team in the league to grab a berth to the post-season and has aspirations for more. The Thunder is four points ahead of Evansville and Fort Wayne for the best mark in the CHL. The team with the most points at the end of the regular season grabs the Bud Poile Governors Cup. Wichita also moved ahead of Allen by 11 points for first place in the Berry Conference. NEVER SAY DIE- Wichita fell behind in two of the three games this past week, but came back to win them both. Amazingly, Wichita has trailed 16 times entering the third period and has won nearly half of those games. The Thunder is 7-9-0 when trailing after two periods due in large part to the teams dominance in the final frame. Wichita has outscored its opponents 82-46 in the third period this season. When trailing after the first period, Wichita is 11-7-1. MILESTONES- Adam Russo reached his 24th win of the season Wednesday night against Evansville and set a new personal best. His previous high was 23 wins, set in 2009-10 with Port Huron of the IHL. Now with 25 wins, Russo sits alone in third place in the CHL. Chris Chappell also set a new career high. His game winner on Friday night was his 10th of the season, eclipsing his previous best from a year ago in Greenville of the ECHL. Robinson is one goal shy of recording back-to-back 30 goal seasons and needs three more to move into a three-way tie for eighth place all-time in goals scored in franchise history as he currently sits with 68. Paul Jackson and Cory Dosdall each have 71. Chris Greene also set a new personal best, recording four points (2g, 2a) on Wednesday. STREAKS- Francis Trudel has the longest current streak for any Thunder player. He has recorded points in his last five games (1g, 7a) and is a +6 in that span. Matt Summers had his nine-game point streak stopped Sunday in Fort Wayne, recording four goals and 11 assists. Kevin Seibel has a three-game point streak, scoring one goal and three assists. Wichita also extended its winning streak to five games, one shy of its season-high (6). SHOOTOUT DOMINANCE- Wichita improved to 7-1 in shootouts this season. Adam Russo leads the league with six shootout wins and Matt Robinson added to his total with a goal in the shootout as well. He is now five-for-eight in the shootout this season and tied in second with Brett Hemingway, who also has five shootout goals. Summers is batting .500, going three-for-six. THUNDERBOLTSWichita is first in goals per game (3.63) and second in goals against per contest (2.71)Wichita is second in shots allowed (29.09/game)Wichita leads the league in combined points (539), assists (336), goals scored (203), first in wins (39) and wins at home (22)Wichita is first in winning percentage (.714)The Thunder power play away from home is ranked first, going 24-for-113 at a clip of 21.2%...RG Flath is first in shooting percentage (.286) while Summers is second (.228)In one-goal games, Wichita is 17-6-2In four-goal games, Wichita is 4-0-0When leading after one, The Thunder is 18-3-1Tied after two periods, Wichita is 12-2-2When scoring first, Wichita is 23-8-1When giving up the first goal, Wichita is 16-7-1When outshooting the opponent, Wichita is 21-6-0When outshot by opponent, Wichita is 14-7-2Wichita is 12-6-2 playing on a FridayWichita is 13-4-0 playing on a SaturdayWichita finished 10-3-0 in FebruaryThe Thunder is 18-6-2 against teams from the Turner Conference and is a remarkable 9-2-2 on the road outside the BerryIn division, Wichita is 21-9-0, going 8-7-0 on the road and 13-2-0 at home UPCOMING WEEK- The Thunder close out its five-game road trip with a pair in Rapid City this weekend. Wichita returns to the Air Capital on March 14th to take on the Rush at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder office Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1432.html#1337242200 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1432.html Fort Wayne, IN (March 4th) - Trailing 2-0 late in the first period, Wichita (39-15-2) came from behind to tie the game and ended it in a shootout, winning the contest against Fort Wayne (36-17-4), 3-2, Sunday afternoon at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Wichita outscored Fort Wayne 3-1 in the shootout as Matt Robinson, Thomas Beauregard and Matt Summers all scored for the Thunder. Dustin Donaghy finished with two points and Adam Russo earned his 25th win of the season, stopping 33 of 35 shots. The Thunder move four points ahead of Evansville and Fort Waynefor the top mark in the CHL and 11 points ahead of Allen in first place in the Berry Conference. Fort Wayne scored twice in the first period in a three minute span. Bobby Chaumont caught a Leo Thomas pass and beat Thunder starter Adam Russo to give the Komets a 1-0 lead at 12:01. After killing off a five-on-three, the Komets capitalized on a two-on-one and Jean-Michel Rizk added to the lead at 15:09. Wichita got one back with under a minute to go in the first when Thomas Beauregard entered the zone on the left wing, put it across to Kevin Seibel (5) and his one-timer found the back of the net to make it 2-1. In the second, Donaghy (7) tied the game at two when he got in behind the Fort Wayne defense and put a wrist shot past Komets goalie Nick Boucher's blocker from the right face-off circle. The two teams skated to a scoreless third period and five minute overtime. Wichita scored in each of the first three rounds of the shootout as Robinson, Beauregard and Summers beat Boucher while Russo stopped three of the four shooters he faced and the Thunder earned the extra point. The Thunder improves to 7-1 in shootouts this season and claimed all six points during the three-game road trip in the state of Indiana. Russo claimed his sixth shootout win, which is first in the league for goaltenders. Wichita wins the season-series 2-0 over Fort Wayne, extended its winning streak to five games and stopped the Komets winning streak at three. Wichita closes out its five-game road swing with two games in Rapid City next Friday and Saturday and will not return to the Air Capital till March 14th against the Rush. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Sun, 04 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1431.html#1337242201 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1431.html Evansville, IN (March 2nd) - Chris Chappell set a new career-high in goals, scoring the game-winner halfway through the third period and gave Wichita (38-15-2) back-to-back wins against Evansville (36-15-4) 2-1 Friday night at the Ford Center. Wichita moves two points ahead of the IceMen for the most points in the CHL and 11 points ahead of Allen for first place in the Berry Conference. At 10:36 of the first, RG Flath (18) scored his fourth goal against Evansville this season and second on the week. Right after a Thunder power play expired, Matt Summers got to a loose puck and found Flath for the 1-0 lead. Evansville cashed in on a two-man advantage when Matt Gens scored from the blue line with a slap shot at 8:57 and tied the game at one. Wichita took advantage of tripping penalty in the third period when Chappell (10) found a rebound at the right circle and scored past IceMen goaltender Bryan Gillis to make it 2-1. After Wichita was unsuccessful on a long five-on-three power play, the IceMen pulled Gillis for the extra attacker to try to tie the game. Wichita kept the IceMen out of the zone and hung on for the 2-1 victory. The Thunder moved its winning streak to four games and lead the season-series 3-2 over Evansville. Matt Summers extended his point streak to nine games with an assist, Bryan Hogan made 29 saves on 30 shots and won for the seventh time since coming over to Wichita from Dayton. Wichita remains in the state of Indiana for one more game, taking on Fort Wayne for the second time this season on Sunday afternoon and will not return to the Air Capital till March 14th against Rapid City. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1430.html#1337242202 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1430.html Glendale, AZ (March 1st) - The Central Hockey League announced Thursday that Wichita forward Matt Robinson has been named as the number one star as part of the Oakley Three Stars of the Month Awards. For winning the Oakley Three Star Player of the Month for February, Matt Robinson will receive a special gift from Oakley. Players are awarded five points for first star recognition, three points for a second star nod and a single point for being named the third star of the game. Robinson finished the month with 12 goals, five of them serving as game winners and 18 points. He was named first star four times and the second star three times, good for 29 points. The Surrey, British Columbia native has 29 goals and 21 assists on the season. He also had four multi-goal games and is one shy of reaching 30 goals for the second season in a row. The South Surrey, BC native sits in 10th place all-time in Thunder history for goals scored (68). In other news on Thursday, Wichita moved back in the latest Coaches Poll after sitting in first place for six weeks. The new number one is the Evansville IceMen, who was the first team this season to start at the top of the poll. The poll is released on or near the beginning and middle of each month throughout regular season. Each first place vote receives 10 points, second place votes earn 9 points, etc. The IceMen and Thunder have split two games over the past week and will meet again on Friday night in Evansville. The Thunder moved down one slot to #2 in the current poll and no other team in the top five remained the same as the IceMen moved up from #3 to #1, the Fort Wayne Komets moved up one spot from #4 to # 3, the Allen Americans dropped three spots from #2 to #5 and the Texas Brahmas made the biggest move up four spots to #4. Evansville earned eight first place votes and Wichita was named the top team on six ballots (teams are unable to vote for themselves). The IceMen had their 10-game win streak snapped on Wednesday night in an 8-5 loss to the Thunder but still finished the month of February with an 11-4-0 record and a league-high 22 points. Teams ranked #6 through #10 all shifted position with the exception of the Tulsa Oilers who remained in the #9 spot and Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees who remained in the #10 spot. Wichita remains in the state of Indiana for the next two games, taking on Evansville for the second time this week on Friday and will not return to the Air Capital till March 14th against Rapid City. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1429.html#1337242203 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1429.html Evansville, IN (February 29th) - Trailing by three goals with 13 minutes to go in the third period, Wichita (37-15-2) blitzed the Evansville IceMen (36-14-4) with six straight and came back to win 8-5 Wednesday night at the Ford Center. Wichita is the first team in the CHL to clinch a berth to the post-season with the win and also earns its second consecutive trip to the playoffs. The Thunder also ended the Evansville winning streak at 10 games and evened the season series to two games a piece. Evansville struck quickly as Malcolm Gwilliam beat Adam Russo to the blocker side just 24 seconds into the game. Wichita answered four minutes later as Chris Greene (5) put home a Matt Summers centering feed to tie the game at one. The IceMen retook the lead at 8:28 when Josh Beaulieu took his own rebound off his skate and past Russo make it 2-1. The IceMen added two more in the second period, both from John Ronan. His first came a 3:15 on a break-a-way to make it 3-1 and his second at 11:18 as he followed up a rebound from Brian Bicek and made it 4-1. Wichita scored late in the period to cut the deficit to two as Francis Trudel (1) popped a rebound over Pier-Olivier Pelletier with 0.9 seconds on the clock, making it 4-2 IceMen. Evansville's Todd Robinson extended the lead to 5-2 after his centering pass hit off a Thunder defender and banked into the net. However, Justin Sawyer (4) scored 29 seconds later and got the rally started to make it 5-3. Aaron Davis (18) intercepted a clearing attempt from Pelletier and put it through his five-hole to cut the lead to one just three minutes later. At 11:06, Wichita clearly had the momentum and tied the game at five when Greene (6) tipped home a Jarred Mohr shot from the point off a face-off and scored his second of the game. Wichita took the lead for good at 13:27 when Colin Hemingway (8) redirected a Sawyer shot into the net to give the Thunder its first lead of the game, 6-5. RG Flath (17) tacked on an insurance goal at 15:32 with a rocket past Pelletier's blocker to make it 7-5. Matt Summers put the icing on the cake with an empty net goal with 40 seconds left and the Thunder claimed a 8-5 win. Summers extended his point-scoring streak to 8 games while Davis moved his to four. Greene, meanwhile, equaled his total from a year ago with his two-goal performance. Russo earned his 24th win of the year and sits alone in third place in the league. Wichita held the IceMen to just three shots in the final period, a season-low for the second time this season and continue to dominate teams towards the end of the game, now outscoring teams 81-46. With the win, Wichita is now 9 points ahead of the Americans for first place in the Berry Conference and pull even with the IceMen in the race for the Governors Cup for the best record in the league. Wichita remains in Evansville for a tilt on Friday night with the IceMen and will not return to the Air Capital till March 14th against Rapid City. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9am-5:00pm at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. -Thunder- Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1427.html#1337242204 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1427.html What a night for the Wichita Thunder who can boast many accomplishments after Wednesdays 8-5 win over the Evansville IceMen at the Ford Center in Evansville. For more on the article that is featured on the CHL website, click Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1428.html#1337242205 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1428.html Wichita, KS (February 29th) - The Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League is set to welcome back many of its former players for the 2nd Annual Wichita Thunder Alumni Game that will take place on Saturday, March 24th before the Thunder take on the Evansville IceMen. This year's team will feature nine new members including four that were a part of the Championship Thunder teams back in 1993-94 and 1994-95. The game will feature a team of local All-Stars including members from the Men's League and High School team against the Thunder Alumni. Appearing for the first time will be Thunder greats Ron Handy and Brent Sapergia along with Conrade Thomas and Greg Smith. Handy, Sapergia and Smith were on both championship teams and Thomas was on the 94-95 squad. Handy played 114 games with Wichita, recording 196 points (59g, 137a) and Sapergia played in 78 games, notching 146 points (87g, 59a). Thomas played on the '94-'95 championship team, scoring 31 points (14g, 17a) in 50 games. Smith is near the top in many categories for a Thunder goaltender, including fourth all-time in games played (88), fourth in wins (42), first in shutouts (5), fourth in saves (2,377) and fourth in minutes played (4662). Other new faces that will play this year will be Todd Newton, Joe Blaznek, Ryan McLean, Kevin St. Pierre, and Alex Goupil. Newton played in two separate seasons for the Thunder, appearing in a total of 44 games from 1997-98 and 2000-01. Blaznek was a member of the Thunder from 2003-07, appearing in 208 games and earned the nickname 'Smokin Joe' because of his speed and hard shot. He is fourth all-time in goals (117), points (249), power play goals (41) and third in short-handed goals (15) and game-winning goals (30). McLean is Wichita's all-time leader in penalty minutes (1,094) and is fourth all-time in games played (297), playing from 02-07. Doors to INTRUST Bank Arena will open at 4:45 p.m. and the game starts at 5:05 p.m. The entire roster for the team includes: Mike Hiebert D Todd Newton D Sean O'Reilly D Ron Handy F Thomas Migdal F Jason Duda F Steve Magnusson F Conrade Thomas F Joe Blaznek F Rob Weingartner F Brent Sapergia F Bryan Wells F Ryan McLean F Greg NeishF Scott Rozendal F Greg Smith G Kevin St. Pierre G Jerod BinaF Brad LinkG Alex Goupil F Tom Roulston F Sean RoulstonF Wichita Thunder playoff packages and season tickets for 2012-13 are now on sale. A 50 dollar non-refundable deposit is required for all season tickets. Contact the Wichita Thunder Monday-Friday, 9am-5:00pm at (316) 264-4625 if you are interested in playoff packages or season tickets, or visit the fan relations table behind section 120 at any Wichita Thunder home game. Wichita hits the road for the next five games, starting next Wednesday night in Evansville and will not return to the Air Capital till March 14th against Rapid City. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1426.html#1337242206 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1426.html Check out the Highlights of Sunday's Thunder comeback win over Missouri . Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1424.html#1337242207 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1424.html THUNDER CLAIM FOUR MORE- Wichita hit the road for two games on Friday and Saturday before returning home for the finale in the season serieswith Missouri. On Friday night, Evansville prevailed in the battle of the top two teams in the CHL. Wichita took an early 2-0 lead in the second period, but the IceMen quickly climbed back into the game and came out victorious, 4-3. RG Flath, Matt Summers and TJ Miller netted goals for Wichita in the losing effort. On Saturday night, the Thunder renewed its rivalry with Missouri at the Independence Events Center. Matt Summers scored a power play goal early in the first period to get the Thunder going, but the Mavericks came right back and tied the game at one. With four minutes remaining in the first, Matt Robinson scored off a centering feed from Aaron Davis and gave Wichita a 2-1 advantage. Robinson added another and tallied his eighth game-winning goal of the year, helping Wichita to the 3-2 win. The two teams traveled back to Wichita Sunday afternoon and the Thunder rallied to defeat the Mavericks 4-2. Wichita found itself in an early hole, trailing 2-0. However, Robinson scored twice and RG Flath tied the game on the power play in the third period. Summers scored the eventual game-winner after putting home his own rebound. Wichita took four out of a possible six points on the weekend and moved seven points clear of Allen in first place. Wichita closed out the season series against the Mavericks with an exclamation point, going 7-2-0 this season and taking all four games in Missouri. DOWN TO 1- With four more points over the weekend, Wichita inched closer to clinching its second consecutive playoff berth. The Thunder needs one more point to assure itself of making it back to the post-season. If Rio Grande Valley loses on Tuesday to Laredo in regulation, Wichita will be the first team in the CHL to claim a berth in the playoffs. If Rio Grande Valley wins, the Thunder can take care of business itself with a win on Wednesday against Evansville. PACKIN THE HOUSE- Sunday afternoon was the third-largest crowd in franchise history as 10,214 fans came out to watch the Thunder beat Missouri. The largest crowd in franchise history was on January 23rd, 2010 against Tulsa (13,412) which is also the first game the Thunder played at INTRUST Bank Arena. Three of the top five largest crowds have happened this season, all of which have topped 10,000. Wichita is second in overall attendance in the CHL, averaging 6,414 fans per game. The franchise-best for average attendance in a season dates back to 1994-95, when Wichita averaged 6,525 per game. TWO STEP- Matt Robinson followed up his Player of the Week honors with another terrific weekend. On Friday, he scored twice against Missouri and notched his eighth game-winner of the season and now leads the league in that category. He followed that up with two more on Sunday afternoon to help Wichita come from behind to beat the Mavericks 4-2. Robinson leads the Thunder with 29 goals and is third in the CHL in goals scored. In the month of February, he has four multi-goal games and seven on the season. Robinson is just one goal shy of reaching 30 for the second-consecutive year and moved into 10th place all-time in Thunder history for goals scored (68). STREAKS- Matt Summers extended his point-scoring streak to seven games with two more points (1g, 1a) on Sunday afternoon. He has 12 points in that span, three goals and nine assists. Robinson has scored 18 points in his past 12 games (12g, 6a) and is on a three game point-scoring streak. Aaron Davis and Thomas Beauregard are both on three game point streaks as well. CLOSING TIME- Wichita is at the top of many categories in the CHL, but the most important stat to look at may just be the Thunders ability to shut down its opponent in the third period. Wichita has outscored teams this season by a wide margin in the final frame. The Thunder holds a 75-45 edge in scoring against the other teams in the league in the third. Wichita outscored Missouri 18-6 in the final period in their nine meetings this season. THUNDERBOLTSWichita is first in goals per game (3.58) and fourth in goals against per contest (2.72)Wichita is second in shots allowed (28.98/game)Wichita leads the league in combined points (505), assists (315), goals scored (190), tied for first in wins (36) and wins at home (21)Wichita is second in winning percentage (.698)The Thunder power play away from home is ranked first, going 23-for-100 at a clip of 23%...RG Flath is first in shooting percentage (.281) while Summers is second (.239) and Robinson is fifth (.209)In one-goal games, Wichita is 15-6-2In four-goal games, Wichita is 4-0-0When leading after one, The Thunder is 17-3-1When trailing after one, Wichita is 9-7-1Tied after two periods, Wichita is 10-2-2When scoring first, Wichita is 22-8-1When giving up the first goal, Wichita is 14-7-1When outshooting the opponent, Wichita is 19-6-0When outshot by opponent, Wichita is 13-7-2Wichita is 11-6-2 playing on a FridayWichita is 13-4-0 playing on a SaturdayWichita is 9-3-0 in February and suffered first road loss of the month this past Friday in EvansvilleThe Thunder is 15-6-2 against teams from the Turner Conference while going 21-9-0 in divisionIn division, Wichita is 8-7-0 on the road and 13-2-0 at home UPCOMING WEEK- The Thunder head on the road for the next five, beginning Wednesday night in Evansville. Wichita returns to the Air Capital on March 14th to take on the Rapid City Rush at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1425.html#1337242208 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1425.html Wichita, KS (February 26th) - Wichita (36-15-2) erased an early two-goal deficit with four unanswered en route to a 4-2 win against Missouri (29-19-5) Sunday afternoon in front of the third largest crowd in franchise history. Matt Robinson scored his fourth multi-goal game of the month and Matt Summers extended his point streak to seven games with two points. With Allen idle, the Thunder now lead the Berry Conference by seven points and need just one more victory to assure itself a playoff berth for the second year in a row. Missouri struck halfway through the first period with a back-handed goal by Kris Hogg (41) that made it 1-0. Despite outshooting the Mavericks11 to eight, the Thunder found themselves down two with under three minutes remaining in the opening frame as Brandon Smith scored a one timer off of a deflected pass from Patrick Schafer to put the Mavericks up 2-0. Wichita caught a break 57 seconds into the second when one of Missouri's own players slapped a rebound into his own net. Robinson (28) was credited with the goal after he got a piece of the centering pass from Thomas Beauregard and the Thunder cut the lead to 2-1. The Thunder finished the game strong by scoring three goals in the third period and four unanswered for the game. RG Flath (16) was the first to score at 4:38 when he came around the Mavericks net, let a slap shot go past Missouri starter Charlie Effinger and tied it at two on the power play. Summers scored the game-winner at 15:24 when he caught his own rebound off the post and put it in the net to make it 3-2. The Mavericks argued that the goal was kicked in the net, but the officials determined that it was a good and the goal stood.. With 2:07 left in the third, Robinson (29) scored a break-a-way goal to make it 4-2 and held on for the win. Wichita wins the season series against Missouri, 7-2, and improves to .500 against the Mavericks all-time (14-14-2). Robinson is one goal shy of recording back-to-back 30 goal seasons and has scored 14 goals in his last 15 games. Summers, meanwhile, remains red hot as he has scored 12 points during his seven-game scoring run. The final attendance of 10,214 is the third largest crowd in franchise history and is the third crowd topping 10,000 this season. Wichita hits the road for the next five games, starting next Wednesday night in Evansville and will not return to the Air Capital till March 14th against Rapid City. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Sun, 26 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1423.html#1337242209 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1423.html Independence, MO (February 25th) - Matt Robinson scored twice and Adam Russo made key saves down the stretch to preserve a 3-2 win for Wichita (35-15-2) over rival Missouri (29-18-5) on Saturday night at the Independence Event Center. Wichita stopped a two-game slide, claimed all four games at the IEC and pushed its record to 6-2-0 this season against the Mavericks. Wichita grabbed the first lead of the game as Matt Summers (16) scored a power play goal with just under six minutes into the period. Wichita worked the puck around, Kevin Seibel fired a one-timer and Summers gobbled up the rebound. The Mavericks responded with a power play tally three minutes later as Andrew Courtney found a loose puck and put it home to tie the game at one. At 16:26, Matt Robinson (26) crashed the net and put home a centering feed from Aaron Davis and gave the Thunder a 2-1 lead through the first 20 minutes. In the third, Matt Robinson (27) extended the Wichita lead to 3-1 after Beauregard's one-timer hit off of Mavs starter Charlie Effinger and Robinson put it home for what turned out to be the game-winner. David Simoes cut the lead back to one about two minutes later after he kept the puck in the zone and walked to the top of the left wing circle to make it 3-2. Missouri pulled its goaltender, but was unable to generate anything with the extra attacker and the Thunder hung on for the victory. Robinson notched his eighth game-winning goal of the season, which puts him alone in first in that category. He also recorded his third multi-goal game in February and sixth of the season. Summers extended his point scoring streak to six games. Beauregard and Seibel each had two helpers to pace the Thunder. Adam Russo earned his 23rd win of the year, stopping 35 of 37 shots he faced and now sits alone in third place in wins. Wichita returns home Sunday for the final regular season meeting against the Mavericks at 5:05 p.m. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Sat, 25 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1422.html#1337242210 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1422.html Evansville, IN (February 24th) - In a battle of the top two teams in their respective conferences, Wichita (34-15-2) was unable to hold onto a two-goal lead and lost 4-3 to the Evansville IceMen (34-13-4) Friday night at the Ford Center. Matt Summers had two points and RG Flath stayed hot with a goal despite the loss. Wichita holds onto its three-point lead for first place in the Berry Conference with an Allen loss earlier to Laredo. The two teams combined for five goals in the second period with Wichita scoring early in the period and Evansville gaining its first lead late. RG Flath (15) gave Wichita a 1-0 lead off a beautiful pass from Thomas Beauregard and beat IceMen goalie Bryan Gillis to the blocker side. Wichita added to its lead at 4:13 after the puck redirected out to the point and T.J. Miller (1) made it 2-0 with a blast to the upper corner. However, the IceMen scored the next four. John Ronan came down on a two-on-one and beat Thunder starter Bryan Hogan between the legs to cut the lead to 2-1. After Chris Greene was sent to the box for an illegal check to the head, Malcolm Gwilliam tied the game at two with a power play tally. With a minute to go in the second period, Todd Robinson got behind the Thunder defense and scored on a break-a-way to give the IceMen their first lead of the game. Brian Bicek had the game-winner with just over two minutes remaining in the game as he caught a high clearing attempt that stopped just inside the Thunder blue line and walked in alone to beat Hogan to extend the lead to 4-2. Matt Summers tipped home a shot from Jarred Mohr from the point to cut the lead to 4-3 with just six second left, but it was too little, too late and the IceMen held on for the 4-3 win. Summers extended his scoring streak to five games with a goal and an assist. Hogan suffered his first loss of the season since coming to Wichita as his record is now 5-1-0 in Thunder blue. The IceMen extended their winning streak to a league-best eight games and lead the season series over Wichita 2-1. The Thunder head back west to take on Missouri in a home and home series for the second straight weekend starting tomorrow at the Independence Event Center. Wichita returns home Sunday to take on the Mavericks at 5:05 p.m. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Fri, 24 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1421.html#1337242211 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1421.html By Jeffrey Lutz, Wichita Eagle - In the early part of his career, getting to the NHL was Colin Hemingways primary focus. After he did that, for three games with the St. Louis Blues in 2005, Hemingway shifted his attention toward getting back. Now that his chances of reaching hockeys peak have been damaged with time, Hemingway has shown a different priority getting to play with brother, Brett, who is three years his junior. The Thunder forwards are teammates for their fourth team in the past three seasons. Both have battled significant injuries, but their brief stint as linemates early in the year displayed a chemistry that helped the team when others were hurt. "I was fortunate enough to get to the NHL, but it was only for a cup of coffee," Colin Hemingway said. "But Im a realist. I understand that Im getting a little older now and its getting a little tougher to make that jump." For more, click Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1420.html#1337242212 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1420.html Wichita, KS (February 20th) - The Central Hockey League announced Monday that forward Matt Robinson has been selected as the Oakley Player of the Week for the period ending on February 19th. This is Robinsons first weekly award and the fourth by a Thunder player this season. The South Surrey, BC native has had a hot hand since returning to the Thunder line-up after missing a pair of games at the beginning of February. This past week, he scored four times including three game-winning tallies and added to his team-leading 25 goals. Robinson had two multi-point games last week including a two-goal outing against Missouri this past Saturday.He extended the Thunder lead out to a two-goal advantage on two separate occasions after the Mavericks cut the lead to one.Both of hisgoals were in the third period and he leads the team with five multi-goal games this year. Robinson is tied for the league-lead in game-winning goals (7) and is five goals shy of hitting the 30-mark for the second time in his career. He led the Thunder in goals a year ago with 39 after being acquired from Laredo for future considerations. In the month of February, Robinson has 13 points (8g, 5a), has scored four game-winners and is a +9. This is the fourth player award claimed by Wichita as Brett Hemingway, Matt Summers and Thomas Beauregard have earned those honors this season. Wichita hits the road for two games, beginning Friday in Evansville andreturns to home ice this Sunday afternoon against Missouri at 5:05 p.m. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1418.html#1337242213 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1418.html HUNTING SEASON SUCCESS- Wichita started out a busy week with a win against Laredo and Quad City. On Tuesday, Wichita blitzed Laredo, scoring four unanswered goals and won easily 6-1. Bryan Hogan earned the win, stopping 24 of 25 shots and RG Flath had a pair of goals to pace the Thunder. Only three players failed to record a point while Chappell, Flath and Summers each had two. Afterwards, a mass wedding took place as the Thunder brought back the Valentines Day tradition that took a year off last season. Friday night, Wichita held on in a close affair against the Quad City Mallards. The two teams came into the game as the two highest scoring teams in the league, but both combined for just three goals. Quad City was without leading-scorer Brandon Marino and Wichita took advantage. Aaron Davis returned to the line-up and had two points and Matt Robinson scored the game-winning-goal just six seconds into a power play in the third. Starter Bryan Hogan was outstanding again in net for Wichita and earned back-to-back wins despite leaving midway through the final period with an undisclosed injury. THUNDER SPLIT WITH MAVS- Wichita began a stretch of seven straight games against Missouri and Evansville this past Saturday night. Both goalies were outstanding in the first 35 minutes of the game before Dustin Donaghy put Wichita on the board with less than five minutes left in the second period. Matt Robinson scored two third-period goals and Travis Wight added an empty-netter as the Thunder extended its winning streak over the Mavericks to five straight with a 4-1 win. However, Missouri pounced on Wichita on Sunday afternoon in front of a large crowd and held on late. The Mavericks took a 4-0 lead before the Thunder mounted a furious rally that fell just short. Wichita scored three more goals in the third period, but Mavs starter Charlie Effinger wouldnt allow the equalizer and held on for the 4-3 win. Wichita remains in first place four points ahead of the Allen Americans in the Berry Conference as Allen was idle on Sunday. PACKIN THE HOUSE- Sunday afternoon was the fourth-largest crowd in franchise history . A year ago on Credit Union of America Night, Wichita hosted 10,114. This season, Thunder fans almost broke that mark as 10,085 came out to INTRUST Bank Arena. The largest crowd in franchise history was on January 23rd, 2010 against Tulsa (13,412) which is also the first game the Thunder played at INTRUST Bank Arena. Wichita is second in overall attendance in the CHL, averaging 6,273 fans per game. The franchise-best for average attendance in a season dates back to 1994-95, when Wichita averaged 6,525 per game. POTW- Matt Robinson was named as the Oakley CHL Player of the Week on Monday. Robinson has had a productive February, recording 13 points including four game-winners. Last week, he scored the winning-goal in three consecutive games, beginning on Tuesday in Wichitas 6-1 win over Laredo. He then had two points against Quad City and followed that up with two goals in the third period against Missouri on Saturday. Robinson had five points during the week and is now tied for first in the CHL for game-winning goals (7). Robinson leads the Thunder with 25 goals, which also puts him in a fourth-place tie in that category overall in the CHL and is five goals shy of recording back-to-back 30 goal seasons. HOGANS HEROES- Since coming over from Dayton, Bryan Hogan has been a wall in net for Wichita. The Michigan graduate earned victories in back-to-back starts and trimmed his already low goals-against-average to 1.16 in Thunder blue. He is 5-0-0 in six appearances with Wichita and is now above .500 for his season totals with a record of 12-11-5. Hogan has allowed just six goals with the Thunder and gloats a .954 save percentage. Before leaving Fridays game against Quad City, he had stopped all 28 shots he faced. STREAKS- Matt Summers extended his point-scoring streak to four games with three more assists on Sunday afternoon. He has seven points in that span, all of which are helpers. In his last 10 games, Summers has 13 points (2g, 11a) and is a +14. Robinson had his three game goal-scoring streak snapped on Sunday. CLOSING TIME- Wichita is at the top of many categories in the CHL, but the most important stat to look at may just be the Thunders ability to shut down its opponent in the third period. Wichita has outscored teams this season by a wide margin in the final frame. The Thunder holds a 70-43 edge in scoring against the other teams in the league in the third. Wichita only allowed two third-period goals and scored three times in the third in two out of the four games this last week. THUNDERBOLTSWichita is first in goals per game (3.60) and fifth in goals against per contest (2.72)Wichita is second in shots allowed (28.68/game)Wichita leads the league in combined points (476), assists (276), goals scored (180), winning percentage (.700), wins (34), and wins at home (21)The Thunder power play away from home is ranked first, going 21-for-96 at a clip of 21.9%...Flath is first in shooting percentage (.269) while Summers is fourth (.219)In one-goal games, Wichita is 14-5-2In four-goal games, Wichita is 4-0-0When leading after one, The Thunder is 16-3-1When trailing after one, Wichita is 8-7-1Tied after two periods, Wichita is 10-2-2When scoring first, Wichita is 21-7-1When giving up the first goal, Wichita is 13-6-1When outshooting the opponent, Wichita is 18-6-0When outshot by opponent, Wichita is 10-7-2Wichita is 11-5-2 playing on a FridayWichita is 12-4-0 playing on a SaturdayThe Thunder is 13-5-2 against teams from the Turner Conference while going 21-9-0 in divisionIn division, Wichita is 8-7-0 on the road and 13-2-0 at home UPCOMING WEEK- The Thunder head on the road for the next two, beginning Friday night in Evansville. Wichita returns home a week from Sunday to take on the Mavericks at 5:05 p.m. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1419.html#1337242214 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1419.html Wichita, KS (February 19th) - Trailing 4-0, Wichita (34-14-2) made a furious rally but was unable to get the equalizer and fell to Missouri (28-17-4) Sunday afternoon 4-3 at INTRUST Bank Arena in front of 10,085 fans. RG Flath and Colin Hemingway added goals and Matt Summers extended his point streak with 2 assists. Wichita remains four points ahead of Allen in first place in the Berry Conference as the Americans were idle. Missouri scored first just four minutes into the game as John-Scott Dickson tipped home a shot from the point on the power play to make it 1-0 Mavericks. In the second, the Mavericks continued to pick up the pace and scored three consecutive goals in the first 11 minutes of the period. Patrick Schafer scored twice, first at 2:18 and then again at 6:40 to extend the lead to 3-0. Andrew Favot made it 4-0 after he stole the puck at the Wichita line and put it past Thunder goalie Adam Russo. Wichita took some momentum into the locker room as Chris Greene (4) scored with less than five minutes left, putting home a rebound past Mavs starter Charlie Effinger and cut the lead to 4-1. Colin Hemingway (7) scored with just over nine minutes left in the third to pull Wichita within two. Then RG Flath (14) caught a beautiful pass from behind the Mavericks net and made it 4-3 at 17:34. Down the stretch, Effinger made numerous saves on scrambles and the Thunder couldn't get one past him to tie the game. Missouri closed out the contest, winning 4-3 and stopped a two-game slide as well as a five-winless streak against the Thunder. Wichita was able to come back from a four-goal deficit against Missouri on November 12th, but couldn't climb all the way back even with the Mavericks Sunday afternoon. Summers extended his point-scoring streak to four games with two more helpers and Hemingway finished with a goal and an assist. The Thunder head on the road for the next two, beginning Friday night in Evansville. Wichita returns home a week from today to take on the Mavericks at 5:05 p.m. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1417.html#1337242215 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1417.html Independence, MO (February 18th) - Matt Robinson scored twice and Adam Russo was spectacular in net, giving Wichita (34-13-2) a 4-1 win over heated-rival Missouri (27-17-4) at the Independence Event Center Saturday night. Wichita improved to 5-1-0 against Missouri and has won the last five games against the Mavericks since losing the series opener back on November 4th. The Thunder remain in first place by four points as the Americans won earlier in a shoot-out over Fort Wayne. Dustin Donaghy (6) broke a scoreless tie with less than five minutes to go in the second period. Chris Chappell came into the zone and found Donaghy who ripped a shot past Missouri starter Charlie Effinger's glove. Matt Robinson (24) continued with his hot touch as he fired a laser past Effinger from the high slot on the power play at 4:57 of the third period to make it 2-0. Robinson has scored in his last three games and has five points in that span. The Mavericks finally got on the board halfway through the third period on their second five-on-three as Dale Mahovsky scored from the left circle. Wichita regained a two-goal lead as Robinson (25) notched his second of the game on an odd man rush to make it 3-1. RG Flath appeared to score an empty-net goal with just under two minutes left, but was called for elbowing. Travis Wight eventually scored with four seconds remaining and Wichita won 4-1. Wichita has outscored the Mavericks in the last two contests, 9-1, and extended its winning streak to three games. Robinson had his second-consecutive multi-point game and Russo earned his 22nd win of the season. Russo made 37 saves on 38 shots including a terrific diving save in the third period on Andrew Favot. Wichita is the first team to hit the 70-point barrier and improved to 13-8-2 on the road. The Thunder return to home ice this Sunday afternoon against Missouri at 5:05 p.m. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Sat, 18 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1416.html#1337242216 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1416.html Wichita, KS (February 17th) - Aaron Davis returned to the Wichita line-up and had two points to lead the Thunder (33-13-2) past Quad City (27-21-1) despite losing its starting goaltender midway through the third, winning 2-1 Friday night at INTRUST Bank Arena. Bryan Hogan earned back-to-back wins, making 28 saves on 28 shots and Adam Russo came into the game to help Wichita hold onto its 21st home win of the season. Matt Robinson also had two points and the Thunder is now one win shy of tying its win total from a year ago with a month and a half left in the season. After missing eight games, Davis (17) returned to the line-up and got the Thunder going. At 14:17 of the first period, he crossed with Matt Robinson coming over the Quad City blue line and beat Mallards goalie David McKee between the legs for the 1-0 lead. In the third, Matt Robinson (23) scored the game-winner six seconds into a Thunder power play to make it 2-0. He found some room in the right wing circle and beat McKee through legs on the short side. With just under 10 minutes to go, Hogan left the game and Adam Russo came on in relief. Four minutes later, Quad City got on the board with a power play goal from Matt Duffy to make it 2-1. Russo stood tall down the stretch and made a save just as time expired to help Wichita earn the one-goal victory. Davis had a goal and an assist in his return, earning number one star honors while Robinson also added two points (1g, 1a) for Wichita. Hogan improved his record to 5-0-0 since coming to Wichita. The two clubs came into the game as the two highest scoring teams in the league, but the goaltenders kept it low-scoring. Wichita finished out a stretch of seeing seven different opponents, winning eight of its last nine contests and still four points ahead of Allen in first place in the Berry Conference. Wichita begins a tough stretch against three of the best teams in the CHL, starting tomorrow in Missouri. Wichita will face the Mavericks and Evansville over the next seven games before a Sunday affair with Fort Wayne on the road on March 4th. The Thunder return to home ice this Sunday afternoon against Missouri at 5:05 p.m. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1415.html#1337242217 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1415.html By Jeffrey Lutz, Wichita Eagle- The first thing one might notice about Thunder backup goalie Bryan Hogan is that he wins four times in as many starts since joining Wichita last month. Hogans initial impression of the Thunder was similar. After spending nearly three months with Dayton, which owns the CHLs third-worst record, Hogan, a rookie from Michigan, was traded to the Thunder. He hadnt known any professional experience other than the one in Dayton, and when he got to Wichita he was taken aback by the culture that has helped create a first-place team. Hogan has added to Wichitas success, allowing five goals in his four starts. "The facilities and everything the team, the management, everything at Wichita is so much far beyond what it was at Dayton, really," Hogan said. "It makes it easier to come to the rink every day and play, and when youre winning, too, it helps a lot. For more, click Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1414.html#1337242218 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1414.html GLENDALE, AZ- For the third straight poll, the Wichita Thunder are the top team in the CHL Coaches Poll. It marks the fourth time this season the Thunder have been on top and their 32-13-2 record and 66 points are both best in the CHL. For complete results, CLICK . The poll will be released on or near the beginning and middle of each month throughout regular season. Each first place vote receives 10 points, second place votes earn 9 points, etc. The Thunder widened their gap over the #2 team now leading by 14 points compared to just one point on the poll announced on February 1. Wichita earned 10 of the first place votes, while Evansville earned three first place votes and Allen was selected as the top team on one of the ballots (teams are unable to vote for themselves). The other two clubs in the top three switched spots in the current poll as the Americans (27-12-8) moved up one spot to #2 and the IceMen (29-13-4) fell one slot to #3. The other two clubs in the top five remained unchanged with Fort Wayne (30-15-2) holding on to the #4 spot and Missouri (27-15-4) finishing in the #5 spot. Teams ranked #6 through #10 moved around some with only the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees remaining in the same spot (#10). The biggest move in the entire poll came from the Rapid City Rush who jumped up three spots to #6. To make room for the Rush, Quad City, Texas and Tulsa all moved down one spot to fill in the poll. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1412.html#1337242219 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1412.html Check out the Highlights from Wichita's Valentine's Day Massacre of Laredo . Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1411.html#1337242220 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1411.html Wichita, KS (February 14th) - Wichita (32-13-2) got back on track Tuesday Night, winning 6-1 against the Laredo Bucks (18-27-1) at INTRUST Bank Arena. 12 different players recorded points including a two-goal outing from RG Flath and a two-point performance from Alex Bourret. Bryan Hogan improved to 4-0-0 since coming to Wichita, making 24 saves on 25 shots. Wichita is the first team to win 20 games on home-ice and gives itself some breathing room in first place in the Berry Conference ahead of Allen. RG Flath (12) got the scoring started in the first period as he got behind the Laredo defense and scored on a break-a-way to make it 1-0. Wichita increased its lead in the second period as Matt Robinson (22) beat Laredo goalie Torrie Jung to make it 2-0. Robinson took an awkward fall into the boards on the previous shift, but returned to the ice and scored his fourth point against his former team this season. Ryan Sparling got Laredo back into the game on the power play, scoring at 9:56 to make it 2-1. At 15:52, Flath (13) caught a pass from Beauregard and sniped a wrist-shot past Jung to extend the lead back to two, 3-1. Including his time in Denmark and England, Flath set his own career-high with 22 goals and his third multi-goal game of the season In the third period, Wichita kept the pressure going as Erick Lizon (2) found a loose puck on the left side of the net and with a man in his face, beat Jung to the upper corner to make it 4-1. At 11:56, Alex Bourret (17) made it 5-1 as he came down on a short-handed two-on-one and beat Jung through the legs. Chris Chappell (9) closed the scoring at 15:36 and tied his career-high. After a terrific shift, he beat the defenseman along the goal line and put home his own rebound to make it 6-1. Wichita outscored the Bucks 11-3 in their two meetings this season and is now a 4-0-0 against Laredo in Wichita all-time. Wichita also recorded 21 shots in the second period (second highest this season) and pushed Wichita four points ahead of the Americans as Allen lost at home to Texas. Wichita has won seven of its last eight games heading into three games in three nights beginning Friday. Wichita remains at home Friday night as Quad City comes to town for their final trip to the Air Capital this season. WWE Superstar Jerry The King Lawler will be at the game Friday night and will be on the concourse signing autographs. The last WWE Superstar to appear at a Thunder game was Mick Foley in 2004-05. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1410.html#1337242221 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1410.html THUNDER CLAIM FOUR POINTS- Wichita finished off its road trip in a battle for first place before returning home for a pair of games this past weekend. For the third time this season in Allen, the Thunder and the Americans met at the Allen Event Center with the winner claiming first place in the Berry Conference. The Americans jumped out to a 2-0 lead through the first 40 minutes. Wichita scored four unanswered goals in the third period including two from Jarred Mohr and two points from Dustin Donaghy against his old team as the Thunder came-from-behind to win 4-2. Bryan Hogan earned his third win in a Thunder uniform and 10th of the season. It was the first win in regulation all-time against Allen and first ever win at the Allen Event Center. The Thunder returned home Friday night and got a dynamic performance from Adam Russo en route to a 3-0 win against the Oilers in the final regular season meeting. Russo made 42 saves and earned his third shutout of the season, which is his new career-high. Matt Robinson paced the Thunder with three points (2g, 1a) and his fourth multi-goal game of the season. Russo continued his outstanding play into Saturday night against Rapid City. The game quickly turned into a goaltender duel as the two teams unloaded 72 shots combined. Russo had his shutout streak stopped at 107:48 when Shawn Limpright found Collin Circelli and the Rush came back to nip Wichita 3-1. The loss snapped Wichitas six-game winning streak and was just the fifth loss of the season on home-ice. PACKIN THE HOUSE- Saturday night was the second-largest crowd in franchise history and the largest crowd to-date in the CHL (13,186). A year ago on the same date (February 11, 2011), Wichita hosted 10,114 on a Friday night and was previously the second largest until this past weekend. The largest crowd in franchise history was on January 23rd, 2010 against Tulsa (13,412) which is also the first game the Thunder played at INTRUST Bank Arena. Wichita is second in overall attendance in the CHL, averaging 6,258 fans per game. The franchise-best for average attendance in a season dates back to 1994-95, when Wichita averaged 6,525 per game. LAST FIVE- Matt Robinson returned to the Thunder line-up after missing two games and has been very productive. In the last five games, he has eight points (4g, 4a) including two three-point outings in that span. RG Flath also has eight points (4g, 4a) over the past five games and is a +7 in that span. Flath (20g) is one goal shy of breaking his single-season high, which includes his totals in Denmark and England. He set his previous high in 2007-08 with stops in Oklahoma City and Austin. SIX PACK- Wichita had its six-game winning streak stopped on Saturday night against Rapid City, which is a season-high. The Thunder has won seven of its last nine games, with only one of those contests being decided past regulation. Wichita leads the league in points (64), winning percentage (.696), goals scored (165), wins (31) and wins at home (19). SEEING BLACK- Adam Russo saw a lot of rubber this past weekend. In two starts, he made 79 saves on 81 shots and allowed just two goals against Tulsa and Rapid City. In two of his last three starts against the Rush, Russo has averaged 38.5 saves. He saw 41 shots on January 13th in a 2-1 shootout win in South Dakota. Russo is tied for the league-lead in shutouts (3), first in shootout wins (5), third in wins (21) and fourth in minutes played (1870:02) MARTENS HEADS TO TORONTO- Andrew Martens returned to Wichita from Oklahoma City of the AHL on January 27th against Allen and ironically, was called-up to the Toronto Marlies after Wichitas win Thursday night against the Americans. This is his second call-up of the season and played on Saturday afternoon in Torontos 5-1 win over Hamilton. Martens was a +2 in his first appearance in a Marlies uniform. CLOSING TIME- Wichita is at the top of many categories in the CHL, but the most important stat to look at may just be the Thunders ability to shut down its opponent in the third period. Wichita has outscored and outshot teams this season by a wide margin in the final frame. The Thunder is one of only two teams to allow less than 400 shots total in the third period and a CHL-low 389. Along with that stat, Wichita holds a 61-41 edge in scoring against the other teams in the league in the third. THUNDERBOLTSWichita is first in goals per game (3.59) and fifth in goals against per contest (2.80)Wichita is second in shots allowed (28.57/game)The Thunder power play away from home is ranked second, going 20-for-92 at a clip of 21.7%...Flath is first in shooting percentage (.275) while Summers is third (.237)Davis is tied for second in game-winning goals (6)In one-goal games, Wichita is 13-4-2In four-goal games, Wichita is 4-0-0When leading after one, The Thunder is 14-3-1When trailing after one, Wichita is 8-6-1Tied after two periods, Wichita is 10-2-2When scoring first, Wichita is 18-7-1When giving up the first goal, Wichita is 13-6-1When outshooting the opponent, Wichita is 17-5-0When outshot by opponent, Wichita is 10-7-2Wichita is 10-5-2 playing on a FridayWichita is 11-4-0 playing on a SaturdayThe Thunder is 11-4-2 against teams from the Turner Conference while going 20-9-0 in divisionIn division, Wichita is 8-7-0 on the road and 12-2-0 at home UPCOMING WEEK- Wichita hosts Laredo tomorrow night on Valentines Day and then begins three games in three nights on Friday against Quad City. WWE Superstar Jerry The King Lawler will be at the game Friday night and will be on the concourse signing autographs. The last WWE Superstar to appear at a Thunder game was Mick Foley in 2004-05. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1408.html#1337242222 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1408.html By Jeffrey Lutz, Wichita Eagle- The Thunders schedule isnt getting any less difficult over the final 20 games, but it may finally be getting more manageable. After seeing several top players suffer injuries over the past month, Wichita is getting healthy again. Thomas Beauregard and Colin Hemingway, who missed two months, are the most recent Thunder players to return from long-term injuries. There are still three on the injured list Aaron Davis, Daniel Tetrault and Tyler Miller but Wichitas improved collective health is finally allowing it to view the big picture. The Thunder remains in first place with a two-point lead over Allen in the Berry Conference. A healthier roster enables Wichita to concern itself with holding onto that lead, rather than a combination of fending off Allen while trying to get its best players healed. For more, click Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1409.html#1337242223 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1409.html Wichita, KS (February 11th) - After taking a lead late into the third period, Wichita (31-13-2) allowed three goals in the final 13 minutes as Rapid City (25-16-4) came from behind and won 3-1 Saturday night at INTRUST Bank Arena in front of the second largest crowd in franchise history (13,168). Konrad Reeder had three points and Tim Boron made 32 saves on 33 shots in his first appearance against his former team this season. The loss ends Wichita's six-game winning streak and is just the fifth loss this season on home-ice for the Thunder. Alex Bourret (16) scored the only goal through the first 40 minutes when he caught a nice feed from Chris Chappell and beat Boron. It was his first goal since January 25th against Arizona in just his second game back after playing with Worcester of the AHL. Rapid City tied the game in the third period at 7:48 when Shawn Limpright stole the puck at the Wichita line, found Collin Circelli behind the defense and tied the game at one. The Rush took its first lead of the game at 17:31 as Konrad Reeder put home a rebound to make it 2-1. Wichita pulled its goaltender and had the puck in the offensive zone for the final minute of play, but Limpright was able to end it with an empty-net goal at 19:51 and the Rush won 3-1. The two goalies put on a clinic, combining to stop 69 saves on 72 shots. Wichita starter Adam Russo had his shutout streak stopped at 107:48. Wichita is 3-2 against the Rush this season with three consecutive games between the two teams coming in March. Wichita is 19-5-0 on home ice despite the loss and still leads the league with wins on home-ice. The Thunder remain in first place by two points in the Berry Conference. Tonight's attendance sits behind the opening game at INTRUST Bank Arena as the Thunder faced Tulsa on January 23rd, 2010 (13,412) for the largest crowd in franchise history. A year ago on this same day, Wichita had 10,114 fans in attendance which was the previous second largest crowd in franchise history before tonight. Wichita continues its home-stand on Tuesday night when Laredo comes to town for the first time this season. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at -Thunder- Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1407.html#1337242224 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1407.html Check out the Highlights from Friday's Thunder shutout of Tulsa . Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1406.html#1337242225 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1406.html By Jeffrey Lutz,Wichita Eagle- Travis Wights most significant attribute is so important to the Thunder that coach Kevin McClelland wont even address it. Wight is one of two players, along with fellow defenseman Jarred Mohr, who has played in every game for Wichita this season. Wights streak dates back to the beginning of last season, and tonight should be Wights 111th straight regular-season game with the team. McClellands fear of a jinx is plausible. Wichita has seen several of its most dependable players lost to injury recently, and recognizing Mohrs streak would go against the superstitions many coaches harbor. Wight doesnt seem to share his coachs fear, though. His physical tendencies suggest he could get injured at any time, but he hasnt changed and wont change, even as he sees the rigors of a grinding schedule affect many teammates. "I pride myself on playing a physical, tough game," Wight said. "I like to hit. Getting hit is something, for me, it kind of gets you into the game. I like to block shots, as well." For more, click Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1404.html#1337242226 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1404.html Wichita, KS (February 10th)- Thunder netminder Adam Russo stole the show, making save after save and earned his third shutout of the season as Wichita (31-12-2) skated by the Tulsa Oilers (21-18-5) Friday night with a 3-0 win at INTRUST Bank Arena. Matt Robinson scored twice for the fourth time this season and RG Flath had three helpers to pace the Thunder. Wichita wins the season-series against Tulsa seven games to four and remains in first place in the Berry Conference with 64 points. Wichita jumped out to a 2-0 lead as Robinson (20) added a pair of goals in a five minute span. His first came with just over five minutes to go in the second period as he beat Tulsa goalie Steve Christie while being hooked by a defender. Robinson's second (21) of the game came at 19:04 after he stole the puck in the neutral zone and extended the Thunder lead to 2-0. Christie took the loss despite only seeing 15 minutes of work after starter Ian Keserich left the game due to an apparent injury. Keserich returned in the third period for the Oilers. Justin Sawyer (3) added an empty-net goal in the third with 12 seconds left to pad the Thunder lead to 3-0. Russo was outstanding, making some acrobatic savesand stopped all 42 shots he faced. Hemade 21 saves in the second period alone and also shut the door on two break-a-ways from former Thunder forward Troy Ofukany.Russo also set a career-high in shutouts in a season and is tied for the league-lead with three. With the win, Wichita extends its win-streak to a season-high six games. Tulsa dropped its third straight as the two teams will not see each other the rest of the way in the regular season. Flath extended his scoring streak to six games (6g, 5a) while Robinson has eight points (4g, 4a) in his last four games. Wichita returns to home ice tomorrow night to take on the Rapid City Rush for the fifth time this season. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at -Thunder- Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1405.html#1337242227 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1405.html Allen, TX (February 9th) - Trailing 2-0 entering the third period, Wichita (30-12-2) exploded for four unanswered and won the battle for first place, 4-2, against the Allen Americans (26-11-7) Thursday night at the Allen Event Center. Dustin Donaghy, playing against his former team, had a goal and an assist and Jarred Mohr added a pair for the Thunder. It was the first win in regulation against Allen all-time and the first win at the Allen Event Center. Wichita increases its lead by three points over the Americans for first place in the Berry Conference and is the first team to 30 wins this season. Allen took advantage of a late penalty in the first period to grab a 1-0 lead as newcomer Adam Pineault scored with six seconds to go in the period. The Americans added to their lead in the second as Colton Yellow Horn took a pass from behind the Thunder net and made it 2-0. Wichita had several odd-man chances, but unable to solve Allen goalie Rejean Beauchemin. In the third, Donaghy (5) cut the lead to 2-1 when he came down the right wall into the Allen zone and from his off-wing, threw a puck to the net that got through Beauchemin. Six minutes later, Donaghy blasted a shot from the high slot that was tipped in by RG Flath (11) and tied the game at two on the power play. Wichita took its first lead at 16:09 when Flath won a face-off back to Mohr and he found the back of the net to make it 3-2. Mohr added an empty-net goal and Wichita held off the Americans for a 4-2 win. It was the third time this season the two teams met in a battle for first place at the Allen Event Center. Wichita is now 3-2-0 against Allen, stopped a two-game slide to the Americans and extended its winning streak to five games. Flath extended his goal-scoring streak to five games and it was Mohr's first multi-goal game of the season. The Thunder also earned its fifth win this season when trailing after two periods. Wichita has outscored its opponents 60-38 in the third period. Wichita returns home for four straight beginning tomorrow night against Tulsa. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at -Thunder- Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1403.html#1337242228 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1403.html By Jeffrey Lutz, Wichita Eagle- The CHL trading deadline passed Tuesday evening without so much as a hot rumor coming out of Wichita. The Thunder, for various reasons, did not execute a move, and will likely play out the final 23 regular-season games with essentially the same roster it currently has. Several top Wichita players inhabit the injury list, which keeps the team from dealing players they probably didnt want to trade, anyway. The players who have seen extended ice time in light of those injuries have largely performed well, making the search for an upgrade even more difficult. Thunder coach Kevin McClelland said there were potential moves to be made, but a combination of the injuries and Wichitas already overloaded roster albeit with several unavailable players caused the team to pass on making a move. For More, click correction: Wichita is 7-6-0 on the road in its division. The Thunder is 11-8-2 overall on the road. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1402.html#1337242229 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1402.html SUCCESS IN SOUTH TEXAS- Wichita swept its weekend series in southern Texas and claimed four points. On Friday night, Wichita defeated the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees 4-1. RG Flath had his second multi-goal outing of the season and Bryan Hogan earned his second win in a Thunder uniform in back-to-back starts for the rookie goalie out of the University of Michigan. Saturday night was much of the same as Wichita traveled to Laredo for the first time since 2009-10. After allowing the first goal, Wichita scored the next three and won 5-2 against the Bucks. Matt Robinson, Chris Chappell and Flath all scored for Wichita and Adam Russo earned his 20th win of the season. It was just the second win all-time for Wichita at Laredo Energy Arena. The Thunder remain one point ahead of Allen in the Berry Conference, setting up another battle for first place this coming Thursday night against the Americans. BUCK HUNTING-Matt Robinson and Jarred Mohr performed well against their former team. Both played for Laredo last season and were acquired in trades to Wichita. The Thunder sent the Bucks future considerations for Robinson, who is now a two-time all-star and last years leading scorer in a Thunder uniform. Mohr played two seasons with the Bucks before heading to Rapid City in the pre-season. Wichita traded for Mohr before the home opener in October and he has been steady on the blue line. Robinson had three points (1g, 2a) while Mohr added two assists, helping Wichita earn its 29th win of the season. Since returning to the line-up, Robinson has five points in his past two games (2g, 3a). POINT STREAK- RG Flath, Matt Summers and Chris Chappell picked up right where they left off this past weekend. Flath extended his goal-scoring streak to four games, notching two on Friday and one on Saturday. He has six points (5g, 1a) in that span and issix shy of tying a career-high20 goals, which he set in 2007 between Oklahoma City and Austin. Summers and Chappell are each riding three-game point streaks and each have six points in that span as well. Summers has two goals and four assists while Chappell has five goals and one assist. Chappell is one shy of tying a career-high 9 goals, which he reached last season in Greenville. ROLLIN DOWN THE RIVER- Even with several key players missing from the line-up, Wichita continues to find ways to win. The Thunder is riding a four-game win streak and has won five out of its last six contests. Wichita leads the league in points (60), winning percentage (.698), goals scored (157), wins (29) and wins at home (18). IRON MEN- Travis Wight and Jarred Mohr are the only players to have played in every game so far this season. Due to injuries and call-ups, the two have flourished while logging a lot of minutes. In 43 games, Mohr has 23 points (4g, 19a) and is a +15 while Wight is a +7. CLOSING TIME- Wichita is at the top of many categories in the CHL, but the most important stat to look at may just be the Thunders ability to shut down its opponent in the third period. Wichita has outscored and outshot teams this season by a wide margin in the final frame. The Thunder is one of only three teams to allow less than 400 shots total in the third period and a CHL-low 363. Along with that stat, Wichita holds a 56-38 edge in scoring against the other teams in the league in the third. THUNDERBOLTS Wichita is first in goals per game (3.65) and sixth in goals against per contest (2.88) Wichita is second in shots allowed (28.21/game) The Thunder power play away from home is ranked third, going 19-for-89 at a clip of 21.3%... Adam Russo leads the league in shootout wins (5), second in wins (20) and third in minutes played (1751:20) Andrew Martens leads the CHL in plus/minus (+24) Flath is first in shooting percentage (.278) while Summers is second (.269) Erick Lizon is tied for first in majors (13) Davis is tied for second in game-winning goals (6) In one-goal games, Wichita is 13-4-2 In four-goal games, Wichita is 4-0-0 When leading after one, The Thunder is 14-3-1 When trailing after one, Wichita is 7-6-1 Tied after two periods, Wichita is 10-2-2 When scoring first, Wichita is 17-6-1When giving up the first goal, Wichita is 12-6-1 When outshooting the opponent, Wichita is 16-5-0When outshot by opponent, Wichita is 9-6-2 Wichita is 9-5-2 playing on a Friday Wichita is 11-3-0 playing on a Saturday The Thunder is 11-3-2 against teams from the Turner Conference while going 18-9-0 in division In division, Wichita is 7-6-0 on the road and 11-3-0 at homeThe Thunder is second in attendance, averaging 5,958 fans per game UPCOMING WEEK- Wichita closes out its three-game road swing Thursday in Allen and returns home for a pair of games Friday and Saturday. Friday is WATC College Fair Night and Saturday is Wesley Go Red Night supporting heart health. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1401.html#1337242230 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1401.html Laredo, TX- Matt Robinson and Jarred Mohr stuck it to their old team, combining for five points and propelled Wichita (29-12-2) to a 5-2 win against the Laredo Bucks (18-24-1) Saturday night at Laredo Energy Arena. R.G. Flath and Chris Chappell added goals while Adam Russo made 23 saves on 25 shots for his 20th win of the season. Wichita remains ahead of Allen by one point in the Berry Conference and will travel Thursday night to face the Americans in a battle for first place. After giving up the first goal, Wichita stormed back, scoring the next three. Robinson (19), acquired in a trade with Laredo last season, stole a loose puck at the Laredo line and fired a wrist shot through Bucks goalie Torrie Jung to tie the game at one. R.G. Flath (10) made it 2-1 as he came down on a two-on-one and put home a Matt Summers' feed for his fifth goal in four games. Chris Chappell (8) added to the Wichita lead just 28 seconds into the second period. Robinson made a nice move to get away from the defender at the Laredo line, came down on a two-on-one and fed it over to Chappell who buried it low into the net. It was the second fastest goal of the season. Matt Summers' goal against Tulsa on October 28th still stands as the fastest goal to start a period this year (26 seconds). Laredo cut into the lead as A.J. Hau banged home a rebound to make it 3-2. The Thunder added two in the third period as Matt Summers (14) scored a power play goal at 10:38. Dustin Donaghy (4) finished off the victory with an empty-net goal to make it 5-2. Wichita has outscored its opponents 56-38 in the third period. Robinson finished with three points (1g, 2a) while Mohr had two assists. Mohr played two seasons in Laredo and was acquired in a trade before the season started with Rapid City. Flath extended his goal scoring streak to four games and Chappell has six tallies in his past three. He also extended his goal scoring streak to three games. The Thunder extended its winning streak to four games and has won five of its last six. Wichita closes out its three-game road swing Thursday in Allen and returns home Friday, February 10th against Tulsa. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at -Thunder- Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1400.html#1337242231 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1400.html Hidalgo, TX- Wichita (28-12-2) used a three-goal outburst in the first 14 minutes of the game to swat away the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (18-19-6) 4-1 Friday night at State Farm Arena. R.G. Flath scored twice and Chris Chappell added his fourth goal in the last two games to pace the Thunder. Wichita outscored the Bees 11-2 in their three meetings this season and remain in first place with 58 points. The Thunder jumped out to an early lead, scoring three goals in a 3:05 span. The first tally came from Matt Robinson (18) during a goal-mouth scramble where he was able to lift the puck over Bees goalie John Murray. 34 seconds later, R.G. Flath (8) won a foot-race to a loose puck behind the Bees net and wrapped it under Murray's leg to make it 2-0. Flath (9) scored his second of the game during a scramble near the crease and tucked it into an empty net to make it 3-0. It was the fastest three goals scored by the Thunder this season. In the second period, the Bees scored on a power play to cut the lead to 3-1. Dan Gendur took a loose puck behind Thunder starter Bryan Hogan and found Craig Lineker for the one-timer. Chris Chappell (7) put the icing on the cake in the third period, scoring on a two-on-one break for his fourth goal in the past two games and Wichita skated away with a 4-1 win. Flath extended his goal scoring streak to three games, notching four in that span. Bryan Hogan earned back-to-back wins and his second in a Thunder uniform. Wichita takes the season-series over Rio Grande Valley, winning all three meetings between the two teams. The Thunder also extended its winning streak to three games and has won four out of its last five. Wichita heads to Laredo to take on the Bucks for the first time this season before returning home Friday, February 10th against Tulsa. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at -Thunder- Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1399.html#1337242232 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1399.html ByJeffrey Lutz, Wichita Eagle- Several of the Thunders top players are lost to injuries, and the timing couldnt be better for Chris Chappell. Normally a third-line player who helps on penalty killing, Chappell has been thrust into extended duty with many of his fellow forwards on the shelf. In just a few days, Chappell went from being the Thunders eighth-highest scoring forward to its third since five ahead of him are hurt. In one of his first games as a more relied-upon option, he registered a hat trick Sunday against Quad City. Chappell has been one of the teams most improved players during the season, so the chance for more ice time has been earned as much as it has been necessitated by injury. "It was something that Ive been ready for," Chappell said. "Thats how the team continues to do well everybody steps up when theyre given their opportunity." To read more, click Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1397.html#1337242233 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1397.html Wichita, KS- Despite dealing with a number of injuries to some key players, the Wichita Thunder (27-12-2) remained on top of the latest Coaches Poll released by the Central Hockey League Wednesday afternoon. Wichita is the first team in the league this season to repeat as the top team recognized by the CHL Coaches and received that honor for the third time. Wichita leads the CHL and the Berry Conference with 56 points. The Poll is released on or near the beginning and middle of each month throughout the regular season. Each first place vote receives 10 points, second place votes earn 9 points, etc. Wichita remained on top of the poll by a slim one point over the Turner Conference leading Evansville IceMen (25-10-4, league-best .692 win percentage), despite receiving one fewer first place vote than Evansville. Wichita finished with six first-place votes and the #2-ranked IceMen received seven first-place votes. The Allen Americans (24-10-7) earned the other first-place vote. Eight of the 10 teams in the Top 10 changed positions with the Thunder and the Tulsa Oilers (#8) serving as the only two clubs who maintained their position from the previous poll. Rounding out the top five were the Fort Wayne Komets (dropped from #2 to #4) and the Missouri Mavericks (moved up from #6 to #5). The biggest jump in the recent poll came from the Texas Brahmas who are 6-4-1 in their last 11 games earning them enough votes to move from #10 to #7. No other team rose or fell more than two places. Wichita is coming off a six point week after winning three out of four games in a five-night span. The Thunder hits the road for the next three games before returning home Friday, February 10th against Tulsa. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at -Thunder- Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1396.html#1337242234 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1396.html by Jeffrey Lutz Wichita Eagle The Thunder has kept its seamstresses busy this season. Wichitas best players have come and gone due to injuries and promotions, and the jersey lettering signifying the Thunders captain and alternate captains have been just as well traveled. For now, theyre resting with captain Travis Wight and alternates Alex Bourret and Andrew Martens. Bourret and Martens were recently re-assigned to the Thunder after stints in the AHL. Wight took over the C jersey from Aaron Davis, who is out with a broken jaw. Davis got it from Daniel Tetrault, a defenseman on the 30-day injured reserve. "(Davis) is a guy who does it all on the ice," Thunder coach Kevin McClelland said. "Weve got a lot of captains on the team and trust me, weve almost used all of them this year." To read the rest of the story, click Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1395.html#1337242235 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1395.html THUNDER TAKE THREE OF FOUR- Wichita took six of a possible eight points last week despite playing with a depleted roster. For the second straight week, Wichita played four games in five days beginning on Wednesday night against Arizona. Behind a hat trick from Kevin Seibel, Wichita exploded for its highest scoring output of the season with an 8-4 win over the Sundogs. Five players had multi-point games including Summers with four assists, Bourret with three points (1g, 2a) and Jarred Mohr with three assists. On Friday night, Wichita went down to Allen, TX in a battle for first place. The Thunder fell behind early and couldnt recover, losing 5-0. Several key players left the game due to injury and Wichita finished out the contest with just seven forwards. The following night in Wichita, Andrew Martens tallied the game-winner in overtime to give Wichita a 3-2 win against Tulsa. The momentum carried over to Sunday afternoon as Wichita smothered Quad City behind a hat trick from Chris Chappell for a 5-1 victory. Chappell scored a goal even strength, on the power play and shorthanded. It was the first shorthanded goal Quad City had given up all season. Wichita and Allen continue to see-saw back and forth for first place as the Thunder sit one point ahead of the Americans with 56 points. ANOTHER MILESTONE- Kevin McClelland moved into 10th all-time in the CHL, coaching his 424th game on Wednesday night (a win versus Arizona). With the win, McClelland also passed Brent Hughes moving into eighth place on the leagues all-time wins list (246). HATS A PLENTY- Kevin Seibel and Chris Chappell each recorded a hat trick this past week. Prior to that, the Thunder have had three hat tricks this season. For both players, it was their first professional hat trick of their careers. In January, Seibel has 11 points (3g, 8a) and Chappell has seven (3g, 4a). MAIZE AND BLUE- Bryan Hogan won his first start in Thunder blue on Sunday. The University of Michigan product was picked up in a trade with Dayton earlier in the week and stopped 20 of 21 shots he faced against Quad City. Hogan was four minutes away from earning a shutout before the Mallards scored on a power play. Hogan recently earned his first professional shutout in a Gems uniform against the Rapid City Rush on January 20th. HELPING HAND- Alex Bourret and Matt Summers have a knack for finding their teammates. The two have combined for 13 assists over the last five games. Both have eight points over that span as Bourret has two goals and six assists while Summers has one goal and seven assists. Bourret has seven points (1g, 6a) since returning to Wichita on January 22nd. IRON MEN- Travis Wight and Jarred Mohr are the only players to have played in every game so far this season. Due to injuries and call-ups, the two have flourished while logging a lot of minutes. In 41 games, Mohr has 21 points (4g, 17a) and is a +12 while Wight is a +7. OUTSTANDING ATTENDANCE- Wichita Thunder fans came out in droves this last weekend. On Saturday night, the team played in front of 7,205 fans. Sunday topped that with 9,401 people at INTRUST Bank Arena. After 22 homes games, Wichita sits in second place with an average of 5, 958 fans per game. THUNDERBOLTS The Thunder is second in winning percentage (.683), leads the league in wins (27) and points (56) Wichita is first in goals per game (3.61) and sixth in goals against per contest (2.95) Wichita is second in shots allowed (28.34/game) and has allowed a CHL-low 348 shots in the third period The Thunder power play away from home is ranked third, going 18-for-84 at a clip of 21.4%... Adam Russo leads the league in shootout wins (5), second in wins (19) and second in minutes played (1692:09) Andrew Martens leads the CHL in plus/minus (+22) Matt Summers is first in shooting percentage (.277) while R.G. Flath is second (.233) Erick Lizon is tied for first in majors (13) Davis is tied for first in game-winning goals (6) Wichita leads the league in goals scored (148) In one-goal games, Wichita is 13-4-2 When leading after one, The Thunder is 12-3-1 When trailing after one, Wichita is 7-6-1 Tied after two periods, Wichita is 10-2-2 When scoring first, Wichita is 16-6-1 When outshooting the opponent, Wichita is 15-5-0 In four-goal games, Wichita is 4-0-0 The Thunder is 11-3-2 against teams from the Turner Conference while going 16-9-0 in division. UPCOMING WEEK- The Thunder head to South Texas this weekend to take on Rio Grande Valley and Laredo. After a three-game road swing, Wichita is back at home on Friday, February 10th against Tulsa for the final time this season. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1393.html#1337242236 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1393.html Check out the Highlights from Sunday's pounding of Quad City . Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1392.html#1337242237 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1392.html Wichita, KS- Chris Chappell recordedhis first professionalhat trick and Matt Summers notched three points as Wichita (27-12-2) smothered Quad City (23-17-1) Sunday night, winning 5-1 in front of 9,401 fans at INTRUST Bank Arena. Wichita improves to 6-0-2 all-time against Quad City and 3-0-0 at home. Chris Chappell (4) gave Wichita the early lead as he came down the wall, cut across the goal line and followed up his own rebound at 13:06. Four minutes later, Matt Summers (13) stole it from the Mallard defender and sniped a wrist shot just under the cross bar to give Wichita a 2-0 lead. Wichita kept its foot on the gas pedal in the second as R.G. Flath (7) fired one from the face-off dot, beating Mallard goalie David McKee to make it 3-0. After Kevin Seibel was sent to the penalty box for boarding, Chris Chappell (5) added to the Thunder lead for his second goal of the game late in the period. He stole the puck at the Thunder line and went coast-to-coast beating McKee on a two-on-one. It was the seventh shorthanded goal scored by the Thunder this season and made it 4-0. The Thunder added another tally in the third period on the power play. Off a face-off, Summers won the draw back to Martens who took a shot that was tipped in by Chappell (6) for his third of the night. Chappell scored on the power play, shorthanded and also a regular strength goal in the contest. The Mallards would stop the shutout bid from Bryan Hogan with a power play goal with four minutes left. Hogan, who was acquired by Wichita earlier in the week in a trade with Dayton, rebounded nicely as he let in nine goals on January 14th against Quad City in a Gems uniform. Wichita claimed six out of a possible eight points during the week and improved its home record to a CHL-best 18-4-0. Against the Turner Conference, Wichita is an impressive 11-3-2 this season. Wichita hits the road for the next three games before returning home Friday, February 10th against Tulsa. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at -Thunder- Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1390.html#1337242238 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1390.html Check out the Highlights from Saturday's Thunder overtime win . Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1391.html#1337242239 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1391.html Wichita, KS- After relinquishing a one-goal lead with two minutes left, Andrew Martens scored with 1:17 remaining in OT to push Wichita (26-12-2) past the Tulsa Oilers (19-15-5) 3-2 Saturday night at INTRUST Bank Arena infront of 7,205 fans. Wichita is improves to 6-4 this season against Tulsa despite missingsix players from the line-up. R.G. Flath (6) scored the lone goal of the first period on a beautiful backhand from the left circle that beat Tulsa goalie Ian Keserich eight minutes into the game. Tulsa had the only power play through the first 40 minutes and they took advantage in the secondas Gerome Giudice redirected a loose puck off a shin pad to tie the game at one at 8:03. However, Erick Lizon (1) regained the lead for the Thunder as Steve Christie got caught out of his net trying to poke-check the puck away from Chris Greene. Christie replaced Keserich after the first 20 minutes. In the third period, Tulsa tied the game at two at 17:57 when Ryan Cramer put home a rebound after Russo flicked out his leg pad on a Sean Erickson blast. It was the first time between the two teams this season that regulation was not enough. In overtime, Dustin Donaghy was called for charging as he leveled Steve Christie in behind the Oiler goal. Wichita was able to kill off the one minute power play and even had several chances themselves shorthanded. The game-winner came from Martens (9), who rejoined the team before Friday's game in Allen, with just over a minute remaining in OT. After a wild scramble infront of the Oiler net, Martens caught a pass fromAlex Bourretin the slot and scored to end the game, 3-2. Erick Lizon earned the number one star with two points (1g,1a), Trudel had three assists while Bourret had two helpers. With the win, Wichita is now 2-1 in OT while the Oilers remain winless in the extra session. Wichita moves back into first place one point ahead of the Allen Americans. Wichita plays tomorrow afternoon as the Quad City Mallards fly into town at 5:05 p.m. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at -Thunder- Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1389.html#1337242240 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1389.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League announced Friday the signing of defenseman Francis Trudel. The Drummondville, PQ native is a former teammate of Alex Bourret and will be in the line-up this weekend. Trudel (5'11'', 195-lbs) began the season with the Sheffield Steelers of the British Elite League. The 29-year old is in his fourth season as a professional, having played two years in Norway and a season in Italy. Prior to turning pro, he spent four seasons of college hockey at the University of Moncton from 2004-08 and recording 64 points in 122 games. Trudel joins Bourret in Wichita as the two were teammates from 2002-2004 in Sherbrooke and Lewiston of the QMJHL. In four seasons of junior hockey, Trudel registered 164 points in 213 games. His best season came in 2003-04 when he collected 51 points (8g, 43a) and 96 PIM. Wichita takes on the Allen Americans tonight in a battle for first place before returning home for two games over the weekend, hosting the Tulsa Oilers on Saturday night and Quad City on Sunday afternoon. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at -Thunder- Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1387.html#1337242241 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1387.html Allen, TX- Rejean Beauchemin stopped all 20 shots he faced as the Wichita Thunder (25-12-2) fell Friday night 5-0 to the Allen Americans (23-9-7) at the Allen Event Center. Wichita remains winless in Allen and falls back into second place with the loss, one point behind the Americans. Wichita fell behind 2-0 in the first 20 minutes as Allen scored twice in a four-minute span. Jeff Martens pounded one in on the doorstep at 14:07 and Nick Layton put home a loose puck in the crease at 18:17. Allen scored two more times in the second period, getting one from Bruce Graham at 8:19 and Mark Nebus with three minutes left. Wichita had the better of the power play attempts, but couldn't solve Beauchemin who stopped all 15 shots he faced through the first 40 minutes. The Americans added a goal in the third period as Graham scored his second of the night and won 5-0 over Wichita. It was the first time this season Wichita had been shutout as the Thunder still have yet to beat the Americans in regulation. In Allen, Wichita is 0-5-0 all-time at the Allen Event Center. The Thunder is 1-3-0 in its last four games while the Americans extended their win streak to four. Wichita returns home for a pair of games, hosting the Tulsa Oilers on Saturday night and Quad City on Sunday afternoon. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at -Thunder- Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1388.html#1337242242 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1388.html Check out the Highlights from Wednesday's Thunder outburst over Arizona . Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1385.html#1337242243 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1385.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League announced Thursday they have made several roster moves in preparation for an important weekend. Defenseman Andrew Martens has been returned to Wichita after playing in 12 games for Oklahoma City of the AHL. Wichita has also made a trade with the Dayton Gems, receiving goaltender Bryan Hogan for future considerations. To make room for Hogan, Wichita has released Scott Darling. Martens was called-up to Oklahoma City of the AHL on December 28th, the same day he was named as a starter to the 2012 CHL All-Star Game. He recorded one assist and 18 shots on goal in 12 games with the Barons. Before being called-up, Martens was leading the CHL in scoring by defenseman with 22 points (8g, 14a). He continues to lead the league in plus/minus (+20) despite missing the last 11 games. Hogan (6, 195-lbs) is in his first season as a professional. The Highland, MI native has appeared in 23 games for Dayton this season, going 7-11-5 with a goals against average of 3.50 and a .899 save percentage. Most recently, he made 24 saves in a 3-0 win in Rapid City on January 20th and earned his first professional shutout. Hogan played four years at the University of Michigan, where he ranks second in career goals against average (2.18), second in career save percentage (.909) and seventh in career wins (52). During his freshman season, he helped the Wolverines win the Great Lakes Invitational, CCHA regular season, CCHA tournament while also helping his club reach the NCAA Frozen Four. Prior to his time in Ann Arbor, Hogan spent two seasons with the Lincoln Stars of the USHL. In other moves, defenseman Daniel Tetrault has been placed on 30-day IR and forward Thomas Beauregard has been placed on 10-day IR. Finally, forward R.G. Flath will return to the line-up after serving a two-game suspension for an illegal check to the head. Wichita will head to Allen in a battle for first place on Friday night before returning home for two games over the weekend, hosting the Tulsa Oilers on Saturday night and Quad City on Sunday afternoon. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at photo taken by Steven Christy -Thunder- Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1386.html#1337242244 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1386.html Wichita, KS- Wichita (25-11-2) exploded for its highest scoring output of the season, winning 8-4 over the Arizona Sundogs (12-21-7) Wednesday night at INTRUST Bank Arena. Kevin Seibel recorded his first professional hat trick and Matt Summers added four assists to pace the Thunder. Wichita jumps ahead of Allen by one point for first place as the two teams will meet this Friday in Allen. The Thunder got off to a quick start, scoring three times in the first period. Kevin Seibel (2) scored first for Wichita at 6:43 on the power play. Alex Bourret (15) added to that lead at 9:50, banking it off the defender from the goal line past Sundogs goalie Mike Spillane. At that point in the contest, the two teams traded the next eight goals as Craig MacDonald scored to make it 2-1 with a shorthanded goal at 12:55. Aaron Davis (16) found the back of the net on a five-on-three power play two minutes later to make it 3-1. After the Sundogs cut the lead to one, Dustin Donaghy (3) raced down on a short breakaway from the top of the circles and beat Spillane through the five-hole to make it 4-2. Daymen Rycroft scored at 12:06 and got the Sundogs within one, 4-3. However, Matt Robinson (17) answered over a minute later to regain a two-goal advantage, 5-3. Arizona would thenreceive a power play and Tyler Butler blasted one in as the Sundogs would not go away quietly. Seibel (3) scored his second of the night at 18:09 of the second period and gave the Thunder a 6-4 lead after 40 minutes. The two teams combined for six goals in the second. Wichita scored the final three as Chris Greene (3) made it 7-4 at 14:02 on a beautiful feed from Bourret. Seibel (4) bookended the game with his hat trick goal 19 seconds later off a face-off as the Thunder pulled away with an 8-4 win. Seibel's hat trick is the third of the season for Wichita and has recorded 15 points in his last 11 games. Five players recorded multiple points including Jarred Mohr with three assists, Summers with four assists and Bourret with a Gordie Howe hat trick as he dropped the gloves just 13 seconds into the game. The previous season-high for Wichita was seven goals on New Year's Eve at Evansville, where the Thunder won 7-5. With the win, Wichita stops a two-game losing skid while extending the Sundogs streak to four. Wichita leads the season-series two games to none against the Sundogs as the two teams will meet for a pair of games in March. Wichita will head to Allen Friday night before returning home for a two-game home stand against Tulsa on Saturday and Quad City on Sunday. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at -Thunder- Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1384.html#1337242245 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1384.html by Jeffrey Lutz Wichita Eagle Alex Bourret had something to prove when he was sent to the American Hockey League late last month, climbing a rung above the Central Hockey League. Bourret didnt score a goal in six games with Worcester, but he came away from the brief experience with a sense of accomplishment. "My goal for next year is to go to Europe, so it doesnt really matter if Im playing in the AHL this year," Bourret said. "It was more for me, because I didnt like the way I finished my career in the AHL before. I didnt get signed back and I got sent (to Wichita), so I just wanted to prove to everybody that I was good enought to play there." To read more, click Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1383.html#1337242246 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1383.html .500 Week- Wichita continued its five-game road swing with a trip to Prescott Valley, TX for the first time since 2007-08. Thomas Beauregard got the Thunder on the board with a power-play goal midway through the second period. The Sundogs battled back and tied the game in the third sending the game into OT and eventually a shootout. Brett Hemingway continued his mastery, beating Scott Reid in round one and Wichita outscored the Sundogs 3-0 in the shootout to earn the 2-1 win. Jumping back on a bus for 17 hours, the Thunder headed to North Richland Hills, TX for two against the Brahmas. On Friday night, Wichita used a strong third period to overtake Texas, 4-3. Aaron Davis scored first for Wichita, but the Brahmas notched the next two to take a 2-1 lead. Chris Greene and R.G. Flath provided the offense for the Thunder and Wichita took the first of three-straight meetings. Flath scored twice in 1:40 for his first two-goal performance of the season. Saturday night was a different story as Texas jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Beauregard scored on a breakaway in the second period and Daniel Tetrault tallied his seventh of the season to cut the lead to one. However, the Brahmas pulled away in the final period, scoring twice including an empty-net goal and won 5-2. In the rubber match on Sunday, the Brahmas again scored two first-period goals and held onto a lead late in the contest to win the game 3-2. Despite a terrific crowd of 8,761 on-hand, the Thunder couldnt get the game-tying goal and lost for the second-straight game to Texas. Matt Robinson and Alex Bourret scored for Wichita in the third period. SHOOTOUT STAR Brett Hemingway continues to be Wichitas go-to-guy in the shootout. He got the call to go first on Wednesday night and didnt disappoint as he scored the game-winning goal. Hemingway now has scored five times in seven chances including four game-winners in the shootout. Two of those game-winning goals have come against Rapid City. Hemingway leads the team in shootout percentage (.714) while Matt Robinson is right behind him (.571). BACK IN THE SADDLE- Alex Bourret returned to Wichita and received a loud ovation from the home fans on Sunday afternoon. He scored a goal in his return, giving him 40 points (14g, 26a) on the season. Bourret was called-up to Worcester of the American Hockey League on January 5th. In six games with the Sharks farm-club, he had three assists including a two-point outing against Portland on January 8th. SILENT ASSASSIN- Kevin Seibel has been a nice addition to the blue-line for the Thunder and with the absence of Andrew Martens, he has produced. In his past 10 games, Seibel has quietly recorded 11 points, which are all assists and is a +4. He had five points this past week including a three-point performance against Texas this past Friday. Seibel made a beautiful feed on Alex Bourrets goal in the third period on Sunday to get Wichita back into the game. Matt Summers also has 11 points (5g, 6a) in his last 10 games while Beauregard has 10 (6g, 4a) in that time span. MAKING AN IMPACT- R.G. Flath had his first two-goal game of the season on Friday night and has recorded eight points (4g, 4a) in his last 10 games. His two goals were almost identical, going over the glove of Brahmas net minder Steve Silverthorn. After the game, Flath was suspended by the Central Hockey League for an apparent hit to the head on Ross Rouleau. He will miss Wednesdays game against Arizona. FORTUNE TELLING- Wichita finished the first half of the season at 22-9-2. If the Thunder can finish the second half of the season with an identical record, it will match the same record in which the Thunder won its second CHL Championship in 1994-95, which was 44-18-4. THUNDERBOLTS The Thunder is second in winning percentage (.676), tied for first in wins (24) and tied for first in points (50) Wichita is tied for first in goals per game (3.57) and sixth in goals against per contest (2.95) Wichita is second in shots allowed (28.49/game) and is tied for a CHL-low 337 shots in the third period The Thunder power play away from home is ranked third, going 18-for-81 at a clip of 22.2%... Adam Russo leads the league in shootout wins (5), second in shutouts (2), second in wins (17), third in minutes played (1528:26) and sixth in goals against (2.55) Andrew Martens continues to lead in plus/minus (+20) despite missing the past 10 games Matt Summers is first in shooting percentage (.279) Erick Lizon is tied for first in majors (11) Davis is tied for first in game-winning goals (6) Beauregard is fourth in shots (155) while Davis is in fifth (152) In one-goal games, Wichita is 12-4-2 When leading after one, The Thunder is 9-3-1 When trailing after one, Wichita is 7-5-1 Tied after two periods, Wichita is 10-2-2 When scoring first, Wichita is 13-6-1 When allowing the first goal, Wichita is 11-5-1 When outshooting the opponent, Wichita is 13-5-0 When outshot by the opponent, Wichita is 8-5-2 In four-goal games, Wichita is 2-0-0 Following a win, Wichita is 16-6-2 Following a loss, Wichita is 6-4-0 Wichita is 8-4-2 on Friday On Saturday, Wichita is 9-3-0 The Thunder is 10-3-2 against teams from the Turner Conference while going 14-8-0 in division Through 19 home games, Wichita is second overall in attendance, averaging 5,842. UPCOMING WEEK- Wichita begins another busy week, playing four games in five nights starting on Wednesday at home against Arizona. The Thunder then travel down to Allen Friday night before two straight games at home Saturday and Sunday. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1382.html#1337242247 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1382.html Wichita, KS- Behind two first period goals for the second straight game, Texas (19-14-7) was able to knock off Wichita (24-11-2) 3-2 Sunday afternoon at INTRUST Bank Arena in front of 8,761 fans. Wichita erased a two-goal lead late in the game, but couldn't get one past Brahmas goaltender Steve Silverthorn. The Thunder remain in first place by one point in the Berry Conference. For the second straight game, Texas scored twice in the first period. T.J. Fox scored to make it 1-0 off a bad bounce that caught Thunder netminder Adam Russo out of the net. With four minutes to go in the period, Jacques Perreault made it 2-0 on the power play. He followed up his own rebound after attempting a wrap-around and put it in. Texas has now outscored Wichita 4-0 in the first period over the last two games. Wichita outscored the Brahmas in the final period, getting goals from Matt Robinson (16) and Alex Bourret (14). Adam Hogg added a goal that turned out to be the game-winner with five minutes to go. The Thunder outshot the Brahmas 13-2 in the third, but weren't able to solve Silverthorn in the final minute. Six of the seven games played between the two teams have been decided by one goal. Wichita leads the season series four games to three as the two teams will not see one another until March. Wichita remains at home this upcoming Wednesday night as the Arizona Sundogs come into town. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at -Thunder- Sun, 22 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1381.html#1337242248 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1381.html North Richland Hills, TX- Texas (18-14-7) jumped out to a two-goal lead and never trailed, beating Wichita (24-10-2) 5-2 at the NYTEX Sports Centre Saturday night. Wichita cut the lead twice to one, but was unable to get the equalizer and Texas stopped its four-game losing skid to Wichita. Texas scored twice in the first six minutes of the game, getting the first one at 3:57 from Calin Wild to make it 1-0. Ross Rouleau made it 2-0 with a wrist shot over Thunder goaltender Scott Darling at 6:27. Wichita was limited to just two shots on net. Beauregard (19) cut into the Brahmas lead as he came down on a break-away, putting it under the arm of Texas goalie Steve Silverthorn. But Rouleau added his second of the game with two minutes left regaining a two goal lead for Texas. In the third period, Wichita cut the lead to 3-2 as Daniel Tetrault (7) scored a power play goal on a two-man advantage. However, Phil Fox made it 4-2 seven minutes later as he found himself all alone infront of Darling and scored. The Brahmas added an empty-net goal and won the game, 5-2. It was the first game this season between the two teams that wasn't decided by one goal. Wichita leads the season series four games to two. The rubber match between the two teams on the weekend is tomorrow afternoon at 5:05 p.m. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at -Thunder- Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1379.html#1337242249 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1379.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League announced Sunday that forward Alex Bourret has been assigned back to Wichita by the Worcester Sharks of the American Hockey league. Bourret returns to Wichita after missing the last seven games. Before he left, Bourret was Wichita's leading scorer with 39 points (13g, 26a). The seven-year pro was named to the 2012 CHL All-Star team, but was unable to play in the game due to his call-up to Worcester. During his time in Worcester, he had three points in six games, including a two-point outing against Portland on January 8th. Bourret had spent time in the AHL with Chicago, Hartford and San Antonio, scoring 97 points in 170 games before this previous stint. In other news, The Central Hockey League announced the suspension of R. G. Flath for two (2) games as a consequence for an illegal check to the head in the Thunders game on January 21 in Texas. He will miss tonight's game against Texas and Wednesday's game against Arizona. The rubber match between Wichita and Texas on the weekend is this afternoon at 5:05 p.m. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at -Thunder- Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1380.html#1337242250 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1380.html North Richland Hills, TX- RG Flath scored twice in a span of 1:40 as Wichita (24-9-2) knocked off the Texas Brahmas (17-14-7) 4-3 at the NYTEX Sports Centre Friday night. Wichita leads the season series four games to one, having won four-straight against Texas and is the first team to hit the 50-point barrier. Wichita benefitted from two power plays in the first period, both of which were too many men on the ice penalties, and Aaron Davis (18) delivered to give Wichita a 1-0 lead. Jarred Mohr put a shot on net and Davis, who played two seasons for the Brahmas, was able to bang home a rebound. Texas tied the game at 9:57 of the second period as Brendon Hodge caught a pass on the right circle and put it low on the ice past Thunder goalie Adam Russo. After a Phil Fox goal early in the third period gave Texas its first lead of the game, Wichita scored the next three. Chris Greene (2) scored just over a minute later to make it 2-2 on a tip-in from the point. Flath (4) regained the lead for the Thunder at 13:27 after his shot re-directed off the defenders stick and past Brahmas goalie Steve Silverthorn to make it 3-2. At 15:07, Flath (5) scored in similar fashion, this time on a wrister that went directly over Silverthorn's glove to make it 4-2. The Brahmas would add a goal with three minutes left by Andrew Lackner, but it was not enough and Wichita held on for the 4-3 win. Each game between the two teams has been decided by one goal. Russo earned his 17th win of the season and is now 9-1-2 in his last 12 games. Wichita is 3-1-0 on its current five-game road trip and leads the league in wins (24), points (50), and winning percentage (.714). The Thunder finish off its five-game road trip Saturday night against Texas before returning home Sunday afternoon to face the Brahmas at 5:05 p.m. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at -Thunder- Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1378.html#1337242251 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1378.html Prescott Valley, AZ- Brett Hemingway continued his clutch scoring in a shootout as he put Wichita (23-9-2) past the Arizona Sundogs (12-17-3) 2-1 on Wednesday night at Tim's Toyota Center. The story of the night, however, were the goaltenders as Wichita's Adam Russo and Arizona's Scott Reid combined for 86 saves. Wichita is now 6-1 in the shootout and moved ahead of Allen by three points in first place in the Berry Conference. Thomas Beauregard (18) broke a scoreless game halfway through the second period with a power play goal. Arizona would answer in the third period to tie the game at one when Daymen Rycroft found a long rebound and put it past Thunder netminder Adam Russo. For the second time in the last three games, Wichita headedto a shootout. Wichita went second in the shootout and Russo was up to the task on former Thunder defenseman Steve Kaunisto. Hemingway put Wichita up 1-0 as he went first for the second straight time. After a save by Russo on Rycroft, Beauregard beat Reid over the glove to make it 2-0 Wichita. Matt Robinson iced it in round three as Wichita outscored Arizona 3-0, giving Wichita a 2-1 win in a shootout. Hemingway is now five-for-seven including four game-winning goals in a shootout. With the win, Russo leads the league in shootout wins (5) and is 8-1-2 in his last 11 games. The Thunder begin three games in three nights this coming Friday, all of which will be against the Texas Brahmas. Wichita will be in North Richland Hills, TX for two games and then return to the Air Capital Sunday, January 22nd against the Brahmas. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at -Thunder- Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1377.html#1337242252 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1377.html Glendale, AZ- Near the top of the league in several categories, the Wichita Thunder climbed back to #1 of the most recent CHL Coaches Poll announced Wednesday. Playing its best hockey of the season, Wichita has gone 10-2-2 over the past 14 games and leads the Berry Conference. The Thunder is tied with Fort Wayne in wins (22) and points (46) while leading the league in winning percentage (.697). Fort Wayne was #1 in the previous Coaches Poll, which was released January 4th. The CHL Coaches Poll is released on or near the beginning and middle of each month throughout regular season. Each first place vote receives 10 points, second place votes earn 9 points, etc. The Thunder earned nine first place votes with the rest of the top votes showing great balance as the Komets earned two first place votes and the Evansville IceMen (21-9-3), Quad City Mallards (21-14-1) and Rapid City Rush (19-12-2) each earning a first place nod. The IceMen and Mallards finished #3 and #4 in the current poll, respectively, Rapid City finished #7. The Allen Americans (19-9-7) did not receive a first place vote but finished fifth in the poll. The Missouri Mavericks (20-13-3) and the IceMen made the biggest moves in the recent poll, each jumping up three spots (Missouri from #9 to #6 and Evansville from #6 to #3). Three teams (Allen, Rapid City and Texas) each dropped two spots. The 10 teams in the Top 10 remain unchanged from the previous poll. The Thunder play tonight at Tim's Toyota Center against the Arizona Sundogs for the first time this season. Following tonight's game, the Thunder will travel to North Richland Hills, TX for the start of three games in three nights, all against the Brahmas. Friday and Saturday are at the NYTEX Sports Centre. Wichita returns to the Air Capital this Sunday to close out its mini-series against Texas at 5:05 p.m. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1374.html#1337242253 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1374.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League is excited to announce that WWE Superstar and current color commentator Jerry 'The King' Lawler will be appearing at the Thunder game on Friday, February 17th against the Quad City Mallards. Known as 'The King' from his in-ring career, Lawler joins Michael Cole every Monday on the WWE's flagship show, Monday Night Raw, on the USA Network. He has been a part of the announcing team since 2001 and was most recently named WrestleSlam Announcer of the Year (2010). The Memphis, TN native was also inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007. Lawler began his career in 1970 and had held more championships in many different promotions than any other current WWE performer (164). He is well-known for his feuds with Brett 'The Hitman' Hart and comedian Andy Kaufman. Lawler's incident on Late Night with David Letterman where he slapped Kaufman is considered one of the most memorable moments in that show's history. His autobiography, Its Good to be The King...Sometimes, was released in 2002 and continues to be one of the best sellers in the WWE autobiography series. Lawler will be available on the concourse for pictures and autographs that can be purchased for 5. The last WWE Superstar to appear at a Thunder game was Mick Foley in 2004. The Thunder will take on the Arizona Sundogs tonight for the first time this season. Wichita will not return to the Air Capital until Sunday, January 22nd against the Texas Brahmas. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1376.html#1337242254 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1376.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League announced Tuesday the call-up of goaltender Scott Darling from the Mississippi RiverKings of the SPHL. The Lemont, IL native will be in the line-up Wednesday night when the Thunder take on the Arizona Sundogs. Darling (6-6, 230-lbs) was a sixth round draft pick of the Phoenix Coyotes in 2007, taken 153rd overall. The second-year pro appeared in 18 games for Mississippi, going 7-10-1 with a 3.25 GAA and a save percentage of .892. Darling has won his last three starts, compiling a 2.60 goals against and a .909 save percentage. This will be his second call-up as he was recently brought up to the ECHL's Florida Everblades. Prior to turning pro, Darling attended the University of Maine, where he appeared in 54 games. In his two seasons as a Black Bear from 2008-10, he was 25-20-6 with a 2.93 GAA and a save percentage of .893. He turned pro in 2010, signing with the Louisiana IceGators of the SPHL. The Thunder head west to face the Arizona Sundogs on Wednesday night for the first time this season. Wichita will not return to the Air Capital until Sunday, January 22nd against the Texas Brahmas. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1373.html#1337242255 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1373.html THUNDER SPLIT WITH RUSH- Wichita headed north to Rapid City, SD for a pair of games against the Rush this past weekend. On Friday night, Adam Russo stole the show, making 40 saves on 41 shots. The game went scoreless through the first 40 minutes. Wichita struck first with a Jarred Mohr goal in the third period before the Rush tied it four minutes later. The two teams needed a shootout for the second time this season as Wichita won its home opener back on October 21st against the Rush 3-2. Brett Hemingway, Thomas Beauregard and Matt Summers each scored for the Thunder and Russo stopped all three shots he faced as the Thunder won 2-1 in a shootout. On Saturday night, the Thunder got three goals from its third line but was unable to slow down Rapid City, losing 5-3. Dustin Donaghy scored twice including his first of the season and Chris Chappell added his third on the year. Wichita remains in first place by one point in the Berry Conference. SHOOTOUT STAR Brett Hemingway continues to be Wichitas go-to-guy in the shootout. He got the call to go first on Friday night and didnt disappoint as he scored the game-winning goal. Hemingway now has scored four times in six chances including three game-winners in the shootout. Two of those game-winning goals have come against Rapid City. Hemingway leads the team in shootout percentage (.667) while Matt Robinson is right behind him (.500). BIG ROOSS- Adam Russo was spectacular this past Friday night. He made some huge saves to keep the Thunder in the game including one against Rapid forward Konrad Reeder where he went into the splits and kept the puck out of the net. He also added a big glove save late in the contest. Russo leads the league in shootout wins (4) as he stopped all three shooters he faced. He is second in the CHL in wins (15), fourth in minutes played (1344:46), fifth in goals against (2.59) and second in shutouts (2). HOME-ICE ADVANTAGE- Through 18 home games, Wichita leads the league with 15 wins on home ice. Traditionally, Wichita has been strong in the Air Capital, going 347-233-58 all-time. Wichita has outscored its opponents 65 to 40 at home this season. THIRD LINE SCORING- Dustin Donaghy and Chris Chappell provided all the offense for Wichita on Saturday night. Donaghy scored his first goal of the season on a tip-in off a Daniel Tetrault shot that got past Rush goalie Danny Battochio. His second goal of the night was a wicked snapshot that pinged off the crossbar from the right wing circle. Donaghy was acquired last season from Allen, contributing 10 goals and eight assists in 33 games. Chappell scored his third of the season in similar fashion as he stole the puck at the Rush line and ringed it off the pipe and in. The third-year pro played last season in Greenville of the ECHL before getting called-up to Hartford/Connecticut of the AHL. ALL-STAR PERFORMANCE- Matt Robinson took advantage of his opportunity to play in this years All-Star Game. Robinson scored twice and added an assist as the CHL All-Stars beat the Arizona Sundogs 6-4 this past Wednesday night in Prescott Valley, AZ. Playing in his second straight All-Star game, Robinson has scored six points (5 goals and 1 assist) in the CHLs annual event the past two seasons. THUNDERBOLTS The Thunder is in first in winning percentage (.697) tied for first in wins (22) and tied for first in points (46) Wichita is second in goals per game (3.70) and sixth in goals against per contest (2.94) Wichita is second in shots allowed (28.00/game) and has given up a CHL-low 272 shots in the third period The Thunder power play away from home is ranked third, going 15-for-67 at a clip of 22.4%... Wichita has four of the top six players in the plus/minus category with Martens (+20) leading the way, Mohr (+15) tied for third with Davis and Robinson (+14) locked up in a group in fifth Matt Summers is first in shooting percentage (.316) Erick Lizon is tied for first in majors (11) Davis is tied for first in game-winning goals (6) and fourth in shots (138) In one-goal games, Wichita is 10-3-2 When leading after one, The Thunder is 8-3-1 When trailing after one, Wichita is 7-3-1 Tied after two periods, Wichita is 9-2-2 When scoring first, Wichita is 11-6-1 When outshooting the opponent, Wichita is 13-4-0 In four-goal games, Wichita is 2-0-0 The Thunder is 10-3-2 against teams from the Turner Conference while going 12-6-0 in division Through 18 home games, Wichita is second overall in attendance, averaging 5,680. UPCOMING WEEK- The Thunder headwest to take on the Arizona Sundogs on Wednesday night.Later in the week, Wichitabegins a tough stretch of three games in three nights, allagainst Texas. The Thunder play in North Richland Hills Friday and Saturday night and will not return to the Air Capital until Sunday, January 22nd against the Brahmas. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1371.html#1337242256 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1371.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League announced Monday that goaltender Ryan MacDonald has received an offer to play overseas and has been placed on waivers. MacDonald received an offer to play in Germany, where he played a year ago with Lausitzer. In 11 games with Wichita, MacDonald was 7-4-0 with a 3.15 goals against and a save percentage of .884. Coach McClelland said he got a call Monday morning and is actively looking for a replacement. The Thunder head west to face the Arizona Sundogs on Wednesday night for the first time this season. Wichita will not return to the Air Capital until Sunday, January 22nd against the Texas Brahmas. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1372.html#1337242257 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1372.html Rapid City, SD-Dustin Donaghy scored twice and Chris Chappell added his third of the season, but Wichita (22-9-2) was unable to overcome Rapid City (19-12-2) as the Rush won 5-3 on Saturday night at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. Wichita is 3-1-0 against the Rush this season and remains in first place by one point in the Berry Conference. Dustin Donaghy (1) got things going for Wichita at 5:46 of the first period when he tipped home a Daniel Tetrault feed. Rapid City tied the game at one when they broke in on an odd-man rush and Scott Wray tied it at 10:11. The Rush then scored two minutes later on the power play as Collin Circelli made it 2-1. Donaghy (2) tied the game at two at 19:04 when he outraced the defender to the puck on the right wing and sent a blistering wrist shot off the cross bar past Rush net-minder Danny Battochio. In the second period, Rapid City scored twice as Shawn Limpright came out of the penalty box, went down on a breakaway and beat Thunder goalie Adam Russo to make it 3-2. Jesse Schultz found the net at 16:33 to make it 4-2 and his first point on the weekend. Wichita cut the lead to one at 18:08 when Chappell (3) stole the puck at the Rush line and buried it past Battochio to make it 4-3 Rush. Scott Wray added another goal in the third period to cap off a 5-3 win for the Rush as Wichita couldn't solve Battochio. It was the first win for Rapid City against Wichita this season. The two teams will not see each other until the beginning of February when the Rush will visit Wichita. The Thunder will head west to face the Arizona Sundogs for the first time this season on Wednesday. Wichita will not return to the Air Capital until Sunday, January 22nd against the Texas Brahmas. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1369.html#1337242258 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1369.html Rapid City, SD- Thunder netminder Adam Russo was outstanding Friday night, making 40 saves on 41 shots as Wichita (22-8-2) beat Rapid City (18-12-2) in a shootout 2-1 at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. Brett Hemingway scored the game-winning goal and the Thunder moved three points ahead of the Allen Americans for first place in the Berry Conference. After 40 minutes of scoreless hockey, Jarred Mohr (4) was able to give Wichita a 1-0 lead in the third period as he caught a Matt Summers pass and sniped it past Rush goalie Danny Battochio. Summers now has a seven-game point scoring streak with the helper on the goal. Rapid City tied the game at one three minutes later as Sean Wiles beat Russo from the high slot. The two teams battled through 60 minutes and for the second time in three games, Wichita was forced to an overtime session. After a scoreless five-minute OT, a shootout was in order and Wichita took advantage. The Thunder got goals from Hemingway, Thomas Beauregard and Matt Summers while Russo stood tall, stopping all three shots he faced and Wichita outscored the Rush 3-0. Hemingway is now four-for-six in the shootout and has scored three game-winning-goals in the shootout including the game-winner in the season opener against the Rush. Wichita has now beat Rapid City twice in a shootout, which is the Rush's only two losses this season. The Thunder now have 46 points on the season and are a solid 10-2-2 against the Turner Conference. Wichita also stopped Rapid City's eight-game home winning streak and is now 3-0-0 against the Rush this season. The Thunder and Rapid City will face-off again Saturday night before the Thunder head on the road for the next four. Wichita will not return to the Air Capital until Sunday, January 22nd against the Texas Brahmas. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1368.html#1337242259 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1368.html Prescott Valley, AZ- Thunder forward Matt Robinson scored two goals and had one assist as the CHL All-Stars won 6-4 last night over the Arizona Sundogs at the 2012 CHL All-Star Game. Playing in his second-consecutive All-Star Game, Robinson tied the contest at one for the CHL All-Stars at 12:55 of the first period when he took a nice feed from Todd Robinson of Evansville and beat Sundogs goalie Scott Reid. His second goal came at 7:25 of the second period that regained a 3-2 lead for the All-Stars. Robinson added an assist on an empty-net goal scored by Tulsa defenseman Jeff Terminesi that closed the game out for the All-Star squad, 6-4. With his three-point performance, Robinson has combined to score six points (5g, 1a) and 14 shots on net in the past two CHL All-Star games including a natural hat trick at last year's event. Robinson replaced Thunder forward Alex Bourret on the squad, who was called-up last week to Worcester of the American Hockey League (San Jose Sharks affiliate). The Thunder head on the road for the next five and will not return to the Air Capital until Sunday, January 22nd against the Texas Brahmas. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1367.html#1337242260 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1367.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League announced Thursday the signing of defenseman T.J. Miller. The second-year pro will be in uniform this weekend as Wichita travels to Rapid City, SD to take on the Rush. Miller (64, 220-lbs) was a fourth round draft pick of the New Jersey Devils, selected #107 overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Prior to going pro, the Placentia, CA native spent four seasons at Northern Michigan University of the CCHA, scoring 40 points (8g, 32a) and recorded 117 PIM in 134 games for the Wildcats. Last season, Miller was assigned to the Trenton Devils of the ECHL, where he appeared in 22 games. At the beginning of the year, Miller was playing overseas in Italy with Meran/Merano before returning state-side. He was picked up by Rapid City at the beginning of December and recently waived on January 5th. The signing of Miller now gives Wichita six defenseman as Andrew Martens continues to play well with the Oklahoma City Barons of the AHL. The Thunder head on the road for the next five and will not return to the Air Capital until Sunday, January 22nd against the Texas Brahmas. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1366.html#1337242261 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1366.html GLENDALE, AZ (January 11, 2012) The 2012 CHL All-Star Game, presented by Cliff Castle Casino and Hotel, is finally here with the battle taking place tonight (Wednesday, January 11) at Tims Toyota Center in Prescott Valley, Arizona the home of the Arizona Sundogs. The host Sundogs will face-off against a team of CHL All-Stars in a format that has defined the CHL All-Star Game for the past four seasons. Face-off is scheduled for 6:35 PM MST and the game is available LIVE on CHL-TV with Allens Tommy Daniels and Bloomingtons Greg Halbleib bringing you all the action as the All-Star broadcast team! For More, click Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1364.html#1337242262 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1364.html THUNDER IN FIRST AT BREAK-Heading into the final two games before the All-Star break, Wichita traveled to Moline, Il to take on the Mallards Friday night. Quad City had an outstanding December, going 11-2-1. The Thunder jumped out to a 2-0 lead with goals from RG Flath and Matt Robinson. Quad City outscored Wichita in the second period and took its first lead of the game at the seven minute mark of the third when Jeremy Boyer scored off a face-off to make it 4-3. Wichita got a late goal from Travis Wight to tie the game at four and for the second straight game between the two teams at the I Wireless Center, regulation time was not enough. The Mallards scored on a power-play in overtime with 46 seconds remaining and handed Wichita its first loss in OT this season, 5-4. The following night, Wichita returned to INTRUST Bank Arena and blitzed the Tulsa Oilers with five third-period goals en route to a 6-2 win. Thomas Beauregard had two goals, Matt Robinson scored his third in two games and Aaron Davis had a Gordie Howe hat trick as Wichita won for the 15th time on home ice. With Allens loss on Sunday, Wichita remains in first place in the Berry Conference with 44 points at the break. YOURE AN ALL-STAR- Matt Robinson was selected to replace Alex Bourret on the All-Star team this past Friday. He responded with three points (2g, 1a) Friday against Quad City and two points (1g, 1a) against Tulsa on Saturday. Robinson has scored in five of the last seven games, recording eight points in that span (6 g, 2a). Robinson will represent Wichita this upcoming Wednesday in Prescott Valley as the Arizona Sundogs will play a group of CHL All-Stars. This will be Robinsons second straight trip to the All-Star game as he recorded a natural hat trick and had a team-high eight shots on goal in last years event held in Rapid City. STREAKING- Several Thunder players continued point streaks this past weekend. Thomas Beauregard and Matt Summers are both riding six-game point streaks while Aaron Davis and RG Flath extended theirs to three. Beauregard has nine points (4g, 5a) in that span after scoring back-to-back goals on Saturday. Summers has 11 points (6g, 5a) including a hat trick on New Years Eve against Evansville. Davis has five points (2g, 3a) and Flath has six points (2g, 4a) in the past three games. HOME ICE ADVANTAGE- Through 18 home games, Wichita leads the league with 15 wins on home ice. Traditionally, Wichita has been strong in the Air Capital, going 347-233-58 all-time. Wichita is second in wins (21) and first in winning percentage (.710). Wichita has outscored its opponents 65 to 40 at home this season. PLUS INSTEAD OF MINUS- The Thunder continue to have guys near the top of the plus/minus leaderboard. Wichita currently has four of the top five, including Andrew Martens who has missed the past four games since being called-up to Oklahoma City of the AHL. Martens leads the league (+20) while Aaron Davis and Jarred Mohr are in a three-way tie for second with Brett Smith of Fort Wayne (+16). Matt Robinson is in a tie for fifth place (+15). SCORING- Beauregard and Robinson each had two-goal outings this past week and have moved up the scoring leaderboard. Beauregard is tied for fourth in goals scored (17) and tied for 10th in points (38). Robinson is now tied for 10th in goals scored (15). Wichita is tied with Fort Wayne for most goals scored (117) and tied with Allen for most points (312). THUNDERBOLTS Wichita leads the league in goals per game (3.77) and fifth in goals against per contest (2.94) Wichita is first in shots allowed (27.58/game) and has given up a CHL-low 253 shots in the third period The Thunder power play away from home is ranked second, going 15-for-62 at a clip of 24.2%... Adam Russo is fifth in GAA (2.55), tied for second in wins (14), tied for second in shutout wins (2), first in shootout wins (3) and fourth in minutes played (1221:29) Aaron Davis is tied for first in game-winning goals (6) Matt Summers is first in shooting percentage (.353) Erick Lizon leads the league in majors (11) Davis is fourth in shots (135) and Beauregard is right behind him in fifth place (131) In one-goal games, Wichita is 9-3-2 When leading after one, The Thunder is 8-3-1 When trailing after one, Wichita is 7-3-1 Tied after two periods, Wichita is 8-2-2 When outshooting the opponent, Wichita is 13-3-0 In four-goal games, Wichita is 2-0-0 The Thunder is 9-2-2 against teams from the Turner Conference while going 12-6-0 in division Through 18 home games, Wichita is second overall in attendance, averaging 5,680. UPCOMING WEEK- The Thunder head on the road for the next five and will not return to the Air Capital until Sunday, January 22nd against the Texas Brahmas. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1363.html#1337242263 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1363.html Check out the highlights from Saturday's wild win over Tulsa . Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1362.html#1337242264 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1362.html Wichita, KS- Wichita exploded for five goals in the third period including two from Thomas Beauregard as the Thunder (21-8-2) blew past the Tulsa Oilers (16-12-3) with a 6-2 win Saturday night in front of 6,410 fans at INTRUST Bank Arena. Wichita is now 5-4-0 against Tulsa this season and still leads the Berry Conference with 44 points. The Oilers struck first at 3:09 of the first period as former Thunder forward Troy Ofukany came down on the rush and snuck one past Wichita goalie Ryan MacDonald to make it 1-0. Ofukany played in 93 games for Wichita, scoring 63 points before being traded to Odessa in 2009-10. Aaron Davis (14) got Wichita on the board in the second period at 14:41 to tie the game at one. Matt Robinson carried it into the zone, held onto the puck until Davis came free and he found the back of the net. In the third period, the flood gates opened as a tight game turned into a run-away. Daniel Tetrault (6) made it 2-1 with a one-time blast past Tulsa goalie Mike Garman at 3:24. Tulsa's Jason Weeks tied the game at two at 5:02, but Wichita answered 27 seconds later when Thomas Beauregard (16) snuck in past the Tulsa defense, caught a long-lead pass from RG Flath and scored on a break-away to make it 3-2. He scored his second of the game at 12:14 when he blasted a one-timer past Garman to make it 4-2. Wichita scored the final four of the game as Matt Robinson (15) and Justin Sawyer (2) each added one to give Wichita a 6-2 win. Several players kept scoring streaks alive as Beauregard and Matt Summers extended their point scoring streaks to six games each. The Thunder continue to lead the league in points (44) and the best record on home ice (15-3-0). Wichita also scored five goals in one period back on October 28th at the BOK Center against Tulsa as Wichita won that game as well, 6-2. The Thunder and the Oilers still play each other twice more, with the next meeting on January 28th at INTRUST Bank Arena. The Thunder head on the road for the next five and will not return to the Air Capital until Sunday, January 22nd against the Texas Brahmas. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Sun, 08 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1361.html#1337242265 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1361.html Moline, IL- John Snowden scored a power play goal with :46.7 seconds remaining in overtime to give Quad City (18-11-1) a 5-4 win over Wichita (20-8-2) Friday night at the I Wireless Center. It was Wichita's first loss in the extra period this season. The Thunder remain in first place with 42 points as Allen also lost in overtime to Laredo. RG Flath (3) opened the scoring in the first period as he tipped in a shot from Thomas Beauregard on the power play and gave the Thunder a 1-0 lead. Beauregard extended his scoring-streak to five games with an assist on the goal while Flath has scored in consecutive games. In the second period, Matt Robinson (13) gave Wichita a 2-0 lead as he caught a pass from Brett Hemingway and cut across the slot to put in the net. The Mallards answered less than two minutes later to cut the lead to 2-1 as Eric Giosa was able to find the net. Just over a minute later, Robinson (14) scored his second goal of the game as he blasted it past Mallard netminder David Brown. The Mallards closed the second period with two straight tallies to tie the game at three. The first came from Jeremy Boyer on a five-on-three power play at 10:23. Quad City got the equalizer at 14:56 when Obi Aduba scored from the left circle. In the third, Jeremy Boyer gave Quad City its first lead of the game at 7:54. Wichita answered with three minutes remaining when Travis Wight (3) dipped into the zone, found a loose puck at the bottom of the right circle and tied the game at four. It was the second straight game between the two teams that was forced into overtime. The loss snaps a three-game win streak. The Thunder return home Saturday to face the Tulsa Oilers at 7:05 p.m. Saturday is Sonic Thunderdogs Birthday party and the kids run the show. Thunderdog and all his wacky mascot friends will be in attendance and a special retro Thunder jersey will be worn by the team. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Sat, 07 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1360.html#1337242266 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1360.html Moline, IL- The Wichita Thunder announced Friday that forward Matt Robinson has been selected to replace Alex Bourret as a reserve for the 2012 CHL All-Star Game. Robinson has found his stride as of late, scoring 22 points over the last two months (10g, 11a). The Surrey, BC native had a three-point outing (1g, 2a) in a victory over Fort Wayne on December 13th. He followed that up by scoring in three-straight games over the holidays against Tulsa, Quad City and Missouri. Robinson has 25 points (12g, 13a) this season and is a +10. Last year, Robinson led Wichita in scoring after coming over in a trade from Laredo. In 57 games with the Thunder, Robinson had a team-high 39 goals. He had arguably his best season as a professional, totaling 72 points (40g, 32a) and was named the Thunder's 2011 Most Valuable Player. This will be Robinson's second consecutive trip to the All-Star Game as he was Wichita's only representative a year ago and had a hat trick in the game. Alex Bourret was called-up yesterday to the Worcester Sharks of the AHL, giving Robinson the opportunity to represent Wichita at the league's annual event. The 2012 CHL All-Star Game is scheduled for Wednesday, January 11, 2012 in Prescott Valley, Arizona at Tims Toyota Center. The games format will feature the host Arizona Sundogs taking on a team of CHL All-Stars. The starters and reserves were determined by voting from CHL coaches, CHL Communications staff members and broadcasters along with select media members from CHL markets. In other news, forwards Colin Hemingway and Chris Greene have been activated off IR and will be in the line-up tonight as Wichita takes on Quad City. The Thunder return home Saturday to face the Tulsa Oilers at 7:05 p.m. Saturday is Sonic Thunderdogs Birthday party and the kids run the show. Thunderdog and all his wacky mascot friends will be in attendance and a special retro Thunder jersey will be worn by the team. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1359.html#1337242267 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1359.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder announced Thursday that forward Alex Bourret has been selected as the Sher-Wood/CHL Player of the Month for December and has also been called-up to the Worcester Sharks of the American Hockey League. Bourret had a tremendous month, scoring 23 points (9g, 14a) and had a four-point performance in Wichita's overtime win at Texas on December 18th. The Drummondville, PQ native scored on a penalty shot against the Brahmas on December 9th and was also a +9 during December. Bourret is currently tied for fourth-place in scoring with 39 points (13g, 26a) and has scored in 10 of his last 11 games. He had a nine-game point streak and a four-game goal scoring streak snapped this past Friday against Texas. Bourret was recently named as a reserve to the 2012 CHL All-Star Game and leads the team with 11 multi-point games including seven games where he scored three or more. Bourret was a first round draft pick of the Atlanta Thrashers in 2005, selected 16th overall. The seven-year pro spent his first four seasons of his career in the AHL, splitting time with Chicago, Hartford and San Antonio. He totaled 97 points in 170 games with his last appearance back in 2008-09. In his first professional season in 2005-06, Bourret played with the Chicago Wolves, contributing 32 points in 45 games, tallying 11 goals and 21 assists. This is Bourret's first league award this season. Wichita has claimed two of the three monthly honors as Matt Summers won player of the month back in October. Wichita heads to Moline, Il for the second time this season to take on the Quad City Mallards Friday before returning home to face the Tulsa Oilers. Saturday is Sonic Thunderdogs Birthday party and the kids run the show. Thunderdog and all his wacky mascot friends will be in attendance and a special retro Thunder jersey will be worn by the team. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1358.html#1337242268 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1358.html THREES A CHARM- Looking to get back on track, Wichita started out the week with a dominating performance against the Missouri Mavericks this past Tuesday. Adam Russo stopped all 20 shots he faced and earned his second shutout of the season as the Thunder blanked its border rival, 5-0. Five different players found the back of the net including Chris Chappell, who scored his first of the season. On Friday night, Wichita was short a defenseman as Andrew Martens was called up to the Oklahoma City Barons of the AHL. Despite only playing with five defenseman and losing forward Alex Bourret in the first period due to an aggressor misconduct, Wichita was able to skate by the Texas Brahmas, 4-3. The next night on New Years Eve, the Thunder won a high-scoring affair against the Evansville IceMen, 7-5, as Matt Summers scored three times and had an assist in the come-from-behind victory. Wichita trailed three separate times but managed to score three unanswered in the final period to end 2011 on a high note. Wichita is now on a three-game winning streak and continues to lead the Berry Conference by one point over Allen. PLAYER OF THE WEEK-Matt Summers was selected as the Oakley CHL Player of the Week for his performance in Wichitas three wins. Summers finished the week with eight points and was a +7. He scored in all three games including a hat trick and an assist against Evansville on New Years Eve. The Savage, MN native ended up scoring six goals and two assists while earning his second league honor. He was selected as the Player of the Month in October. Overall, Summers has 22 points (12g, 10a) and is riding a three-game goal scoring streak. TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN- 12-year veteran Daniel Tetrault reached the summit for a Thunder defenseman. Tetrault (170) broke former Thunder defenseman Sean OReillys record (169) this past Friday against Texas and now is the all-time leading scorer by a defenseman in franchise history. Tetrault assisted on Wichitas fourth goal scored by Matt Summers at the 6:37 mark of the third period. OReilly put up those numbers in 311 games from 1997-02, while Tetrault performed the feat in less time, playing in 265 games in a Thunder uniform. HOME ICE ADVANTAGE- Through 17 home games, Wichita leads the league with 14 wins on home ice. Traditionally, Wichita has been strong in the Air Capital, going 346-233-58 all-time. Wichita is tied for the league-lead in wins (20) and is second in winning percentage (.707). Wichita has outscored its opponents 59 to 38 at home this season. NEXT LEVEL- Andrew Martens had an adventurous week. He was named as a starter for the 2012 CHL All-Star Game this past Wednesday and an hour later, received a call-up from the Oklahoma City Barons of the American Hockey League. Despite missing the last two games, Martens (8g, 14a) remains in a first-place tie with Tulsas Jeff Terminesi (5g, 17a) and Sean Erickson (7g, 15a) for scoring by a defenseman with 22 points. The Friendswood, TX native leads the league in plus/minus (+20) while teammate Jarred Mohr is in second (+17). SECONDARY SCORING- The Thunder got a huge outing from Summers, RG Flath and Chris Chappell this past Saturday. The three combined for four goals and five helpers while going +11. Flath had one goal, two assists and was a +6, a CHL-best for plus/minus in a single game. Chappell added two assists while scoring in consecutive games earlier in the week. THUNDERBOLTS Wichita leads the league in goals scored (107), second in goals per game (3.69) and fourth in goals against per contest (2.90) Wichita is first in shots allowed (26.90/game) and has given up a CHL-low 229 shots in the third period Wichita is tied for third with six shorthanded goals The Thunder power play away from home is ranked second, going 14-for-58 at a clip of 24.1%... Adam Russo is in third in GAA (2.44), tied for second in wins (14), tied for second in shutout wins (2), first in shootout wins (3) and third in minutes played (1157:16) Aaron Davis is tied for first in game-winning goals (6) Matt Summers is in first in shooting percentage (.400) Erick Lizon leads the league in majors (10) Davis is tied for third place in shots (130) and Beauregard is right behind him in fourth place (120) In one-goal games, Wichita is 9-3-1 When leading after one, The Thunder is 8-3-0 Tied after two periods, Wichita is 7-2-1 When outshooting the opponent, Wichita is 12-3-0 The Thunder is 9-2-1 against teams from the Turner Conference while going 11-6-0 in division Through 17 home games, Wichita sits in second overall in attendance, averaging 5,637. UPCOMING WEEK- Wichita heads to Moline, Il for the second time this season to take on the Quad City Mallards Friday before returning home to face the Tulsa Oilers. Saturday is Sonic Thunderdogs Birthday party and the kids run the show. Thunderdog and all his wacky mascot friends will be in attendance and a special retro Thunder jersey will be worn by the team. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1357.html#1337242269 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1357.html Wichita, KS- The Central Hockey League (CHL) today named Matt Summers as the Oakley CHL Player of the Week. Summers played a huge part in all three Thunder wins last week, notching six goals and two assists. Summers started his big week on Tuesday, picking up a goal and an assist in a 5-0 win over Missouri. On Friday night, Summers notched two goals in a 4-3 home win over Texas. Summers completed the week with a hat trick and an assist in a 7-5 road victory over the Evansville IceMen. Summers now has 12 goals and 22 points in 20 games for the first place Thunder, who have won three in a row. Wichita returns to action on Friday at the Quad City Mallards, before returning home to host the Tulsa Oilers on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. For tickets call 755-SEAT or go to . In other news, the Thunder today traded forward Robin Richards to the Dayton Gems. Richards played just three games for the Thunder this season. For more information visit our website at . -THUNDER- Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1356.html#1337242270 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1356.html Evansville, IN-Matt Summers scored a goal in each period and Thomas Beauregard tallied the game winner with three minutes left to give Wichita (20-8-1) a 7-5 win against the Evansville IceMen (15-9-2) at the Ford Center Saturday night on New Year's Eve. Nick Schneider scored the first goal at 9:46 to give Evansville a 1-0 lead. Matt Summers (10) answered for the Thunder to tie the game at one just 30 seconds later. The Icemen regained the lead with a pair of power play goals, the first coming from Brian Bicek at 11:26 to make it 2-1. Todd Robinson added another one for Evansville on the man advantage two minutes later to make it 3-1. Thomas Beauregard (14) cut into the IceMen lead with a goal at 19:19 to make it 3-2 on a beautifully executed three-on-two. In the second period, Wichita scored two goals just nine seconds apart to take its first lead of the game. The first came from RG Flath at 4:32 when he tipped in a Kevin Seibel shot from the blue line to tie the game at three. At 4:41, Chris Chappell won a face-off, dished it off to Summers (11) and he buried it to give Wichita a 4-3 lead. Four minutes later, Brian Bicek tied the game when he stole the puck at his own blue line, raced down all alone and scored a shorthanded goal to even things up at four. Evansville's Malcolm Gwilliam scored at 3:41 of the third period to give the IceMen a 5-4 lead. Wichita scored the next three as Summers (12) notched the hat trick at 13:07 to tie the game at five as he came in on the rush, faked a pass and put it in the back of the net. Beauregard (15) gave Wichita the lead for good at 17:29 as he came along the goal line and muscled the puck past IceMen goalie Bryan Gillis. Aaron Davis (13) got pulled down on a break-a-way as he was looking for an empty net and was awarded the goal to give Wichita a 7-5 win. The Thunder have won their last three and improved to 9-2-1 against the Turner Conference. Wichita remains one point ahead of Allen in first place in the Berry Conference. Wichita will travel to Quad City for its first game of 2012 this upcoming Friday before returning home on Saturday, January 7th against Tulsa. For tickets to that game against the Oilers, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at -Thunder- Sat, 31 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1355.html#1337242271 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1355.html Wichita, KS- The Central Hockey League announced Thursday that Wichita Thunder forward Alex Bourret has been selected as a reserve to the 2012 CHL All-Star team. The Drummondville, PQ native has been tremendous this season for the Thunder. Bourret is currently riding a nine-game point streak and a four-game goal scoring streak. During the month of December, he has scored 22 points (9g, 13a=22) in 12 games including a four-point performance on December 18th against Texas. Bourret has scored in every game this month except one and sits in second place in scoring behind Rapid Citys Jesse Schultz with 38 points. The seven-year pro was a first round pick of the Atlanta Thrashers in 2005, selected 16th overall and is in his first season in Wichita. Last season, Bourret played for the Ontario Reign of the ECHL where he scored 37 points (12g, 25a). Bourret spent his first four years of his pro career in the American Hockey League. He split time with Chicago, Hartford and San Antonio, totaling 97 points in 170 games. Bourret joins teammate Andrew Martens, who was named a starter Wednesday. Both players will be making their first appearance in the CHLs annual event. The 2012 CHL All-Star Game is scheduled for Wednesday, January 11, 2012 in Prescott Valley, Arizona at Tims Toyota Center. The games format will feature the host Arizona Sundogs taking on a team of CHL All-Stars. The starters and reserveswere determined by voting from CHL coaches, CHL Communications staff members and broadcasters along with select media members from CHL markets. 2012 CHL All-Star Starters F- Bruce Graham, Allen F- Jesse Schultz, Rapid City F- Brandon Marino, Quad City D- Andrew Martens, Wichita D- Jeff Terminesi, Tulsa G- Nick Boucher, Fort Wayne 2012 CHL All-Star Reserves D- Aaron Dawson, Bloomington D- Matt Gens, Evansville D- Dylan King, Allen D- Adam Rivet, Laredo D- Riley Weselowski, Rapid City F- Alex Bourret, Wichita F- Andrew Courtney, Missouri F- Aaron Lee, Rio Grande Valley F- Brett Lutes, Dayton F- Todd Robinson, Evansville F- Brett Smith, Fort Wayne G- Marco Cousineau, Allen G- Mark Guggenberger, Texas Wichita returns to action on Friday night when they host the Texas Brahmas and then head to Evansville the following night to face the IceMen on New Year's Eve. For tickets to Friday's game against the Brahmas, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at -Thunder- Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1351.html#1337242272 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1351.html Wichita, KS- Despite being shorthanded for much of Friday night's affair with the Texas Brahmas (14-10-6), Wichita (19-8-1) got a two-goal outing from Matt Summers and held on for the 4-3 victory at INTRUST Bank Arena in front of 6,217. The win coupled with an Allen overtime loss moves Wichita into first place in the Berry Conference with 39 points. Defenseman Daniel Tetrault reached a milestone with an assist in the third period as he overtook Sean O'Reilly for the franchise lead in scoring by a defenseman. Texas got on the board first at 4:24 of the first period when Adam Hogg caught a pass on the far side of the net and beat Wichita netminder Adam Russo to give the Brahmas a 1-0 lead. Just over a minute later, Matt Summers (8) answered for Wichita when he won a face-off and snapped it past Brahmas goalie Mark Guggenberger to tie the game at one. Alex Bourret, who was named to the All-Star team this past Wednesday, received 27 minutes in penalties after instigating a fight with Dan Nicholls right before the end of the first period. With Andrew Martens already out of the line-up down in Oklahoma City of the AHL, Bourret was lost for the rest of the game. Brett Hemingway (11) scored his second in two games as he stayed with a rebound and gave Wichita a 2-1 lead at 3:36 of the second period. The Brahmas answered off a face-off at 9:48 as Erik Spady tied the game at two. Three minutes later, Chris Chappell (2) gave the Thunder a 3-2 lead when he skated in behind the net and wrapped it past Guggenberger for his second in two games. In the third, Matt Summers (9) added his second of the contest when he collected a fumbled pass at the Brahmas blue line and roofed it under the cross bar to increase the Thunder lead to 4-2. Daniel Tetrault was awarded an assist on the goal, which puts him in first-place for scoring by a defenseman in Wichita Thunder history with 170 points. Chad Woollard added a late goal for Texas, but Wichita held on for a 4-3 win. Wichita is now 14-3at homeand leads the league with 19 wins. Wichita is on the road the next two games before returning home on Saturday, January 7th against Tulsa. The Thunder heads to Evansville tomorrow night to face the IceMen on New Year's Eve. For tickets to that game against the Oilers, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at -Thunder- Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1353.html#1337242273 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1353.html Check out the highlights from Friday night's win against Texas Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1354.html#1337242274 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1354.html Wichita, KS- An hour after being named a starter on the 2012 CHL All-Star team, the Wichita Thunder announced that defenseman Andrew Martens has been called-up to the AHLs Oklahoma City Barons. Martens will be in uniform tonight when the Barons host the Rochester Americans. The Friendswood, TX native has been a model of consistency for Wichita this season and was the top vote getter as he appeared on 35 ballots. Martens is tied for the lead in scoring by defensemen (8g, 14a=22) and leads the league in plus/minus (+20). Martens has collected five points in his last five games including a two-goal performance against Quad City this past Friday. The seven-year pro is in his second season in Wichita, recording 54 points in 65 games played a year ago. Martens was named the CHLs Most Outstanding Defenseman last season and also was named to the 2011 All-CHL Team. He was the first Thunder player named to the All-CHL team since Travis Clayton and Paul Esdale earned that honor in 2005. Martens is just eight points away from recording 30 points or more in six consecutive seasons. Before turning pro in 2006, Martens played three years of college hockey at Bemidji State University. Last season, Martens earned a call-up to the AHLs Lake Erie Monsters and also saw extensive time back in 2008-09 with Manitoba and Toronto. The 2012 CHL All-Star Game is scheduled for Wednesday, January 11, 2012 in Prescott Valley, Arizona at Tims Toyota Center. The games format will feature the host Arizona Sundogs taking on a team of CHL All-Stars. The starters were determined by voting from CHL coaches, CHL Communications staff members and broadcasters along with select media members from CHL markets. 2012 CHL All-Star Starters F- Bruce Graham, Allen F- Jesse Schultz, Rapid City F- Brandon Marino, Quad City D- Andrew Martens, Wichita D- Jeff Terminesi, Tulsa G- Nick Boucher, Fort Wayne Wichita will have a couple of days off before returning to action on Friday night when they host the Texas Brahmas and then head to Evansville the following night to face the IceMen on New Year's Eve. For tickets to Friday's game against the Brahmas, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1350.html#1337242275 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1350.html by Taylor Eldridge Wichita Eagle It's been a little over a decade since he got his start in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, but Wichita Thunder forward Thomas Beauregard still remembers another 13-year-old boy, the best in the province. "He was bigger than everybody else," Beauregard recalled. "He was faster than everybody else. I just remember him because of how much everybody was talking about him. Twelve years have passed since Beauregard competed head-to-head with Quebec's next big thing. Now he finds himself not only playing on the same team, but on the same line with Alex Bourret. To read more, click Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1352.html#1337242276 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1352.html Check out the Highlights of Wichita's dismantling of the Mavericks . Wed, 28 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1349.html#1337242277 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1349.html Wichita, KS- Adam Russo earned his second-consecutive shutout on home iceand his sixth of his professional career as Wichita (18-8-1) blew past Missouri (12-11-3) 5-0 on Tuesday night in front of 6,114 fans at INTRUST Bank Arena. With the win, Wichita moves into a first-place tie with Allen atop the Berry Conference standings with 37 points. Matt Robinson (12) broke a scoreless tie at the 9:12 mark of the second period as he stayed with a loose puck in front of the net and flopped it over Maverick netminder Charlie Effinger to give Wichita a 1-0 lead. Just over four minutes later, Brett Hemingway (10) made it 2-0 when Aaron Davis sent a saucer pass towards the back post and Hemingway picked it out of the air and into the net. Wichita now has five players with 10 or more goals. In the third period, the Mavericks had a goal disallowed when it hit the referee's skate in the neutral zone and Wichita capitalized. Alex Bourret (13) extended a couple of scoring streaks as he caught a Thomas Beauregard pass at the red line, went down on a two-on-one and sniped it past Effinger to make it 3-0. Bourret, who added an assist in the game, now has a nine-game point streak and a four-game goal scoring streak. Matt Summers (7) made it 4-0 at 10:59 as he followed up the play and banged home a rebound. Chris Chappell got into the act when he scored his first of the season to make it 5-0 at 16:14. Russo shut the door in the final four minutes and shutout his opponent for the second straight game on home ice. Russo earned his first shutout of the season against Rio Grande Valley on December 17th, 4-0. Russo has been in net for 11 of the Thunder's 13 wins at home and sits in third place in the CHL with 13 wins. Wichita improved to 4-1 against Missouri this season and handed the Mavericks their first shutout of the year. The last time Missouri had been kept off the scoreboard dates back to last season when Wichita beat Missouri 4-0 on January 22, 2011. Wichita will have a couple of days off before returning to action on Friday night when they host the Texas Brahmas and then head to Evansville the following night to face the IceMen on New Year's Eve. For tickets to Friday's game against the Brahmas, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at -Thunder- Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1348.html#1337242278 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1348.html THUNDER SALVAGE 1 - Wichita hit the road for the final two games of its three-game road swing this past week. On Friday night, The Thunder made a visit to Adam Russos old stomping grounds in Moline, IL. Wichita fell behind three separate times to Quad City, but managed to send the game into overtime as Andrew Martens scored with a little over three minutes remaining in regulation. After five minutes of an overtime session, Wichita put its undefeated record on the line in the shootout (4-0) for the first time since November 5th (@ Missouri). Brandon Marino scored for Quad City in round three, but Matt Summers tied it for the Thunder in round five and the two teams went to extra shooters. Mickey Lang scored in round six for the Mallards while Aaron Davis was denied by Quad City goalie David Brown to give the Mallards a 5-4 win. It was the first loss for the Thunder this season in a shootout, but Wichita did earn a point and moved within two of Allen for first-place in the Berry Conference. On Sunday night, Wichita traveled to Tulsa for the second-consecutive year on Christmas to face the Oilers. Wichita jumped out to a 2-0 lead as Alex Bourret (12) and Matt Robinson (11) scored for the Thunder. However, Wichita gave up four goals in the third period as the Oilers scored three times in a span of three minutes and won 5-2. It was the Thunders final trip to Tulsa this season as the final three meetings will be in the Air Capital. RED HOT- Alex Bourret has been tremendous for Wichita this season. Currently, the Drummondville, PQ native is riding an eight-game point scoring streak (7g, 9a=16) and a three-game goal scoring streak as he added a goal in both games over the weekend. Bourret sits alone in second-place behind Rapid Citys Jesse Schultz for the scoring lead with 36 points (12g, 24a). HOME ICE ADVANTAGE- Through 15 home games, Wichita leads the league with 12 wins on home ice. Traditionally, Wichita has been strong in the Air Capital, going 344-233-57 all-time. Wichita also leads the league with 17 wins and is in third in winning percentage (.673). Wichita has outscored its opponents 51 to 35 at home this season. TAKING THE LEAD- Andrew Martens had a productive weekend for the Thunder. With Daniel Tetrault out of the line-up, Martens logged a lot of ice time and took advantage. On Friday night, Martens (8g, 14a) scored twice for the first time this season and moved into a first-place tie with Tulsas Jeff Terminesi (5g, 17a) for scoring by a defenseman with 22 points. The Friendswood, TX native also sits in second overall in plus/minus (+17) while teammate Jarred Mohr is in third (+15). BACK IN THE LINE-UP- 12-year veteran Daniel Tetrault is close to reaching the top of the mountain for a Thunder defenseman. Tetrault tied former Thunder defenseman Sean OReilly for the franchise lead (169) on Tuesday December 13th against Fort Wayne. Tetrault assisted on Wichitas third goal scored by Matt Robinson at the 13:11 mark of the second period. OReilly played 311 games from 1997-02, while Tetrault has played 263 games in a Thunder uniform. Tetrault returned to the line-up this past Sunday against Tulsa after missing four straight games with an injury. THUNDERBOLTS Wichita is averaging 3.50 goals per contest while giving up 2.92 goals per game, both good for fifth in the CHL Wichita is first overall in shots allowed (27.08/game) and has given up a CHL-low 212 shots in the third period Wichita is tied for third with six shorthanded goals The Thunder power play away from home is ranked second overall, going 14-for-55 at a clip of 25.5%... Adam Russo is tied for third in GAA (2.55), third in wins (12), first in shootout wins (3) and third in minutes played (1037:16) Aaron Davis is first in the CHL in game winning goals (6) Matt Summers is tied for first in shooting percentage (.261) Erick Lizon is tied for the league-lead in majors (8) Davis is in fourth place in shots (116) and Beauregard is right behind him in fifth place (108) In one-goal games, Wichita is 8-3-1 When leading after one, The Thunder is 8-3-0 Tied after two periods, Wichita is 6-2-1 When outshooting the opponent, Wichita is 11-3-0 The Thunder is 7-2-1 against teams from the Turner Conference while going 10-6-0 in division Through 15 home games, Wichita sits in second overall in attendance, averaging 5,566. UPCOMING WEEK- Wichita returns home for two games this upcoming week as the Missouri Mavericks ride into town on Tuesday night. On Friday, Wichita will host the Texas Brahmas before hitting the road on New Years Eve the following night to take on the Evansville IceMen. Tuesday night is Sponsors in Wonderland, where everything in the arena from the Zamboni wheels to the pretzels at the concession stand will be sponsored! Friday is Power 93.9 Facebook Friday. Fans who join Power 93.9s Facebook page will receive discounted tickets to the game. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Mon, 26 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1346.html#1337242279 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1346.html by Jeffrey Lutz Wichita Eagle The Thunder has spent much of the season going back-and-forth with Allen for first place in the Central Hockey League's Berry Conference. Coach Kevin McClelland doesn't see that ending anytime soon.Wichita was unable to create separation during a recent five-game winning streak. But the Thunder hasn't lost ground to Allen in losing its last two games. Allen leads the conference by two points, but Wichita owns a league-best 17 wins. "You look at the remaining schedule for both teams, it's going to be very difficult," McClelland said. "We're going to have to really play good. We have a lot of quality games and teams left on our schedule. I don't think we really play many sub- .500 teams the rest of the year." To read the rest of the article, click Mon, 26 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1347.html#1337242280 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1347.html The Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League is pleased to announce today the launch of an application for fans to use on their IPhones. With the help of Squid Ink Creative, fans can now have all the information about the teamin the palm of their hands and with the touch of a button. The Wichita Thunder app isnow live in the Apple iTunes store for free download. The app includes full team schedule, link to Select-A-Seat website, Twitter news feed, full team roster, team info, seating chart and mapof INTRUST Bank Arena. The Thunder remain on the road for the next two games. Tonight, Wichita travels to Moline, Il for the first time this season to face the Quad City Mallards at 7:05pm. On Christmas Day, Wichita heads to Tulsa for the second consecutive year to meet the Oilers at 7:05pm. The Thunders next home game is Tuesday, December 27th against rival Missouri. For tickets to that game against the Mavericks, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at. For ticket information, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at -Thunder- Sun, 25 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1343.html#1337242281 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1343.html Tulsa, OK- Wichita (17-8-1) was unable to sustain a 2-0 lead and the Tulsa Oilers (15-9-2) scored four third-period goals en route to a 5-2 win on Sunday night at the BOK Center. Tulsa scored the final five of the contest and won for the second consecutive year on Christmas. Despite the loss, Wichita remains two points back of Allen for first place in the Berry Conference. Alex Bourret (12) continued on his red-hot pace as he put Wichita up 1-0 at 1:32 of the first period. Kevin Seibel stole the puck in his own end, found Bourret up on a two-on-one and fired a laser from the right circle over the glove of Tulsa netminder Ian Keserich to extend his point scoring streak to eight games. Matt Robinson (11) extended the Thunder lead to 2-0 in the second period after he caught the puck with his left hand, settled it down on the ice and beat Keserich over the shoulder with a wrist shot from the right circle. Just 25 seconds later, Tulsa got on the board with a Mike Ullrich goal that cut the lead to 2-1. In the third period, Tulsa scored three in a three minute span, including two tallies from Ryan Raven and won going away 5-2. The Thunder is 2-4 at the BOK Center this season. The final three games of the season series are in Wichita, with the next being on January 7th. Wichita returns home Tuesday, December 27th to face rival, Missouri at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday is Sponsors in Wonderland Night, where everything from the zamboni wheels to the pretzels from the concession stand will be sponsored. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at -Thunder- Sun, 25 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1345.html#1337242282 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1345.html by Bob Lutz Wichita Eagle Veteran defenseman Daniel Tetrault is going crazier with each Wichita Thunder game he misses with a groin and abdomen injury. When the Thunder boarded a bus for Moline, Ill., on Thursday to play the Quad City Mallards tonight, Tetrault so wished he could climb aboard. And that's after 700-plus games as a minor-league hockey player, where buses are as much a part of life as skates and pucks. That's at the age of 32, where so many hockey players can count their money faster than they can count their busted up body parts. "It can be a tough grind,'' said Tetrault, who through 21 games with the Thunder this season has five goals and nine assists. "But I play strictly for the love of the game. The long road trips don't even bother me. I know a lot of players who play in the CHL or some other league for a couple of years and get sick of it and just quit. But I just love going to the rink. I'm the first one there and the last one to leave. To read more, -Thunder- Sat, 24 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1342.html#1337242283 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1342.html Moline, IL- Mickey Lang ended a six-round shootout to give Quad City (14-10-1) a 5-4 win against Wichita (17-7-1) at the I-Wireless Center Friday Night. The Thunder remain two points back of Allen for the top spot in the Berry Conference and have played one less game than the Americans. Lang struck first for Quad City as he capitalized on a weird bounce that came in front of the Thunder net to give the Mallards a 1-0 lead. For the first time in three games, Wichita gave up the first goal. In the second period, Wichita fell behind 2-0 just 27 seconds in when Jeremy Boyer (4) stole the puck in the defensive zone, came down on a two-on-one and scored a shorthanded goal to push the Mallard lead to 2-0. It was the first shorthanded goal allowed by Wichita this season. However, Wichita answered 50 seconds later with a power play goal to cut the lead to 2-1 when Kevin Seibel fired a shot on net and the bouncing puck was knocked over the line by Matt Robinson (10). Andrew Martens (7) tied the game at 3:25 as he went coast-to-coast, took a shot from the high slot that bounced off Mallards goalie David Brown and in the net to make it 2-2. It didn't take long for the Mallards to answer as Brandon Marino (15) made it 3-2 at 7:27 of the second period. At 16:58, Alex Bourret (11) tied the game at three with a power play goal as he caught a pass in the left circle and beat Brown to extend his point scoring streak toseven games. The Mallards took the lead in the third period at 13:54 when Jared Brown (10) fired a low shot that got through and put the Mallards up 4-3. However, Wichita tied the game just four minutes later off a face-off. Aaron Davis won the draw, gave it back to Jarred Mohr, who then fed it over to Andrew Martens (8) and his one-timer beat Brown for his second of the game. After deciding 17-straight games in regulation, Wichita would be forced into an extra session for the second consecutive game. After a five-minute scoreless overtime, Wichita headed to its first shootout since November 5th in Missouri. Trailing 1-0 entering the final shooter,Matt Summers scored in round five to send it to extra shooters tied at one. In round six, Lang scored to give the Mallards the lead and Brown stopped Aaron Davis to give Quad City a 5-4 win. It was Wichita's first loss in a shootout this season and ended the Thunder's winning streak at five. Wichita closes out a three-game road swing in Tulsa on Christmas Day against the Oilers before returning home Tuesday, December 27th to face rival, Missouri. For tickets to that game against the Mavericks, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at -Thunder- Sat, 24 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1344.html#1337242284 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1344.html Wichita, KS- The Central Hockey League announced today that the Thunders Adam Russo has been named the Oakley CHL Goaltender of the Week for the period ending December 18, 2011. This is Russos second time winning the award, with the first coming the week ending November 27th. The Montreal, PQ native was spectacular this past week, going 3-0-0 and earned his fifth professional shutout on Saturday against Rio Grande Valley. Russo stopped 72 of 76 shots (.947 save percentage) and a mere 1.33 GAA, which is almost identical to the numbers that won him the award back in November. Russo'shonor gives Wichita a clean sweep in the weekly CHL award given to player and goaltender of the week. Russo started out the week with a 5-3 win against the Fort Wayne Komets, stopping 24 of 27 shots he faced. Russo followed up that performance with a pair of wins against Rio Grande Valley on Friday and Saturday, stopping 48 of 49 shots and helped Wichita climb back into a first place tie with the Allen Americans atop the Berry Conference. In Saturday nights 3-0 win, Russo added an assist in the third period to cap off his first shutout of the season for the Thunder. Overall, Russo is 12-4-0 and is riding a four game winning streak. He isthird in GAA (2.47), fourth in the league in minutes played (972:16) and tied for second in wins (12). Russo has collected 10 of the 12 home wins for the Thunder, which leads the league for wins on home ice. He has played a huge part in catapulting Wichita to a 17-7-0 record and a first place tie with Allen with 34 points. The Thunder remain on the road for the next two games. On Friday, Wichita will travel to Moline, Il for the first time this season to face the Quad City Mallards at 7:05pm. On Christmas Day, Wichita heads to Tulsa for the second consecutive year to meet the Oilers at 7:05pm. The Thunders next home game is Tuesday, December 27th against rival Missouri. For tickets to that game against the Mavericks, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at. For ticket information, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at -Thunder- Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1341.html#1337242285 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1341.html Wichita, KS - The Central Hockey League announced today that the Thunders Thomas Beauregard has been named the Oakley CHL Player of the Week for the period ending December 18, 2011. The Montreal, PQ native was outstanding this past week, scoring nine points (5g, 4a) in four games including the game-winning goal against Fort Wayne this past Tuesday. On Friday, Beauregard assisted on Matt Summers goal to put Wichita up by two against Rio Grande Valley and added an empty-netter as Wichita won 4-1. The following night, Beauregard scored twice, once in the second and once in the third period as the Thunder blanked the Killer Bees 3-0. If that wasnt enough, Beauregard notched three points on Sunday afternoon in Texas including an assist on the game-winner in overtime that hit off Aaron Davis with nine seconds remaining to give Wichita a 4-3 win. Beauregard is currently riding a six game point streak, scoring 12 points (5g. 7a) in that span and extended his multi-point scoring streak to five games. Beauregard is tied for third in the CHL with 13 goals and tied for fifth in scoring with 29 points (13g, 16a). Playing alongside Alex Bourret, who is also riding a six game point streak, the pair has combined for 26 points during that span. The Thunder remain on the road for the next two games. On Friday, Wichita will travel to Moline, Il for the first time this season to face the Quad City Mallards at 7:05pm. On Christmas Day, Wichita heads to Tulsa for the second consecutive year to meet the Oilers at 7:05pm. The Thunders next home game is Tuesday, December 27th against rival Missouri. For tickets to that game against the Mavericks, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at. For ticket information, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1339.html#1337242286 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1339.html THUNDER TAKE EIGHT-This past week was by far the most productive of the season for the Thunder. After losing two straight the previous week, the Thunder stormed back with four victories in six days. On Tuesday night, Wichita dug out of an early 2-0 hole with three answered goals in the second period and got the game winner from Thomas Beauregard midway through the third. Alex Bourret added two goals including an empty-netter to seal a 5-3 win. A few nights later, Wichita hosted Rio Grande Valley for a pair of games and completely shut down the short-handed Bees. The Thunder outscored Rio Grande Valley 7-1, winning 4-1 on Friday night and 3-0 on Saturday evening. In Friday nights win, the Thunder had four different goal scorers including Chris Greene netting his first of the season. On Saturday, Adam Russo stopped all 20 shots he faced en route to his first shutout of the season and fifth overall for his professional career. That performance overshadowed Thomas Beauregards two goal effort as Wichita scored a goal in each period and moved into a first place tie with Allen atop the Berry Conference standings. The next day, Wichita hit the road to face the Texas Brahmas, a team the Thunder has yet to beat on the road since coming back into the league in 2007. Before yesterday, Wichita was 0-7-0 at the NYTEX Sports Centre in North Richland Hills, TX. Each team traded goals in the first and second period, sending the game into overtime tied at three. It was the first time in 17 games for Wichita that a game wasnt decided in regulation. After a missed penalty shot in the extra session from Thomas Beauregard, the Thunder was awarded a one minute power play and took advantage of that opportunity. Aaron Davis redirected a Beauregard shot off of his shin pad and scored with nine seconds remaining to give Wichita its first overtime win of the year, 4-3, and first ever win at the NYTEX Sports Centre. The Thunder remain in a first place tie with Allen as both teams won on Sunday and have 34 points each. STREAK TO FIVE- With four wins this past week, Wichita pushed its winning streak to five games and earned eight points in the process. The previous season long winning streak was four games, dating back to the first two weekends of the season in which Wichita won three of those in a shootout. During that span, Wichita has outscored its opponents 18-8. HOME ICE ADVANTAGE- Through 15 home games, Wichita leads the league with 12 wins on home ice. Traditionally, Wichita has been strong in the Air Capital, going 344-233-57 all-time. Wichita also leads the league with 17 wins and is tied in first for winning percentage with Allen (.708). Wichita has outscored its opponents 51 to 35 at home this season. RUSS-0- Adam Russo was outstanding this past week. After a tough loss in Texas on December 9th, Russo has won his last four starts including three this past week. During that span, he stopped 91 of 96 shots he faced, good for a .948 SV% and 1.25 GAA. Overall, Russo is now inthird place with a 2.47 GAA, fourth in the league in minutes played (972:16) and tied for second in the CHL in wins (12). FRENCH CONNECTION- The French Canadian influence has certainly been felt this season. The duo of Alex Bourret and Thomas Beauregard have been on fire as of late, combining for 26 points in their last six games. Bourret has 14 points in that span (5g, 9a), including four multi-point games. Bourret had 11 points (3g, 8a) in four games this past week. During this streak, he has scored three points twice and four points this past Sunday in Texas. Bourret currently sits in second place in scoring with 34 points (10g, 24a), just two back of Rapid Citys Jesse Schultz for the league-lead. Beauregard has been spectacular as well, scoring 12 points (5g, 7a) during that span. Over the last four games, Beauregard hadnine points (5g, 4a) and extended his multi-point scoring streak to five. Beauregard is tied for third in the CHL with 13 goals and tied for fifth in scoring with 29 points (13g, 16a). SUMMIT ON HOLD- 12-year veteran Daniel Tetrault is close to reaching the top of the mountain for a Thunder defenseman. Tetrault tied former Thunder defenseman Sean OReilly for the franchise lead in most points scored by a Thunder defenseman (169) this past Tuesday against Fort Wayne. Tetrault assisted on Wichitas third goal scored by Matt Robinson at the 13:11 mark of the second period. OReilly played 311 games from 1997-02, while Tetrault has played 262 games in a Thunder uniform. Tetrault has missed the past three games due to an injury and there is no timetable for his return to the line-up. IMMEDIATE IMPACT- Newcomer RG Flath didnt take long to find the scoresheet. The Park City, UT native signed this past Saturday and added an assist in his debut. In two games, Flath has three points (1, 2) and found a home alongside Bourret and Beauregard this past Sunday in Wichitas overtime win in Texas. Flath is in his fifth professional season, spending time in Austin, Corpus Christi, Mississippi, Oklahoma City and Rapid City. Flath started the season overseas with Sheffield of the EIHL before returning state-side. For his career. Flath has played in 231 games, accumulating 129 points (60g, 69a). THUNDERBOLTS Wichita is averaging 3.54 goals a contest while giving up 2.75 goals a game, both good for fourth in the CHL Wichita is first overall in shots allowed (26.29/game), has given up a CHL-low 184 shots in the third period and is the only team under 200 shots in the third all year The Thunder has only allowed 18 goals against in the final period and is the only team in the league under 20 Wichita is tied for second with six shorthanded goals while being one of just two teams to not allow a goal shorthanded Jarred Mohr and Andrew Martens are tied for the CHL lead in plus/minus (+17) Aaron Davis is first in the CHL with six game winning goals Andrew Martens is in second place in scoring for defenseman (6g, 14a)Matt Summers is tied for first in shooting percentage (.286) Erick Lizon is tied for the league lead with eight majors Davis is in fourth place in shots (105) and Beauregard is right behind him in fifth place (104) In one goal games, Wichita is 8-3-0 When leading after one, The Thunder is 8-2-0 Tied after two periods, Wichita is 6-2-0 When outshooting the opponent, Wichita is 11-3-0 The Thunder is 7-2-0 against teams from the Turner Conference while going 10-5-0 in division Through 15 home games, Wichita sits in second overall in attendance, averaging 5,566. UPCOMING WEEK- The Thunder remain on the road for the next two games. On Friday, Wichita will travel to Moline, Il for the first time this season to face the Quad City Mallards at 7:05pm. Quad City is one of the hottest teams in the league, going 7-2-1 in their last 10 games. On Christmas Day, Wichita heads to Tulsa for the second consecutive year to meet the Oilers at 7:05pm. Historically, Wichita is 3-2-2 on Christmas Day and lost last season in Tulsa 6-5. This will be the third time Wichita and Tulsa meet on Christmas, with the first meeting dating all the way back to 1993-94, with Wichita winning at home 7-5. The Thunders next home game is Tuesday, December 27th against rival Missouri. For tickets to that game against the Mavericks, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1338.html#1337242287 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1338.html North Richland Hills, TX- Aaron Davis scored with :09.1 seconds left in overtime to give Wichita (17-7-0) a 4-3 win against the Texas Brahmas (12-8-5) at the NYTEX Sports Centre Sunday afternoon. Davis took the initial shot from Thomas Beauregard off his shin pad and redirected into the net to keep the Thunder in a first place tie with the Allen Americans with 34 points in the Berry Conference. Alex Bourret (10) scored five minutes into the game to get things started as he took a one-timer and pinged it off the cross bar to give Wichita a 1-0 lead. Bourret now has a six game point streat, scoring 14 points in that span (5g, 9a). Chad Woollard tied the game at 18:21 as he got behind the Wichita defense and beat Wichita starter Ryan MacDonald through the five hole. In the second period, Beauregard (13) gave Wichita a 2-1 lead as he collected a Bourret pass at the top of the right circle, skated in and beat Brahmas goalie Mark Guggenberger. Beauregard has scored in four of the last six and is currently riding a six game point streak, scoring 12 points (5 g, 7a). Newcomer RG Flath (1) scored a power play goal at the 10:56 mark to give Wichita a 3-1 lead. Bourret skated from the right corner, passed it back to the near side of the net for Flath where he found the back of the net. In his first two games since joining the team, Flath has 3 points (1g, 2a). Just over three minutes later, Texas cut the lead to one when Ross Rouleau put in his own rebound to make it 3-2. TJ Fox tied the game at three at 16:19 with a power play goal, catching a Chad Woollard pass across the ice on the left wing and scored his sixth of the season. For the first time in 17 games, Wichita was not able to decide the game in regulation and forced into overtime. Beauregard skated away from the Brahmas defense and was pulled down at 2:21 of the overtime, giving Wichita its fourth penalty shot of the season. Beauregard tried to go glove side on Guggenberger, but he was up to the task and kept the game tied. At 4:23, Ross Rouleau was called for slashing and Wichita capitalized. Beauregard's one-timer pinballed off Aaron Davis with nine seconds remaining and gave Wichita its first win in overtime this season, 4-3. With the win, Wichita has now won five straight and its first at the NYTEX Sports Centre since the Brahmas came back into the CHL in 2007. Previously, Wichita was 0-7-0 against Texas in their building. Bourret finished with four points whileBeauregard had three. The win kept Wichita in a first place tie with Allen at the top of the Berry Conference, closing out a busy week for the Thunder of four games in six days. The Thunder will play the next two games away fromthe Air Capitalbefore returning home December 27th against rival Missouri. For tickets to that game against the Mavericks, go to the INTRUST Bank Arena box office, call 755-SEAT or go to . -Thunder- Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1336.html#1337242288 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1336.html Check out the highlights from this weekend's pounding of the Killer Bees and . Sun, 18 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1337.html#1337242289 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1337.html Wichita, KS- Adam Russo upstaged fellow teammate Thomas Beauregard's two goal effort on Saturday night as the eight-year pro recorded his first shutout of the season, helping Wichita (16-7-0) beat Rio Grande Valley (10-10-4) at INTRUST Bank Arena, 3-0. Wichita has now won four straight, all on home ice and leads the league with 16 wins. Coupled with an Allen loss, Wichita moves into a first place tie with the Americans in the Berry Conference with 32 points. For the second straight night, Wichita got on the board first when Aaron Davis (11) caught a pass at the red line, came in on a two-on-one and snapped a shot past Rio Grande goaltender John Murray to make it 1-0. Davis was held without a point last night, but had a goal and two assists this past Tuesday against Fort Wayne. Thomas Beauregard (11) added to the Thunder lead in the second period at the 11 minute mark when Alex Bourret, who was denied on a breakaway seconds before, skated in and dished it off before he got caught by the defender. Beauregard quickly moved up into the play and put it by Murray to give Wichita a 2-0 lead. Wichita used the stretch pass a number of times in the second period as Bourret had another break, but his slap shot missed the net. Beauregard notched his second of the game in the third period at the 3:13 mark as newcomer RG Flath dished it off to Beauregard and beat Murray for his team leading 12th goal of the season. Adam Russo was able to hold the fort down the stretch and earned his fifth professional shutout, stopping 20 shots and his 12th win of the year, 3-0. Wichita ties its season-long winning streak at four, leads the league with 12home winsand hands the Killer Bees their eighth straight loss. The Thunder will travel down to Texas tomorrow afternoon to take on the Brahmas in North Richland Hills at 4pm. The Thunder will play the next three straight away from home before returning back to Wichita December 27th against rival Missouri. For tickets to that game against the Mavericks, go to the INTRUST Bank Arena box office, call 755-SEAT or go to . -Thunder- Sat, 17 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1335.html#1337242290 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1335.html by KOLLEN LONG The Wichita Eagle With an unruly mop of curly blonde hair and a clean-shaven face, young Alex Bourret slipped on the Atlanta Thrashers jersey with "05" on the back, a number representing 2005 the year he was taken in the first round of the National Hockey League draft. A gritty player who could skate, score and hit with surprising power for such a small, stocky winger, Bourret had been lauded in all the right places prior to the biggest night of his life July 30, 2005. Hockey's International Scouting Services proclaimed that "he is built like a tank, and hits like a truck." The Hockey News described him as "a skilled scoring machine." None other than hockey guru Bob McKenzie said Bourret "plays the game hard and with an edge, often to the point of being mean." Read More: Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1333.html#1337242291 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1333.html Wichita, KS- Behind four different goal scorers and a solid effort from all three lines, Wichita (15-7-0) beat the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (10-9-4) 4-1 Friday night at INTRUST Bank Arena. Wichita earned its league leading 11th win on home ice and kept the Killer Bees spiraling as they dropped their seventh straight. Chris Greene got things started for Wichita in the first period as Alex Bourret batted a loose puck into the slot and Greene banged it home for his first goal of the season. Wichita's third line played a sound game Tuesday night and was rewarded with a goal tonight. Despite playing a man short due to an injury to captain Daniel Tetrault, Wichita got off to a good start and is now 7-4-0 when scoring first. The Killer Bees answered in the second as David Marshall scored at the 1:47 mark to tie the game at one. Wichita was then presented with the first power play of the night and capitalized. Jarred Mohr (3) gave Wichita a 2-1 lead half way through the second period when he one-timed a Brett Hemingway pass through Rio Grande goalie Dan Dunn. Thomas Beauregard and Bourret, two of the Thunder's top scoring threats, were in the penalty box at the time.Mohr's goal wasWichita's seventh power play goal on home ice. Wichita went two-for-two with the man advantage as they would add another later in the game. Halfway through the third period, Matt Summers extended the Thunder lead to 3-1 as he hopped on a rebound, squeaked it through Dunn over the goal line before he was able to reach back with his catching mit. Coming into the game, Wichita was ranked dead last on the power play on home ice, but added two tonight and now have 18 power play goals overall for the season. Thomas Beauregard (10) added an empty net goal and Wichita claimed its 15th victory of the season with a 4-1 win. Wichita has won three straight, all on home ice and closes out its four game homestand Saturday evening. Wichita and Rio Grande Valley will square off again tomorrow night at 7:05pm before the Thunder head on the road to Texas to start a three game road swing. For tickets to Saturday's game against the Killer Bees, go to the INTRUST Bank Arena box office, call 755-SEAT or go to . Note: Kollen Long was honored during the pre-game ceremonies for his dedication to covering the Wichita Thunder for the Wichita Eagle, with Friday night being his last game on the Thunder Beat. Long has covered Wichita for 11 seasons for the Eagle. -Thunder- Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1334.html#1337242292 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1334.html Wichita, KS- Thomas Beauregard broke a tie game halfway through the third period, giving Wichita a 5-3 victory in a see-saw affair on Tuesday night at INTRUST Bank Arena against the Fort Wayne Komets. With the win, Wichita (14-7-0) moves within two points of the Allen Americans for first place in the Berry Conference while Fort Wayne (13-7-0) is still one point back of Evansville for first place in the Turner Conference. Fort Wayne jumped out to a 2-0 lead as Frankie DeAngelis found a rebound after a terrific save was made by Thunder netminder Adam Russo and scored his sixth of the season to make it 1-0. At 11:10, Chris Auger added to that lead whenthe puck took a weird bounce, found him in the slot and netted his 10th goal. Fort Wayne came into the game 8-1-0 leading after one period while Wichita was 4-3-0 trailing after one. Alex Bourret kick-started the Thunder in the second at 2:23 when his pass to the crease area ricocheted off a skate and through Komets goalie Nick Boucher, making it 2-1 Fort Wayne. Wichita tied the game at two as Matt Robinson dug a loose puck into the slot and Aaron Davis slammed it home at 8:08. A few minutes later, Robinson took a drop pass from Davis and blasted it past Boucher for Wichita's first lead of the game, 3-2. Robinson has scored seven goals in his last nine games. The Komets struck first in the third period at 7:59, as Tom Mele broke free from a scrum in the slot and beat Russo with a backhand to tie the game at three. Just over a minute later, Beauregard netted the game winning goal as he side stepped a defenseman in the slot, switched to his forehand and beat Boucher to give Wichita a 4-3 lead. Bourret added an empty net goal, his ninth on the year and the Thunder won 5-3. Bourret and Davis now lead the team with eight multi-point games while Adam Russo earned his 10th win of the season. Wichita finishes off the four game home stand this coming weekend as the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees fly into town for a pair of games, both at 7:05pm. Beginning Sunday in Texas, Wichita will head on the road for three straight. On Friday and Saturday, Santa Claus will be in attendence to take pictures on the concourse. For tickets to Friday's game against the Killer Bees, go to the INTRUST Bank Arena box office, call 755-SEAT or go to . -Thunder- Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1331.html#1337242293 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1331.html Check out the highlights from Tuesday's win over Fort Wayne . Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1332.html#1337242294 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1332.html THUNDER SALVAGE 2-Last week, Wichita traveled to the Dallas/Fort Worth area to take on the Allen Americans and the Texas Brahmas. Wichita has struggled on the road at both locations, going 0-13-0 against the two franchises. On Thursday in a battle for first place, Wichita jumped out to a 2-0 lead against Allen on the strength of two first period goals from Matt Robinson. Allen answered back with three straight goals before Justin Sawyer scored his first of the season, tying the game at three. Allen netted two power play goals in the final period to take a 5-3 win and moved three points ahead of the Thunder. On Friday night, Wichita visited the Texas Brahmas for the first time this season and for the second straight game couldnt hold onto a two goal lead. Alex Bourret scored on a penalty shot just 47 seconds into the first period and Kevin Seibel scored his first of the year to give Wichita a 2-0 advantage. The Brahmas then scored the next three, including the game winner with 48 seconds remaining in the third and held on for the 3-2 win. The two teams met on Saturday night in Wichita and the Thunder was able to salvage two out of a possible six points on the weekend, winning 2-1. Despite a season low seven shots through two periods, Matt Summers scored the game winner halfway through the third period and Wichita improved to 13-7-0 overall. FRENCH DIP- Alex Bourret has the knack of putting his name on the score-sheet. The Drummondville, PQ native added three more points over the weekend and leads the team with 23 (7g, 16a). Bourret and Aaron Davis are tied for the team lead with seven multi-point games. Bourret has scored three points four times and has been held without a point just six times all season. CLOSE TO THE SUMMIT- 12-year veteran Daniel Tetrault is close to reaching the top of the mountain for a Thunder defenseman. Tetrault is just one point shy (168) of former Thunder defenseman Sean OReilly for the franchise lead in most points scored by a Thunder defenseman. OReilly played 311 games from 1997-02, scoring 169 points during that span while Tetrault has played 261 games in a Thunder uniform. HOLDING THE FORT- Wichita netminder Adam Russo rebounded nicely Saturday night against Texas to earn his ninth win of the season. After allowing the game winner Friday night with less than a minute to go, Russo stood tall despite not being tested very often Saturday, making 19 of 20 saves. He made a tremendous glove save in the second period on a two-on-one as he came across the crease to keep the puck out of the net. Russo is in third place with nine wins, tied for sixth with a 2.73 GAA and in fifth place in minutes played, logging 792:16. MOST EXCITING PLAY IN HOCKEY- Alex Bourrets penalty shot goal was Wichitas first successful one this season. The Thunder has had three total this year, one from Aaron Davis and the other from Dustin Donaghy. The most penalty shots Wichita has had in one season dates back to last year with seven opportunities. Wichita has yet to have a penalty shot against this season. RESURGENCE- Matt Robinson has regained his scoring touch. After going nine games without a goal, Robinson (8g, 10a) scored two more on Thursday night. Robinson has scored in four of the last seven games and has registered a point in five of the last seven. Robinson led Wichita a year ago with 39 goals, which was a career high for the Surrey, BC native. SPECIAL TEAMS- Last week, Wichitas power play continued to struggle, going zero-for-10 in three games. Overall, Wichita is in 11th place in the CHL, going 16-for-93 and at a rate of 17.2%. The penalty killing unit allowed two goals to Allen, but was able to go a perfect six-for-six against Texas on Friday and Saturday night combined. The Thunder penalty kill is currently in 12th overall, killing off 73-of-94 chances, which is good for 77.7%. On home ice, Wichita has only allowed eight power play goals, killing off 37-of-48 chances and at a clip of 82.2%. THUNDERBOLTS Wichita is averaging 3.45 goalsper contest, good for fifth place Wichita is first overall in shots allowed (26.20/game) and has given up a CHL-low 156 shots in the third period all seasonThe Thunder has only allowed 17 goals against in the final periodWichita is tied for second with six shorthanded goals while being one of just two teams to not allow a goal shorthandedJarred Mohr leads the CHL in plus/minus (+17)Aaron Davis is second in the CHL with four game winning goals and fourth in the CHL in shots (87)Andrew Martens is in second place in scoring for defenseman (6g, 11a)Erick Lizon is tied for the league lead with seven majors In one goal games, Wichita is 7-3-0 When leading after one, The Thunder is 6-2-0 Tied after two periods, Wichita is 5-2-0When outshooting the opponent, Wichita is 9-3-0 The Thunder is 6-2-0 against teams from the Turner Conference while going 7-5-0 in division Through 12 home games, Wichita sits in second overall in attendance, averaging 5,679...Saturday's Teddy Bear Toss broke the Thunder record for amount of stuffed animals thrown onto the ice during the annualevent that helps put asmile on a childs face that might not have otherwise(1,684!) UPCOMING WEEK- Wichita begins a busy week with four games in six days. On Tuesday night, the Fort Wayne Komets come into town for the first time as the top two teams in attendance face each other at 7:05pm. The Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees fly into Wichita for a pair of games on Friday and Saturday, both at 7:05pm before Wichita hits the road to play in North Richland Hills, TX against the Brahmas on Sunday afternoon at 4pm. For ticket information, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1329.html#1337242295 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1329.html Check out the Highlights from Saturday's win over Texas . Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1328.html#1337242296 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1328.html Wichita, KS- Matt Summers was Wichita's hottest player in the first month of the season and Saturday night, his goal halfway through the third period broke a 1-1 tie with Texas to give the Thunder a 2-1 victory at INTRUST Bank Arena. The win propelled Wichita (13-7-0) back into second place one point ahead of Texas (11-6-3) in the Berry Conference. Wichita scored first for the third straight game as Alex Bourret came into the right wing corner, turned into the circle and let a shot go that pinballed off two skates and through Silverthorn to make it 1-0 Thunder. With that goal, the parade of teddy bears came flying down and play was interrupted for approximately 10 minutes. The final count was 1,684 bears, breaking Wichita's record for the annual Teddy Bear Toss. Chad Wollard tied the game at 4:20 of the third period when he found himself wide open on the left post and scored his ninth of the season. Wichita has yet to record a shutout this season, but Russo made some key saves down the stretch to keep his team in it and earned his ninth win of the season The game winner came at 10:32 when Andrew Martens was able to hold the blue line, sent it into the corner for Thomas Beauregard who then found Summers set up on the right hashmark and he roofed it to give Wichita a 2-1 lead. Russo made a key save with less than a minute left as a scrum ensued infront of his net and was able to keep it from crossing the line. Texas had pulled its goaltender, but it was too late and Wichita hung on to stop a two game losing skid. The win also snaps the Brahmas' four game winning streak and puts Wichita just four points shy of Allen in second place in the Berry Conference. Wichita returns to the ice on Tuesday night to host the Fort Wayne Komets at 7:05pm. Tuesday is Speedy Cash Buy-In Night. Head over to any Wichita Speedy Cash location and get a free upper level ticket. For tickets to Tuesday's game against the Komets, go to the INTRUST Bank Arena box office, call 755-SEAT or go to . -Thunder- Sun, 11 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1327.html#1337242297 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1327.html North Richland Hills, TX- For the second night in a row, Wichita was unable to hold onto a two goal lead and lost to the Texas Brahmas, 3-2 at the NYTEX Sports Centre Friday evening. Texas forward Kyle Howarth scored two goals in the final period, including the game winner with 48 seconds left. The loss is the second in a row for Wichita, dropping the Thunder to third place. Alex Bourret got things started just 47 seconds in when he was pulled down on a breakaway and was awarded a penalty shot. Bourret beat Brahmas netminder Mark Guggenberger through the five hole to give Wichita a 1-0 lead. Wichita had been unsuccessful on two previous penalty shots this season. Kevn Seibel added to Wichita's lead when he stepped up into the play, caught a pass from Thomas Beauregard and found the back of the net for his first goal of the year to make it 2-0. Texas scored late in the first right after Chris Chappell came out of the penalty box and went in all alone, but was denied that could have made it a three goal game. The Brahmas scored the final three goals of the contest and held on for a 3-2 win. With the loss, Wichita drops to 12-7-0 with 24 points and tie for third place with Tulsa. The Thunder have now lost two straight games when taking a lead after one period and scoring the first goal. Wichita returns home to host the Brahmas for the first time this season at 7:05pm. Saturday is Teddy Bear Toss night. Bring a new stuffed animal and throw it on the ice when the Thunder score its first goal. The stuffed animals are then donated to local charities and delivered by the Thunder players to less fortunate children around the Wichita area. For tickets to Saturdays game against Texas, go to the INTRUST Bank Arena box office, call 755-SEAT or go to . -Thunder- Sat, 10 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1326.html#1337242298 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1326.html Allen, TX- In a battle for first place in the Berry Conference, Wichita fell to the Allen Americans 5-3 Thursday night at the Allen Event Center. The Americans netted two third period goals, breaking a tie game in the third and earned its first win against Wichita this season. The victory puts Wichita three points back of the Americans in the standings while the Thunder does have one game in hand heading into the weekend. Matt Robinson continues to be red hot, finding the back of the net twice in the first period to open up the scoring for the Thunder. His first goal came at 2:52 as he blasted a one timer fom Aaron Davis and beat Americans goalie Marco Cousineau. The second came at 15:08 as he caught a pass in the neutral zone, angled to the left wing circle and took a wrister that was deflected off an Allen stick, giving Wichita a 2-0 lead. Robinson now has nine points in his last six games (6g, 3a). The Americans answered with three consecutive goals in the second period before Justin Sawyer scored to tie the game at three. Sawyer's first goal of the year came 18 seconds after the Americans took their first lead of the hockey game when Nick Layton scored at 16:54. In the third, Wichita had a five-on-three powerplay for one minute, but failed to capitalize on the opportunity. After a Thomas Beauregard penalty evened things up at four skaters aside, Allen broke the tie with a power play goal from Jarret Lukin at 9:54 to make it 4-3. The Americans added a late power play goal and held on for a 5-3 win. With the loss, Wichita is now 12-6-0 overall and lost for the first time this season when leading after the first period. Wichita heads 41 miles down the road to Fort Worth to take on the Texas Brahmas Friday night at 7:30pm before returning home Saturday against Texas at 7:05pm. Saturday is Teddy Bear Toss night. Bring a new stuffed animal and throw it on the ice when the Thunder score its first goal. The stuffed animals are then donated to local charities and delivered by the Thunder players to less fortunate children around the Wichita area. For tickets to Saturdays game against Texas, go to the INTRUST Bank Arena box office, call 755-SEAT or go to . -Thunder- Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1325.html#1337242299 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1325.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder is pleased to announce its partnership with the Wichita Dream Center to help raise money to provide gifts for the less fortunate in the Wichita area. Last year, the Believe in Christmas event gave away 500 bicycles and 1,000 gifts to children who would have not had something for the holidays. During the Thunder game on Saturday, December 10th, a portion of the ticket purchase made through the Thunder office will go towards the Believe in Christmas fund. There isnt a better way to give back to the community, said Sherri Penka, Community Relations Director of the Wichita Thunder. Considering the current economy that we are in, we are proud to help provide Christmas for many less fortunate children who may not get something this year and I am glad to be partnering with the Wichita Dream Center. To help with this great cause, please call Sherri Penka at (316) 264-GOAL. Wichita heads on the road to play the Allen Americans this Thursday at 7:05pm and will stay in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to visit the Texas Brahmas on Friday night at 7:30pm. Saturday is Teddy Bear Toss night. Bring a new stuffed animal and throw it on the ice when the Thunder score its first goal. The stuffed animals are then donated to local charities and delivered by the Thunder players to less fortunate children around the Wichita area. For tickets to Saturdays game against Texas, go to the INTRUST Bank Arena box office, call 755-SEAT or go to . -Thunder- Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1323.html#1337242300 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1323.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder announced Tuesday that Johnson Enterprises, Inc., the parent company of 93.5 FM KWME, Sports Radio 1130 AM KLEY in Wellington and Sports Radio 1550 KKLE in Winfield, has moved their FM station to a different place on the dial. As of Monday morning, KWME has signed off of 93.5 and is now airing on 92.7 FM. Gordon Johnson, owner and general manager of KWME, believes the change will mean better service for KWME for those in the Wichita listening area who are looking for the Wichita Thunder hockey games. We are pleased to finally see this change happen, said Joel T. Lomurno, General Manager of the Wichita Thunder. We are doing our best to serve our fans and having the games on a station in the market that they can listen to is a good step. Due to programming conflicts, certain games will not air on 92.7 KWME. All games can be heard on 1550 KKLE, by downloading the Tune In Radio app on your smart phone or listening on . Wichita will travel to Allen, TX on Thursday and that will be the first game that can be heard on 92.7 FM KWME. Friday nights game against Texas will be on 1550 KKLE starting at 7:30pm. Pre-game begins 15 minutes prior to the opening face-off. Wichita will return home this coming Saturday to take on the Texas Brahmas at 7:05pm. Saturday is also Teddy Bear Toss Night, brought to you by Bank of the West. Bring a new stuffed animal and throw it onto the ice when the Thunder score their first goal. The stuffed animals are then delivered by the Thunder players to local homes, donated to charities and given to underprivileged children for Christmas. Last season, the Thunder collected 795 stuffed animals. For ticket information, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1322.html#1337242301 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1322.html BACK ON TOP- Wichita returned home this past weekend to host the Evansville IceMen and the Tulsa Oilers. Friday nights meeting with Evansville was the first ever meeting between the two franchises and both teams came into the contest at the top of their respective conferences. Wichita got goals from Matt Summers and Matt Robinson, but the IceMen scored twice in 25 seconds with a minute remaining in the second period and scored the last four to run away with a 5-2 win. The loss snapped a three game winning streak and knocked the Thunder out of first place. On Sunday afternoon, Wichita fell behind to Tulsa before scoring three third period goals to come out with a 4-3 victory. The Oilers had a two goal lead after former Thunder forward Troy Ofukany scored 31 seconds into the third period. Tulsa has scored the first goal in five out of the seven meetings this season while the Thunder has come from behind three times to upend the Oilers. Two of those comebacks occurred in the third period. Wichita and Allen continue to exchange places at the top of the Berry Conference, as Wichita propelled back into first place with 24 points. DONT CALL IT A COMEBACK- The Thunder has had its flare for the dramatic this season and Sundays win was just the latest installment. Wichita has the best record in the CHL when trailing after two periods. The Thunder is 4-3-0 while every other team in the league is below .500. CLOSE TO THE SUMMIT- 12-year veteran Daniel Tetrault inched that much closer to reaching the top of the mountain for a Thunder defenseman. With two more points this weekend, Tetrault is just one point shy (168) of former Thunder defenseman Sean OReilly for the franchise lead in most points scored by a Thunder defenseman. OReilly played 311 games from 1997-02, scoring 169 points during that span while Tetrault has played 258 games in a Thunder uniform. THREADING THE NEEDLE- Alex Bourret had a very productive weekend and has been tremendous in finding his teammates this season. The Drummondville, PQ native leads the team with 15 helpers and is tied in sixth place in the CHL for assists. This past Sunday, Bourret made a key hit on Marty Standish, stole the puck and found Thomas Beauregard who netted the game winner. He has eight points in the last five and multiple assists in five games this season. DOMINANT D-MEN- Andrew Martens and Daniel Tetrault continue to be near the top of the leaderboard for scoring by a defenseman. Martens sits in first for goals and second place for points scored by defensemen with 16 (6g, 10a). Tetrault is tied for fifth with 13 points (5g, 8a) while Jarred Mohr (+18) and Martens (+13) are at the top of the plus-minus list. SPREADING THE WEALTH- Despite being without leading scorer Brett Hemingway, Wichita was still able to find the back of the net. Including Friday night, Wichita had seven different goal scorers. Matt Summers returned to the line-up Friday after sitting out nine games with an injury and didnt waste any time finding the back of the net. Summers, who was leading the team in scoring before going down, scored five minutes into Friday nights loss to Evansville and also added an assist on Sunday. Matt Robinson added another tally, giving him four goals in five games and six on the season. SPECIAL TEAMS- Wichitas power play and penalty killing units were not very busy this past weekend. Wichita went a combined 0-for-6 on the power play while killing off five of six themselves. The Thunder power play away from home continues to the be strength and Wichita can improve on that this coming week against Allen and Texas. On the road, the Thunder power play is ranked second overall, going 10-for-36 at a clip of 28.6%. THUNDERBOLTS Wichita is averaging 3.65 goals a contest, good for second place The Thunder has given up 2.94 goals against, good for sixth Wichita is first overall in shots allowed (25.88/game) and has given up just 133 shots in the third period all seasonThe Thunder has only allowed 12 goals against in the final periodWichita is tied for first with six shorthanded goals while being one of just two teams to not allow a goal shorthanded In one goal games, Wichita is 6-2-0 When leading after one, The Thunder is 5-0-0 Tied after two periods, Wichita is 5-1-0When outshooting the opponent, Wichita is 9-3-0 Justin Sawyer had a 12-game penalty minute streak snapped Friday night, which is still the longest of the season in the CHL The Thunder is 6-2-0 against teams from the Turner Conference while going 6-3-0 in division Through nine home games, Wichita sits in second overall in attendance, averaging 5,731. UPCOMING WEEK- Wichita will travel to Texas this coming week to take on a pair of opponents that are just 41 miles apart. On Thursday night, Wichita will make its first trip of the season to the Allen Event Center to take on the Americans at 7:05pm. Friday Night, Wichita will visit the Texas Brahmas at 7:30pm before returning home Saturday night at 7:05pm to host Texas for the first time this year. Saturday night is Teddy Bear Toss Night, brought to you by Bank of the West. Bring a new stuffed animal and throw it onto the ice when the Thunder score their first goal. The stuffed animals are then delivered by the Thunder players to local homes, donated to charities and given to underprivileged children for Christmas. For ticket information, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1320.html#1337242302 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1320.html Check out the highlights from Sunday's comeback win over Tulsa . Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1319.html#1337242303 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1319.html Wichita, KS- Trailing by two goals in the third period, Wichita scored three unanswered and came from behind to upend the Tulsa Oilers 4-3 Sunday afternoon at INTRUST Bank Arena. Alex Bourret had a goal and two helpers, Daniel Tetrault added two points, and Thomas Beauregard scored the game winner to help Wichita move back into first place in the BerryConferencewith 24 points. Tulsa scored the first goal just five minutes in when Marty Standish caught the puck the in the high slot and a turn around wrister found its way through traffic and into the back of the net. The Oilers have scored the first goal in five of the seven meetings between the two teams this season. Alex Bourret tied the game at one in the second period when he stole the puck shorthanded, came up on a three-on-two, got a nice pass from Andrew Martens and buried it past Oiler netminder Ian Keserich. Wichita is now tied with Rapid City and Evansville with six shorthanded goals scored, most in the CHL. Ryan Cramer gave the Oilers the lead back at 15:06 as he walked out of the corner, fired a shot that beat Thunder goaltender Ryan MacDonald and made it 2-1. During the second period, Aaron Davis was awarded a penalty shot after getting tripped on a shorthanded break earlier in the second and was denied by Keserich. It was the second penalty shot awarded to Wichita this season. The Oilers scored on the powerplay just 31 seconds into the third period when former Thunder forward Troy Ofukany got a pass from behind from Michel Beausoleil and made it 3-1. From that point on, Wichita flipped it into fifth gear and scored the next three. The first one came from Daniel Tetrault at 6:29 as he caught a pass in the high slot and pounded it past Keserich to cut the lead to 3-2. Tetrault had two points on the night and now is just one point shy (168) of Sean O'Reilly (169) for the most points scored by a defenseman in franchise history. Colin Hemingway tied the game at three after he caught the puck at the Oiler line, made a nifty move through a couple of Oiler defenders and scored as he was falling down at 13:06. Just two minutes later at 15:27, Bourret made a nice hit in the Thunder zone, stole the puck and found a streaking Thomas Beauregard who went in all alone and scored on the backhand to give Wichita a 4-3 lead. It was Wichita's first lead of the game and Beauregard's eighth of the season. Tulsa pulled its goalie with a minute remaining in the game and almost added the equalizer as the puck squirted over the goal line past MacDonald during a scrum infront of his net. However, the referee waived the goal off as he lost sight of the puck. Wichita held on for a 4-3 win and jumped Allen in the standings for first place as the Americans were idle today. Trailing after two periods, Wichita is a remarkable 4-3-0 on the season as every other team in the CHL is below .500. The Thunder will hit the road for the next two, taking on the Allen Americans on Thursday night at 7:05pm and Friday against Texas at 7:30pm. Wichita will return home Saturday, December 10th at 7:05pm as the Texas Brahmas make their first appearance this season at INTRUST Bank Arena. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena Box office or go to . -Thunder- Sun, 04 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1318.html#1337242304 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1318.html Wichita, KS- Evansville scored two goals in the last minute of the second period and netted the final four to run away with a 5-2 win against Wichita in the first ever meeting between the two teams at INTRUST Bank Arena on Friday night. Matt Robinson and Matt Summers each scored for Wichita despite losing for just the third time on home ice and snapping a three game winning streak. Wichita broke through first when Summers caught a pass on a two-on-one break and gave the Thunder a 1-0 lead. Summers had been out of the line-up since November 5th after suffering an injury against Missouri and was Wichita's leading score before getting hurt. After Evansville's Mike Scgroi tied the game, Matt Robinson increased that lead to 2-1 after Colin Hemingway hustled to a loose puck behind the Evansville net, dished it off to Robinson in the slot and scored his fourth goal in four games. Sgroi, who came into the game without a goal this season, netted his second to tie the game after outlasting Andrew Martens to a loose puck and beating Thunder goalie Adam Russo, making it 2-2. Evansville took its first lead in the second period, scoring two goals in the final minute. Matt Pierce gave the IceMen a 3-2 lead at 19:09 and Todd Robinson scored just 25 seconds after and a 4-2 lead. Wichita had a number of chances in the second, but Evansville goalie Bryan Gillis was solid in net as he made three quality saves on 14 shots. John Ronan added a power play goal in the third period for the IceMen and Evansville closed out the game, winning 5-2. Wichita is now 6-2-0 against teams from the Turner Conference and 5-3-0 against the Berry. Wichita will have a day off tomorrow before returning home Sunday to take on the Tulsa Oilers. After tomorrow, Wichita will not host Tulsa until January 7th. The next meeting will be on Christmas Day in Tulsa at the BOK Center. Join us for the first Sunday Funday of the season. There are free tickets available at all Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers locations in the Wichita area as the Thunder hosts the Oilers at 5:05pm. For ticket information, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Sat, 03 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1317.html#1337242305 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1317.html GLENDALE, AZ- The Wichita Thunder are the hottest team in the CHL owning the most points, the highest winning percentage and the most wins in the league. The teams hard work and outstanding play has earned them the #1 spot on the most recent CHL Coaches Poll. The poll is released on or near the beginning and middle of each month throughout regular season. Each first place vote receives 10 points, second place votes earn 9 points, etc. Wichita (11-4-0) is currently on a three-game win streak and are in command of the Berry Conference with 22 points and in the latest poll earned seven of the possible fourteen first place votes (teams are unable to vote for themselves). Three other teams received first place votes: Evansville (9-4-1), Allen (9-3-3), and Fort Wayne (9-5-0). Evansville came up a little shy in the poll totals, receiving 2 first place votes but falling short of Wichita by six points. Those two teams will go head-to-head on Friday night (Dec. 2) in Wichita. Allen received four first place votes and were a mere three points away from second place and Fort Wayne (winners of four straight games) earned the final first place vote. The Komets had the biggest jump in the recent poll moving up from #7 to #4 and the biggest drop belonged to both Missouri and Rapid City, each falling two places to #5 and #7 respectively. The Dayton Gems broke into the top 10 for the first time this season earning the #9 spot thanks in large part to their 5-1-1 mark in their last seven games. Falling out of the poll are the Quad City Mallards. Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1316.html#1337242306 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1316.html Wichita, KS- The Central Hockey League announced today that Wichita's Adam Russo has been named the Oakley CHL Goaltender of the Week for the period ending November 27, 2011. The Montreal, PQ native was tremendous this past week, going 3-0-0 and helped put Wichita back at the top of the Berry Conference standings. Russo stopped 72 of 77 shots in the three games, good for a 1.66 GAA and is now tied for the league-lead with eight wins. Russo stopped 25 of 26 against rival Missouri this past Wednesday, stopping a three-game losing streak. On Friday night, Russo earned number one star honors for his performance against Tulsa, stopping 27 of 29 shots and clamped down in the third period to stop Wichitas three-game slide against the Oilers. The two teams returned to Wichita the following night and Russo had a shutout bid going until midway through the third period before earning the victory, 4-2 against Tulsa. Overall, Russo is 8-2-0 in 10 games and has played in 66% of Wichitas games this season. He is eighth in the league with a 2.64 goals against average and is 11th in the league with an .897 save percentage. The top two teams in their respective conferences will meet this coming Friday at INTRUST Bank Arena as Wichita will host the Evansville IceMen. Clifford the Big Red Dog will be in attendance that evening. The Thunder will have a rare Saturday off before hosting Tulsa on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. After Sunday, the Thunder and the Oilers will not meet until Christmas Day in Tulsa. For ticket information, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or go online at . -THUNDER- Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1313.html#1337242307 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1313.html Check out the Highlights from Saturday's win over Tulsa . Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1311.html#1337242308 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1311.html BACK ON TRACK- One week removed from a three-game losing skid, Wichita returned to form this past weekend. Behind a two goal effort from Matt Robinson, the Thunder jumped out to a three-goal lead Wednesday night against Missouri, winning 4-1. Robinson, who led the team in goals a season ago with 39, had been held off the score sheet for nine games before equaling his season total. The Thunder outshot Missouri 15-5 in the first period and Adam Russo stopped 25 of 26 shots to earn the win. On Friday night, Robinson added another tally (5) and Wichita won a see-saw affair, 4-2 in Tulsa at the BOK Center. Aaron Davis scored two and the game winner with a tie game at two in the third period to help Wichita plug the leak against the Oilers. The Thunder had dropped the last three meetings to Tulsa prior to this past weekend. Back in Wichita on Saturday night,the Thunderdominated through two periods, outshooting Tulsa 33-11 en route to a 4-2 win. The Thunder had four different scorers and Adam Russo won his third consecutive game to improve Wichitas record to 11-4-0 and back into first place in the Berry Conference. SHUTTING THE DOOR- Wichita netminder Adam Russo was outstanding this past week, winning three straight games and stopping 72 of 77 shots. His goals against was a mere 1.66 with five goals allowed over that span and now is tied for the league lead with eight wins. Overall, Russo is in eighth place with a 2.64 GAA and a .897 SPCT. 700 CLUB- 12-year veteran Daniel Tetrault joined an elite group this past Friday night in Tulsa as he played in his 700th game as a pro. Tetrault is also approaching an impressive milestone. With one more point this past week, Tetrault is just three points shy (166) of former Thunder defenseman Sean OReilly for the franchise lead in most points scored by a Thunder defenseman. OReilly played 311 games from 1997-02, scoring 169 points during that span while Tetrault has played 256 games in a Thunder uniform. 400 CLUB- Head Coach Kevin McClelland also joined elite company, as he coached in his 400th game in the Central Hockey League this past Friday night. In six seasons, McClelland has amassed a record of 232-137-32 with Mississippi, Colorado and Wichita. A member of the Edmonton Oilers dynasty in the 1980s, McClelland won four Stanley Cups and played in 588 NHL games where he scored 68 goals, 112 assists and collected a staggering 1,672 penalty minutes. D-MEN- Andrew Martens had another stellar weekend offensively. The Friendswood, TX native added three more points and sits in first for goals and second place for points scored by defensemen with 15 (6g, 9a). Daniel Tetrault is tied for fifth with 11 points (4g, 7a) while Jarred Mohr (+15) and Martens (+14) are at the top of the plus-minus list. SCORING- The Thunders top two lines got rolling this past week. The line of Aaron Davis, Brett and Colin Hemingway combined for 14 points while Thomas Beauregard, Alex Bourret and Matt Robinson combined for 13 points. Brett Hemingway leads the team in scoring and sits in a tie for fifth in the CHL with 19 points (9g, 10a). Aaron Davis is tied with Hemingway with nine goals, four this past week and is in second place in the CHL with four game winning goals. Davis and Hemingway both have three game goal scoring streaks, second best in the CHL. SPECIAL TEAMS- Wichitas power play away from home continues to be their strength on special teams. The Thunder power play unit is second in the league on the road, going 10 for 35 at a clip of 28.6% while going just six for 42 at home at a clip of 14.3%. Overall, Wichita is in seventh place at a rate of 20.8%. The penalty killing unit has been stronger on home ice, killing off 30 of 37 attempts at a rate of 81.1%, which issixth in the league at home. Overall, the Thunder have killed off 61 of 79 attempts at a rate of 77.2%, which is good for 10th place. THUNDERBOLTS Wichita is averaging 3.73 goals a contest, tied for first with Allen The Thunder has given up 2.80 goals against a game, tied for fifth Wichita is first overall in shots allowed (25.73/game) and has given up just 117 shots in the third period all seasonThe Thunder has only allowed 10 goals against in the final periodWichita is tied in second with five shorthanded goals while being one of just two teams to not allow a goal shorthanded In one goal games, Wichita is 5-2-0 When leading after one, The Thunder is 5-0-0 Tied after two periods, Wichita is 5-1-0When outshooting the opponent, Wichita is 8-2-0 Justin Sawyer has a 12-game penalty minute streak, racking up 49 minutes, with the next closest player being former Thunder forward Ryan Hand, who has a 5-game streak The Thunder is 6-1-0 against teams from the Turner Conference while going 5-3-0 in division Through nine home games, Wichita sits in second overall in attendance, averaging 5,876. UPCOMING WEEK- Wichita will have a rare Saturday night off this week. The Thunder host the Evansville IceMen Friday night at 7:05pm, who sit in first place in the Turner Conference. Wichita will then take on Tulsa Sunday afternoon at 5:05pm at INTRUST Bank Arena. After Sunday, Wichita will not see the Oilers until Christmas Day in Tulsa. Wichita returns home this Friday night to take on the Evansville IceMen at 7:05pm. For ticket information, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1312.html#1337242309 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1312.html After breaking a three game losing streak this past Wednesday, Wichita built a 3-0 lead and skated away with a 4-2 victory against the Tulsa Oilers Saturday night at INTRUST Bank Arena. The Thunder are on a three game winning streak and now sit in first place due to Allen losing to Bloomington this evening. For only the second time in six meetings, Wichita scored first when Aaron Davis took a Colin Hemingway feed and added his third goal in two games and ninth of the season. Davis, who had two goals last night, has six points against the Oilers this year. Thomas Beauregard scored at 13:38 to make it 2-0 as Wichita controlled the puck in the offensive zone, Beauregard came free and put home his seventh tally of the year. At 5:30 of the second period, Wichita increased its lead to 3-0 when Aaron Davis came in on the rush, found Brett Hemingway at the far post and he found the back of the net for his ninth on the season. Wichita was tremendous defensively, only allowing 11 shots through the first two periods. The Thunder controlled the play and arguably played its besttwo periodsof the season, limiting the Oilers who were at the tail end of playing four games in five nights. Wichita put the game out of reach in the third period when Andrew Martens tipped home a Matt Robinson pass at 6:51 and gave the Thunder a 4-0 lead. Martens had two points in the game and sits in second place behind Tulsa's Jeff Terminesi for most points scored by a defenseman with 16 (6g, 10a). Tulsa scored two goals midway through the third period, but Wichita was too tough down the stretch and won going away for its 11th win of the season. Thunder netminder Adam Russo stopped 20 of 22 shots and moves into a first place tie with Tulsa's Ian Keserich and Fort Wayne goalie Nick Boucher with eight wins. Wichita will not play till next Friday when the Evansville IceMen come into town for the first time this season. Wichita and Tulsa will see each other a week from Sunday and then will not play again until Christmas in Tulsa. The Thunder return home to take on Evansville at 7:05pm on Friday, Dec. 2nd. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, go to the INTRUST Bank Arena Box Office, or go online at -Thunder- Sun, 27 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1310.html#1337242310 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1310.html Wichita snapped a three losing skid to the Tulsa Oilers Friday night, scoring two third period goals en route to a 4-2 win at the BOK Center. Aaron Davis had two goals and Adam Russo was spectacular in net helping Wichita to its 10th win of the season. Tulsa got on the board first with a power play goal as Jay Sprague put a one timer past Russo to give the Oilers a 1-0 lead. Tulsa has scored first in four of the five meetings between the two teams this season. Matt Robinson scored his third goal in two games and fifth of the season to tie the game at one just eight seconds into a Thunder power play. Alex Bourret, who had three assists in Wednesday night's game, made a beautiful pass to the slot and Robinson's one timer beat Oiler goalie Ian Keserich. In the second period, Gary Steffes gave Tulsa a brief 2-1 lead with a power play goal after he snuck it inside the far post and scored his sixth of the year. Less than two minutes later, Wichita's Jarred Mohr sent a wrister towards the net, the puck squirted through Keserich and Aaron Davis pushed it over the goal line to tie the game at two. With five minutes left in the third, Davis notched his second of the game as he caught a pass in the right wing corner, moved around the net and roofed a backhand past Keserich to give Wichita its first lead of the game, 3-2. Russo was outstanding, stopping 27 of 29 shots, many of which were in close and earned his seventh victory of the season. Brett Hemingway added an empty net goal to give Wichita a 4-2 win, improving the Thunder's record to 10-4-0 overall and a second place tie with Tulsa with 20 points. Wichita returns home to face the Oilers on Saturday night at 7:05pm. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Arena Box Office or go online at . Notes: Head Coach Kevin McClelland coached in his 400th CHL game while Daniel Tetrault played in his 700th game as a pro. -Thunder- Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1309.html#1337242311 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1309.html Check out the highlights from Wednesday's dismantling of the Mavericks . Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1308.html#1337242312 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1308.html The Thunder snapped a three game losing skid Wednesday night, exploding for three goals in the first six minutes of the game and knocked off arch-rival Missouri 4-1 at INTRUST Bank Arena. Matt Robinson equaled his season total with two goals, Alex Bourret added three helpers and Adam Russo stopped 25 of 26 shots to earn his sixth win of the year. Wichita earned its ninth win of the season and climbed back into a second place tie with the Tulsa Oilers with 18 points. Matt Robinson found the back of the net twice in the opening frame as he got the scoring started at 2:43 to give Wichita a 1-0 lead. Robinson, who lead Wichita last season with 39 goals, had been snake bitten with just two coming into the game. He notched his second of the night on the power play as Alex Bourret patiently waited on the goal line for his stick to open and Robinson made sure to tuck it past Missouri goaltender Charlie Effinger to give Wichtia a 2-0 lead. Just 10 seconds later, Wichita added to its lead when Davis pounded home a rebound off the rush to make it 3-0. Wichita caught Missouri offguard off the face-off and skated in on a three on two and Davis made no mistake to add to his season total (6). Late in the second period, Mike Wakita got Missouri on the board during a delayed penalty that was going tobe called againstBourret. He caught an Ed McGrane pass and put it off the bar past Russo to cut the lead to 3-1. Sebastien Thinel came into the game riding a five game point streak, but the Thunder pairing of Daniel Tetrault and Travis Wight did a terrific job of limiiting time and space on the top scorer in the CHL to keep him off the scoresheet. Brett Hemingway slammed the door at 13:07 when he took his own rebound off the end boards, turned and banked it in past Effinger to extend the lead to 4-1 and his seventhof the season. The win snaps a three game losing skid and gives Wichita the edge in the season series against Missouri, three games to one. Effinger has now lost two games in regulation to Wichita, his only two losses of the year that weren't forced into a OT or a shootout. The Thunder's record is now 9-4-0 and still has one game in hand on the Oilers. After the Thanksgiving holiday, Wichita will travel to Tulsa on Black Friday to take on the Oilers and return home Saturday evening, once again against Tulsa at 7:05pm. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, call the INTRUST Bank Arena Box Office, or go online at . -Thunder- Thu, 24 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1307.html#1337242313 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1307.html Rough Stretch: After winning three out of four a week ago, Wichita traveled to Tulsa Friday night to revisit its rivalry with the Oilers. The two teams headed into the game having faced each other 215 times all-time. Tulsa took a two goal lead early in the contest before Thomas Beauregard scored to cut the lead to one. Beauregard has five points (2g, 3a) vs. Tulsa this season in four games. The Oilers extended their lead to 3-1 in the second period before Wichita fought back to tie the game at four. Alex Bourret added two goals and Travis Wight scored a shorthanded goal, his first of the season. The Oilers eventually went on to win the contest, 5-4, after receiving a five on three power play with 14 minutes left. Saturday night, Tulsa visited the INTRUST Bank Arena for the first time this season and took a crowd of 7,088 out of it early. Ryan Cramer scored two minutes into the game and Ian Keserich earned his league leading eighth win. With the loss, Wichita has now dropped three straight, all to Tulsa and now sits in third place with 16 points. Bittersweet: Former Thunder netminder Ian Keserich has had Wichitas number since being waived last November. Including last season, Keserich is 9-2 against his former club and 6-1 a year ago. This season, Keserich is now 3-1 vs. Wichita after dropping the first game of the season to the Thunder, 6-2. Back in 2009-10, Keserich played in 22 games for Wichita, going 1-19-1 with a GAA of 3.71 and a save pct of .900. Chasing History: 12-year veteran Daniel Tetrault is approaching an impressive milestone. With three more points this past week, Tetrault is just four points shy (165) of former Thunder defenseman Sean OReilly for the franchise lead in most points scored by a Thunder defenseman. OReilly played 311 games from 1997-02, scoring 169 points during that span while Tetrault has played 253 games in a Thunder uniform. Berry vs Turner: Through the first 12 games, Wichita has faced an equal number of opponents inside their own division and outside of the Berry Conference. Facing the Turner Conference, Wichita is 5-1-0 overall while going just 3-3-0 against Berry Conference opponents. On home ice, Wichita is 5-2-0 while going 3-2-0 away from INTRUST Bank Arena. Stepping up: The Thunder defensemen continue to have a significant impact offensively for Coach McClellands team. Andrew Martens is in second place for defensive scoring with 12 points (5g, 7a), tied for first in goals and power play goals for defensemen. Tetrault is tied for third with 10 points (4g, 6a) while Jarred Mohr continues to lead the league in plus/minus (+11). Scoring: Brett Hemingway had his seven game point streak snapped, but is still near the top of the league in scoring. Hemingway is currently tied for seventh with 14 points (6g,8a). Three other Thunder players (Beauregard, Bourret and Martens) are right behind Hemingway for the team lead with 12 points and seven players overall have at least 10 points. Special Teams: Against Tulsa this past week, Wichita scored a power play goal in each of the three losses. The Thunder power play went four for 15 at a clip of 26.7% while killing off 11 of 16 opportunities for the Oilers. For the season against Tulsa, the Thunder power play is six for 23 at a rate of 26.1% while killing off 15 of 22 Tulsa power plays. Overall, the Thunder power play sits in seventh place in the CHL going 13 for 62 at a rate of 21%. On the road, Wichita has been more effective, going nine for 32 at a rate of 28.1%. The Thunder road power play is in third place while going just four for 30 on home ice, sitting in 12th place at a clip of 13.3%. Thunderbolts Wichita is second in the league in goals per game, averaging 3.67 a contestWichita is first overall in shots allowed (25.75/game) and has given up just 84 shots in the third period all seasonThe Thunder has only allowed eight goals against in the final period, tied with Evansville for the league leadWith another shorthanded goal over the weekend, Wichita leads the league with five while being one of just three teams to not allow a goal shorthandedThunder goaltender Ryan MacDonald currently has a 2.58 GAA, which is 6th overall In one goal games, Wichita is 5-2-0Tied after two periods, Wichita is 4-1-0When outshooting the opponent, Wichita is 6-2-0Through seven home games, Wichita sits in second overall in attendance, averaging 6,262 per game. Upcoming Week: Wichita will host the Missouri Mavericks for the second time this season Wednesday night at 7:05pm before resuming their busy schedule against the Tulsa Oilers over the weekend. The Thunder will travel to the BOK Center Friday night at 7:35pm and return home Saturday night to INTRUST Bank Arena to take on Tulsa at 7:05pm. Wichita returns home this Wednesday night to take on theMissouri Mavericksat 7:05pm. For ticket information, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1306.html#1337242314 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1306.html The Wichita Thunder returned home after a three game road swing looking for an answer against the Tulsa Oilers, but Bruce Ramsay's club was up to the task as Tulsa handed Wichita its third straight loss Saturday night, 4-1. Dylan Clarke had a goal and assist, Jeff Terminesi added three helpers and Ian Keserich recorded his league leading eighth win of the season. With the loss, Wichita drops into third place as Tulsa won its first game at INTRUST Bank Arena infront of 7,088. For the second night in a row, Tulsa scored the first two as Ryan Cramer found the net just 2:32 into the game. Seven minutes later, David Solway stole a puck and walked in all alone from the face-off dots in and deaked out Thunder goalie Ryan MacDonald and gave Tulsa a 2-0 lead. At 11:55, Wichita cut the lead to one on the powerplay when Andrew Martens drove the net, ran into Oiler netminder Ian Keserich and Thomas Beauregard picked up a loose puck and scored his sixth of the season. Beauregard scored in Friday night's loss in Tulsa and now has 12 points overall. Dylan Clarke scored the only goal in the second period at 6:24 on the powerplay, deflecting in a shot from Sean Erickson through MacDonald to give Tulsa a 3-1 lead. The Oilers would add an empty net goal and claim the victory, 4-1. With the loss, Wichita has lost three straight, all to Tulsa over the last week and now sits in third place in the Berry Conference with a record of 8-4-0 and 16 points. The Oilers now lead the season series three games to one with each game being decided in regulation. Thunder defenseman Andrew Martens added an assist to stay near the top of the leaders for defenseman with 12 points, one point behind Terminesi, who has 13. Wichita returns home Wednesday night to take on rival Missouri at 7:05pm. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena Box office or go online to . -Thunder- Sun, 20 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1305.html#1337242315 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1305.html After falling behind by three goals, Wichita's comeback bid fell short as the Tulsa Oilers beat the Thunder 5-4 at the BOK Center Friday night. Jeff Terminesi's tally at 4:05 of the third period was the decisive goal that gavethe Oilersits second consecutive win against the Thunder and just Wichita's third loss of the season. David Solway got things started with a power play goal just six seconds after Chris Chappell was sent to the penalty box at 4:35 of the first. The two teams would combine for 15 power plays and four goals with the man advantage. Tulsa would add to that lead with a goal from defenseman Luke Lucyk at 13:16. Tulsa led by two goals twice in the game and at one point led by three before Wichita made a furious second period comeback. Thomas Beauregard notched his fifth on the season three minutes later after he took a nice Alex Bourret feed and beat Tulsa netminder Ian Kesserich just past the blocker and cut the lead to one. However, just two seconds before the end of the first period, Mike Ullrich picked the puck out of the air and beat Wichita goalie Adam Russo to give Tulsa a two goal lead heading into the locker room, 3-1. The Thunder fell behind 4-1 after Sean Erickson scored a power play goal in the early stages of the second period. Wichita would tie the game, scoring three unanswered goals in a span of just over four minutes. Alex Bourret scored his first of two at 9:28 after getting a pass from Matt Robinson and he fired it home. Just 52 seconds later, Travis Wight stole the puck at the Oiler line, went in all alone on a shorthanded breakaway and he pulled Wichita within one, 4-3. The Thunder now have five shorthanded goals on the season, first in the league. Wichita would capitalize on a power play as Brett Hemingway fed the puck over to Daniel Tetrault and he let one rip that was tipped in by Bourret for his second on the night at 13:07. Hemingway's assist extends his scoring streak to seven games and Tetrault is now just four points shy (165) of former Thunder defenseman Sean O'Reilly for the most points scored in franchise history by a Thunder defenseman. Tetrault also moves into a first place tie in defensive scoring with Andrew Martens (11). Tulsa got the game winner on a five on three power play as Terminesi's wrister found the post and banked in past Russo and the Oilers hung on for their seventh win of the season. Wichita now trails the season series 2-1 as the two teams will play tomorrow night in Wichita for the first time this season. Wichita is now 8-3-0 and one point behind Allen in second place with 16 points and a game in hand on both the Americans and Tulsa. Wichita returns home Saturday night after a three game road swing to take on the Tulsa Oilers at 7:05pm. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena Box office or go to . -Thunder- Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1304.html#1337242316 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1304.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder hockey team has gotten themselves into a hairy situation. The team, along with other men across the globe involved with the Movember movement, is spending the month of November growing mustaches to bring awareness to mens health issues. The cause specifically spotlights prostate cancer. Participants grow mustaches and ask for donations to sponsor their efforts. So far, the team has raised over 400. Movember has inspired over 1.1 million men to grow mustaches and raise over 80 million for mens health. Adam Russo, goaltender for the Wichita Thunder, got the team involved with the movement. Ive had a lot of cancer run in my family, said Russo. I think its a great cause for my team and I to support. Money raised is distributed between The Prostate Cancer Foundation, LIVESTRONG and Movembers education program on mens health. To donate to the Movember movement, you can visit the Thunders Movember page at MoBro.co/WichitaThunder. To see their mustaches in person, you can catch the Thunder team as they take on the Tulsa Oilers on Saturday, November 19 at 7:05 p.m. Tickets start at just 12. For more information or to order season tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL, call (316) 755-SEAT for game tickets, or visit us online at . -THUNDER- Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1303.html#1337242317 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1303.html GLENDALE, AZ The Evansville IceMen are the hottest team in the CHL having the only record without a regulation loss and today they were voted the #1 team on the 2011-12 seasons first CHL Coaches Poll. The poll will be released on or near the beginning and middle of each month throughout the regular season. Each first place vote receives 10 points, second place votes earn 9 points, etc. Evansville (6-0-1) is currently on a five-game win streak and has gained a point in every single game played this season and have the leagues best winning percentage (.929). The IceMen are currently tied for second place in the Turner Conference and in the poll received six of the possible fourteen first place votes (teams are unable to vote for themselves). Three other teams received first place votes: Wichita (8-2-0), Missouri (7-2-1) and Allen (6-2-2). Wichita fell just one point shy of Evansvilles total and received the second most first place votes with four. Missouri received three first place votes and Allen appeared as the top team on one ballot (the Americans have won five straight games). For the complete results of the CHL Coaches Poll - CLICK Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1302.html#1337242318 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1302.html Thunder Win Three out of Four: This past weekend, Wichita finished a busystretch with wins in three out of four games and now sits atop the Berry Conference with 16 points. The Thunder extended its winning streak to four this past Saturday with a dramatic come-from behind victory over Missouri. Down three goals, the Thunder scored five unanswered and held on to beat the Mavericks 5-4. However, that streak was snapped Sunday afternoon as Tulsa scored two third period goals to upend Wichita, 4-3. With an 8-2-0 record, Wichita has tied its best start in franchise history through the first 10 games dating back to the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons. No Lead is Safe: This past Saturday wasnt the first time Wichita has fallen behind early in a game and later found a way to come back and pull out a win. In fact, Wichita has come back from a three goal deficit twice and a two goal hole once. The other time Wichita fell behind 3-0 was on October 22nd against the Allen Americans and pulled out a shootout victory, 4-3. Against Tulsa on October 28th, the Thunder trailed 2-0 before scoring six unanswered goals en route to a 6-2 win. Chasing History: 12-year veteran Daniel Tetrault is approaching an impressive milestone. With three more points this past week, Tetrault is just five points shy (164) of former Thunder defenseman Sean OReilly for the franchise lead in most points scored by a Thunder defenseman. OReilly played 311 games from 1997-02, scoring 169 points during that span while Tetrault has played 251 games in a Thunder uniform. Were Going Streaking: Brett Hemingway and Aaron Davis continue to produce offensively. Hemingway currently has a six game scoring streak, has scored in four out of the last five and has had points in nine of the first 10 games while Davis is in the midst of a five game scoring streak. Hemingway leads the team with 13 points (6g, 7a) while Davis (4g, 7a) is tied for second with Andrew Martens (5g, 6a) and Colin Hemingway (5g, 6a) with 11 points. Jumping Into the Play: Thunder defensemen Andrew Martens and Daniel Tetrault are at the top of the CHL scoring for defensemen. Martens leads the league with 11 points while Tetrault is in second with nine (4g, 5a). The next closest Wichita defender is Jarred Mohr with four points(2g, 2a), who leads the league in plus/minus (+13). Minute of Madness: Towards the beginning and end of periods this season, Wichita has had the magic touch. The Thunder has scored in the first minute of a period four times this year with the fastest being on October 28th in Tulsa, a goal from Matt Summers 26 seconds in. In the last minute of a period, Wichita has also scored four times, giving Coach McClellands team momentum going into the locker room. Special Teams: The Thunder power play continues to improve, jumping up to fifth overall after going five for 19 this past week. Wichita is 11 for 51 with the man advantage, averaging at a clip of 21.6% and is second overall on the road, going 8 for 25 for 32%. The penalty killing unit sits in 10th place, stopping 41 out of 52 chances and a rate of 78.8%. On the road, Wichita is in 11th place, killing off 21 out of 27 chances for a rate of 77.8% Thunderbolts Wichita is second in the league in goals per game, averaging 3.90 a contestWichita is first overall in shots allowed (25/game) and has given up just 68 shots in the third period all seasonThe Thunder leads the league with 16 third period goals and has only allowed six against in the final periodWith two more shorthanded goals over the weekend, Wichita is tied with Evansville for the league lead with four while being one of just three teams to not allow a goal shorthandedBrett Hemingway leads the league with 14 points in the three stars categoryIn one goal games, Wichita is 5-1-0Tied after two periods, Wichita is 4-0-0Leading after one, Wichita is 3-0-0Through six games, Wichita sits in third overall in attendance, averaging 6,124 per game. Dance Partners: Including this past Sunday, Wichita and Tulsa will see each other five out of the next six games and six of the next eight. The Thunder return to the BOK Center this coming Friday to face the Oilers for the third time this season, starting at 7:35pm. The next day, the two teams will meet at 7:05pm at INTRUST Bank Arena. Wichita returns home this Saturday night after a three game road swing to take on the Tulsa Oilers at 7:05pm. For ticket information, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1301.html#1337242319 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1301.html The Tulsa Oilers scored two third period goals in a see-saw affair, beating Wichita Sunday afternoon 4-3 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, OK. Despite the loss, Wichita still leads the league with 16 points. Wichita took advantage of an early power play as Andrew Martens scored his fifth of the season to givethe Thundera 1-0 lead. Martens found a loose puck in the crease after a Daniel Tetrault shot was redirected to him and he made no mistake about it. Tulsa scored the next two goals to take its first lead of the contest, the first one at 13:05 on the power play. Sean Erickson caught a pass at the right wing face-off dot and wristed it past Thunder netminder Ryan MacDonald to tie the game up at one. Just 47 seconds later, Tulsa scored on a similar play as Mike Ullrich came in on the left wing side, fired it across to Ryan Cramer to the right face-off dot and he scored his third of the season and gave Tulsa a 2-1 lead. Brett Hemingway continues to light the lamp as he scored at 19:09 of the first to tie the game at two. After a turn over, Aaron Davis found Hemingway at the Oiler line, cut to the high slot and fired it past Oiler goalie Ian Kesserich to give him goals in four out of his last five and points in his last six games. The only goal in the second period came from Daniel Tetrault at 18:53, his fourth of the season. Martens created some space in the offensive zone and came around the net, fed the puck to Tetrault who blasted a one-timer into the net. With two more points Sunday, Tetrault is just five points shy (164) of former Thunder defenseman Sean O'Reilly (169) for points scored in franchise history by a Thunder defenseman. Tulsa scored two goals in the final period, giving Wcihita its first road loss of the season and just its second overall. Ryan MacDonald suffered his first loss of the year. Wichita (8-2-0) sits three points ahead of Tulsa for the lead in the Berry Conference as the two teams will meet next Friday back at the BOK Center. Wichita returns home Saturday, November 19th to take on the Oilers at 7:05pm. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena Box Office, or go online to . -Thunder- Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1300.html#1337242320 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1300.html Wichita has had its fair share of dramatic wins this season, but Saturday night's 5-4victory against the Missouri Mavericks at the Independence Event Center takes the cake. Down 3-0, Wichita scored five unanswered goals from five different players en route to its eighth win of the season. Alex Bourret and Andrew Martens had shorthanded goals and Adam Russo earned his fifth win of the season, tying him for the league lead. Missouri jumped out to an early lead, scoring three goals in a three minute span. Ed McGrane, who did not play in the first two meetings, scored the first goal at 3:06 on a power play. McGrane cut across the slot and Sebastien Thinel feathered him the puck and he found an open net to make it 1-0. Dale Mahovsky added the next two goals, his first at 4:50 as he found a loose puck in the high slot and whipped a snap shot past Thunder goaltender Adam Russo. He made it 3-0 at 6:35 after Thinel found him cutting to the back door. Mahovsky would end up with a hat trick, the first against Wichita this season. Brett Hemingway put Wichita on the board at 16:01 after getting a nice feed from Andrew Martens. Martens outworked the Maverick defenseman, got to a loose puck in the corner and found Hemingway to cut the lead to 3-1. Hemingway's goal gives him a point in each of the last five games and goals in three of the last four. In the second period, Wichita added two goals to even things up at three. Alex Bourret scored on a shorthanded break away at 1:08 after recieving a long lead pass from Jarred Mohr and he beat Mavericks netminder Charlie Effinger to cut the lead to 3-2. Aaron Davis tied the game at three with his tally late in the second period after a scramble infront of the Mavericks net. Thunder Defensemen Martens and Mohr scored in the third period, giving the Thunder a 5-3 lead and helped bring Wichita all the way back from a three goal deficit despite being shorthanded much of the final frame. The Thunder committed four consecutive penalties including a five minute major for slashing to Mohr, which also included a game misconduct. Missouri added a late goal but it was too little too late, as Wichita held on to win 5-4. The win improved the Thunder's record to a league leading 8-1-1, 3-0-0 on the road asWichita willclose out a grueling stretch of four games on five days in Tulsa tomorrow afternoon at 4:05pm. Wichita returns home Saturday, November 19th to take on the Tulsa Oilers. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena Box office or go to . -Thunder- Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1299.html#1337242321 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1299.html Assistant Coach Jason Duda mentioned before the game that he was looking for more of a complete effort from his hockey club and Friday night, he got it as Wichita shot down the Quad City Mallards, 4-1, at INTRUST Bank Arena. Thomas Beauregard had two goals, Brett Hemingway added two points (1g,1a) and Ryan MacDonald improved his record to 3-0-0 on the season. Late in the first period, Beauregard scored at 19:25 when he buried a nice Matt Robinson pass infront of the net and gave Wichita a 1-0 lead. Beauregard added another later in the hockey game, giving him four goals on the season. Entering the second period, Aaron Davis put his name on the scoresheet just 40 seconds in, slipping one past Mallards goalie David McKee to give Wichita a 2-0 lead. Initially, the referee did not stop play even though the goal judge had turned on the goal light. Once the next whistle came, the referee went over to the goal judge and after a short conference, the official determined that the puck in fact crossed the goal lineand gave Davis his fourth of the season. Davis' goal is the second fastest Thunder goal scored this year with the first being a Matt Summers tally in just 26 secondsvs. Tulsa on October 28th. Later in the second, Brett Hemingway found the back of the net at 14:21, giving the Thunder a 3-0 lead. Hemingway now has the team scoring lead with 11 points (4g, 7a). Quad City broke the goose egg 1:12 after, as Jared Brown walked behind the Thunder net and put it past MacDonald to make it 3-1. Although he wasnt overly tested, MacDonald played a solid game, making 22 saves on 23 shots for his first win on home ice. Wichita would add another quick goal in the third period as Beauregard notched his second of the night when Alex Bourret made a nice play at the Quad City line, got past a defender and rifled the puck over to his linemate who put it in for a 4-1 lead. Beauregard's second of the night was 47 seconds into the third, giving Wichita goals in the first minute of the second and third period and also a goal with just 35 seconds remaining in the first. With the win, Wichita improved to 7-1-0 overall and 5-1-0 on home ice. Wichita will hit the road for the next two days, taking on the Missouri Mavericks tomorrow at 7:05pm and then traveling to Tulsa Sunday afternoon to finish a grueling stretch of four games in five days with the Oilers at 4:00pm. Wichita finishes its three-game road swing next Friday in Tulsa before coming back on Saturday, November 19th against the Oilers. Don't miss your chance to meet SpongeBob SquarePants on the November 19th as he will be in attendence against the Tulsa Oilers at 7:05pm. For tickets call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Arena Box Office or go online at . -Thunder- Sat, 12 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1297.html#1337242322 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1297.html Colin Hemingway has been moved around a couple of times, looking for that line combination that would click and Wednesday night at INTRUST Bank Arena, Hemingway notched his first hat trick of the season and helped pace the Thunder to a 5-3 win over Rapid City. Colin Hemingway opened up the scoring with his first ofthree goals on the night at 3:17 of period oneafter a nice passing play between Thomas Beauregard and Alex Bourret. After Jeff Kyrzakos tied the game at one, Hemingway gave the Thunder a 2-1 lead at 12:50 with a similar shot on net that clanked off the cross bar and in. Rapid City turned the tables in the second period, scoring twice and taking a brief one goal lead. Jesse Schultz tied the game up at twojust 1:34 into the period after the Rush came down on a three on one break and he beat Wichita netminder Adam Russo. Just after that, Rapid Citytook its first lead at 3-2 on the power play as Kryzakos scored his second on the night and fifth of the season. However, Andrew Martens and Alex Bourret combined on a beautiful give and go that tied the game at three, with Martens tucking the puck past a sprawled out Rush goalie Danny Battochio. Colin Hemingway would give Wichita the lead for good at 7:19 of period threeas he went hard to the net and got his stick on a centering feed from his brother Brett to give Wichita a 4-3 lead. The line of Brett and Colin Hemingway and Aaron Davis combined forsix points on the night. Daniel Tetrault put the icing on the cake with an empty net goal, giving Wichita a 5-3 win. With that goal, Tetrault is now just seven points shy (162)of former Thunder defenseman Sean O'Reilly (169)for the all time lead in points scored by a Thunder defensemen. The win improves the Thunder's record to 6-1-0 on the season, 4-1-0 at homeand sets up three games in three days over the coming weekend. Wichita will host the Quad City Mallards for the first time this year at INTRUST Bank Arenaon Friday night at 7:05pm. Friday isVeterans Day and also Saluteto ServiceNight. For tickets, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena BoxOffice or go to . -Thunder- Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1295.html#1337242323 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1295.html Check out the highlights from last night's home win over Rapid City . Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1296.html#1337242324 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1296.html Thunder Split with Mavericks:Wichita and Missouri came into their games this past weekend as the only two unbeaten teams left in the CHL. On Friday night, Wichita fell to the Mavericks 4-2 after climbing back into the game twice from a two-goal deficit. Thomas Beauregard scored on a beautiful wrist shot that beat Mavericks netminder Gerry Festa over the glove just under the crossbar, cutting the Mavericks lead to 2-1. Missouri increased the lead to 3-1 before a Tetrault blast got Wichita within one goal. Missouri added an empty net tally to hold on for its sixth consecutive road win of the season. Festa was terrific for Missouri, making 37 saves on 39 shots. Wichita returned the favor Saturday night, ruining the Mavericks home opener with a 4-3 shootout win at the Independence Event Center. Brett Hemingway and Matt Robinson scored in the shootout, helping improve the Thunders record to 4-0 in shootouts this season and its first shootout win away from INTRUST Bank Arena. Seizing the Moment: Brett Hemingway has been clutch this season in shootouts. The Surrey, BC native has scored three out of four times with two of those being game winners. Hemingway is second on the team with seven points while Matt Robinson has also been solid in the shootout, going three for four as well. Overall, Wichita leads the league in shootout attempts (26) and goals scored in the shootout (10). Wichita is scoring at a clip of 38.5%, third in the CHL in shootout percentage. Chasing History:12-year veteran Daniel Tetrault is approaching an impressive milestone. With two more points over the weekend, Tetrault is just eight points shy (161) of former Thunder defenseman Sean OReilly for the franchise lead in most points scored by a Thunder defenseman. OReilly played 311 games from 1997-02, scoring 169 points during that span while Tetrault has played 247 games in a Thunder uniform. Stopgates:Both Adam Russo and Ryan MacDonald continue to perform well in between the pipes for the Thunder. Russo is 3-1-0 with a 2.36 GAA (6th in CHL) and a .894 SPCT while Ryan MacDonald is 2-0-0 with a 2.40 GAA (7th in CHL) and a .891 SPCT. Russo leads the league with three shootout wins and in fifth overall with 254:14 minutes played. Shooting Gallery:Wichita has been tremendous getting the puck to the net this season while also limiting its opponents chances. The Thunder is averaging 37.3 shots on net, third in the CHL while allowing just 23.5 shots against, which is number one in the league. Lastly, Wichita has only allowed 39 shots against in the third period through the first six games. Scoring:Daniel Tetrault is tied for the league lead in points scored by defenseman with six (2g, 4a) while Andrew Martens is not too far behind in a tie for second with 5 points (2g, 3a). Wichita leads the league with 11 third period goals. The Thunder is averaging 3.67 goals per game while allowing just 2.67 goals against. Special Teams: The Thunder power play got a huge boost on Saturday night, helping Wichita get back into the game. Aaron Davis and Alex Bourret scored power play goals just 46 seconds apart in a wild third period. On the road, Wichita is four for 14 with the man advantage, sitting at a rate of 28.6%. Overall, Wichita is tied for ninth in the CHL on the power play, going six for 32 and at a clip of 18.8%. With a man down, the Thunder sits in eighth overall, killing off 22 of 26 chances for the opponent, sitting at 78.6%. Busy Week Ahead: Beginning Wednesday, Wichita will play four games in five days and its first three games in three days of the season. Wichita and Tulsa will see each other a lot in the month of the November, as the two teams will play one another five times in six games. Wichita will host Rapid City on Wednesday, Quad City on Friday before heading to Missouri on Saturday night, all at 7:05pm. Sundays game against Tulsa is at the BOK Center starting at 4:05pm. Wichita takes the ice Wednesday night at 7:05pm against the Rapid City Rush. For ticket information, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at . -Thunder- Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1294.html#1337242325 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1294.html For the fourth time this season, Wichita earned a victory in a shooutout, winning 4-3 against the Missouri Mavericks in Independence, MO Saturday night. Brett Hemingway and Matt Robinson each scored in the shooutout, helping the Thunder improve its record to 5-1-0. Missouri opened up the scoring at 3:54 when Andrew Courtney cut across the slot and beat Thunder goalie Ryan MacDonald to give the Mavericks a 1-0 lead. Wichita would answer almost 10 minutes later as Andrew Martens fired a slap shot from the high slot, tying the game atone and tallying his second of the year. Both teams combined for 57 minutes in penalties in the first period. Matt Summers was assessed a match penalty for an apparent illegal check to the head and was sent to the dressing room. Wichita ended up with 45 minutes in penalties while Missouri finished with 40. Courtney added his second goal of the night at 2:31 of period two when he stole a bouncing puck and broke a 1-1 tie. Wichita was shorthanded for almosteight minutes in the second periodincluding two five on three power plays. Ryan MacDonald was solid during that time as he saw 14 shots on net in the second frame. Wichita outshot the Mavericks 38-30 in the game and is averaging just over 37 shots a night, which is third in the CHL. Wichita capitalized on a two man advantage at the 2:09 mark of the third period as Aaron Davis and Alex Bourret scored 46 seconds apart to take a 3-2 lead. Thomas Beauregard made a nice pass across the slot to find Davis behind the Mavericks defense and he tucked it home for his third of the season. Bourret netted his first when he found a loose puck during a scramble infront of the net and gave Wcihita its first lead of the game at 2:55 of the final period. Missouri's Sebastien Thinel tied the game at three on the power play at 12:25, as he snuck it past MacDonald on the blocker side along the ice. After a five minute overtime session, Brett Hemingway netted his third shootout goal of the season in round three while Ryan MacDonald denied the final two shooters to give Wichita the win. Hemingway is now three for four in shootouts, with two of those goals resulting in game winners. Wichita is 4-0 in shootouts, with tonights being the only one away from home. Wichita will return home Wednesday night to take on the Rapid City Rush at 7:05pm before playing three games in three days next weekend. To order tickets, visit INTRUST Bank Arena, call 755-SEAT or go to . -Thunder- Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1293.html#1337242326 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1293.html For Immediate Release: Wichita fell from the ranks of the unbeaten Friday night at the hands of the Missouri Mavericks 4-2 at INTRUST Bank Arena despite outshooting Missouri 39-18. Mavericks netminder Gerry Festa stopped 37 of 39 shots, earning his second win of the season and dropped Wichita's record to 4-1-0 on the season. Despite the loss, Wichita saw another tremendous crowd of 6,510 at IBA cheer on the Thunder. A strong walk up crowd forced INTRUST Bank Arena officials to open up curtains in the upper level. Vern Cooper got the Mavericks on the board at 10:38 when he poked in a loose puck during a scramble infront of the Thunder net. David Pszenyczny stretched the lead to 2-0 less than 30 seconds later, scoring his first goal of the season. Wichita struck back at the beginning of the second period as Thomas Beauregard snapped a laser over the glove of Mavericks netminder Gerry Festa and cut the lead to 2-1. Beauregard's goal was his 101st of his professional career and second of the season. Daniel Tetrault had the other Wichita goal that cut the Missouri lead to 3-2 before a Sebastien Thinel empty net tally gave Missouri the win, 4-2. With his second goal of the season, Tetrault now has 156 points, trailing Sean O'Reilly by just 13 for the all time lead for points scored by a Thunder defenseman. Friday nights game was just the first of four meetings between the two teams in the month of November. Wichita travels to Missouri tomorrow night to take on the Mavericks before returning home to face the Rapid City Rush on Wednesday, November 9th starting at 7:05pm. To order tickets, visit INTRUST Bank Arena, call 755-SEAT or go to . Sun, 06 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1292.html#1337242327 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1292.html Live Auction begins immediately following the game! Thunder Fans will have the chance to 'adopt' their favorite Thunder player and receive special recognition throughout the entire 2011-12 season. The adopting families will have their name embroidered on a patch that will be donned on the adopted player's home jersey for the remainder of the season, and that family will also receive that player's autographed white jersey at the end of the season! Directly after the game tonight, the Thunder players will be auctioned off in a live auction for 18 Adopt-A-Player spots. Please visit the Thunder Fan Relations behind section 120 to register. You must pre-register in order to participate in the Auction. Immediately following the game please report to section 116. For the remainder of the season, the 18 Thunder players who are adopted will wear a patch on the back of their home jersey with the name of the adopting family on it (this does not include themed jerseys). The family will also be recognized next to their players name on the Thunder roster page at . The adopting families will also have a chance to meet their player in the locker room after a select future home game, and will be recognized at another future home game at center ice with their player during the pre-game ceremonies. At the conclusion of the season, adopting families will receive their player's autographed white game jersey! Details: 1) There will be no more than 18 adopting families for the entire 2011-2012 season. 2) Should a player be injured but remain on the team, the adopting family will remain with the same player. 3) Should a player be traded or released, the adopting family will automatically receive the incoming player as their new adopted player. 4) All 18 of the adopting families will remain throughout the season regardless of the player that family ends the season with, and those families will be eligible to attend all events throughout the year regardless of who their player is. Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1291.html#1337242328 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1291.html Wichita, KS- The Central Hockey League today named Thunder forward Matt Summers the Sher-Wood CHL Player of the Month for October. A sixth-year pro out of Savage, Minnesota, Summers leads the Thunder and ranks third in the CHL with seven points. Summers has scored in all four Thunder games this season, including two multi-point contests. Summers notched an assist on opening night, then kick-started Wichitas rally from a 3-0 deficit on October 22 versus Allen with a third period goal. Summers poured it on this past weekend, scoring two third period goals and adding an assist in another Thunder comeback win. The following night he chipped in a pair of assists to help Wichita to their perfect 4-0-0 record. The undefeated Thunder will battle the unbeaten Missouri Mavericks on Friday at 7:05 p.m. at INTRUST Bank Arena. Tickets are still available at the INTRUST Bank Arena Box Office, or by calling (316) 755-SEAT. Season tickets are still available and can be ordered by calling the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. For more information visit us online at . -THUNDER- Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1290.html#1337242329 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1290.html WICHITA RACES PAST TULSA- After giving up the first two goals Friday night in Tulsa, Wichita came from behind with six unanswered, five of which were in the third period to win 6-2. Matt Summers netted two, Thomas Beauregard has two assists and Ryan McDonald stopped 14 of 16 for his first win in his first start of the season. Shootouts the Charm- For the third straight game at home, Wichita won via the shootout Saturday night. Hosting the Allen Americans for the second straight Saturday, Wichitas Aaron Davis scored in the seventh round of the shootout to give the Thunder a 3-2 win, improving its record to 4-0-0. Home Cooking- The Thunder improved its home record to 3-0-0 over the weekend, which was last done in the 2006-07 campaign. Wichita started out 7-0-0 at home in 2005-06. Coach McClellands squad plays three of the next four on home ice before a three game road swing towards the middle of November. Stopgates- Thunder netminders Adam Russo and Ryan MacDonald each earned a win this past weekend and are both in the top ten in goalie statistics in the Central Hockey League. MacDonald stopped 14 of 16 Friday night while Russo made 27 of 29 saves on Saturday including five of seven in the shootout. Russo is the first Thunder netminder since Sebastien Laplante to start out 3-0-0, back in 2004-05 when he started out 6-0-0. Cardiac Kids- For the first time since 1995-96, Wichita has won the first three shootouts of the season. During that season, Wichita won its first five shootouts. All three wins on home ice this year have come via the shootout. Back during the 2000-01 campaign, the Thunder lost the first three shootouts, all in October. Scoring- Wichita has a few players near the top of the scoring leaders in several categories. Matt Summers (3g, 4a) is in a log jam tied in second for goals while Daniel Tetrault (1g,4a) is tied for second in scoring by defensemen. Brett Hemingway is also not too far behind the leaders as he has five points (2g,3a), which ties him with a number of others in fifth place in scoring. Special Teams- Wichita is 4-for-21 with the man advantage through four games, putting them in ninth place with a success rate of 19.1%. The Thunder is tied for third in the league for number of attempts with the power play and goals scored with the man advantage (4). The penalty kill unit has allowed four goals on 18 chances for an 77.8% kill rate, which ranks 10th in the CHL. Wichita has scored two shorthanded goals, tied for first in the league and one of just four teams to score a man down. Battle of the Unbeaten - Wichita hosts the Missouri Mavericks for the first time this season on Friday, November 4th. The two teams played an exciting best-of five-game series in the first round of last years playoffs before the Mavericks beat Wichita three games to two. Both teams are the only remaining undefeated teams in the CHL, with Missouri sitting at 5-0-0 and Wichita at 4-0-0. The two teams then travel to Independence, MO the next night as the Thunder hit the road for just the second time this season. Missouri has been on the road for the first five games and will open their home schedule against Wichita this Saturday. Wichita is 7-12-2 overall vs. Missouri in two seasons. In 2009-10, The Thunder went 0-8-2 overall, 0-5 on home ice and 0-3-2 on the road. That number was improved upon, however, as Wichita went 7-4-0 overall, 4-1-0 at home and 3-3-0 in Missouri. Upcoming home games- After this weekend, Wichita will host two home games before hitting the road for three straight. Rapid City comes to town Wednesday, November 9th while Quad City will fly in for the first time this season on Friday, November 11th. Both games begin at 7:05pm. Wichita takes the ice this coming Friday at 7:05pm against the Missouri Mavericks. For ticket information, call 755-SEAT, visit the INTRUST Bank Arena box office or online at -Thunder- Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1289.html#1337242330 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1289.html Check out the highlights from yet another Thunder home shootout win . Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1288.html#1337242331 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1288.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder defeated the Allen Americans for the second straight Saturday when Aaron Davis beat Americans netminder Rejean Beauchemin in round seven of the shootout Friday Night at Intrust Bank Arena. Colton Yellow Horn started the scoring in the first period on the power play at 10:55 giving Allen a 1-0 lead. However, Jarred Mohr added his own power play tally, tying the game at one three seconds before the penalty was set to expire. In the second period, Bruce Graham scored 1:02 in as he snuck it past Thunder goalie Adam Russo, giving Allen a 2-1 lead. But shortly after, Thomas Beauregard scored his 100th professional goal, tying the game at two at 6:37. With the win, Wichita improves to 4-0-0, winning all three homes games in a shootout. The Thunder returns to home action onFriday at 7:05 PM when they again host the Missouri Mavericks. To order tickets, visit INTRUST Bank Arena, call 755-SEAT or go to . -Thunder- Sun, 30 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1287.html#1337242332 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1287.html Wichita exploaded with 6 unasnwered goals, five in the 3rd period to beat Tulsa on the road Friday night, 6-2. Matt Summers scored twice, Thomas Beauregard had two assists and Ryan McDonald earned his first win in his first start of the seasonto improve Wichita's record to 3-0-0 at the BOK Center in Tulsa. Luke Lucyk scored the first goal for the Oilers off a faceoff, giving the Oilers a 1-0 lead.Wichita peppered Tulsa goaltender Ian Keserich with 16 shots on net in the first period, but he was able to make some nice saves and keep his former team off the board. Sean Erickson gave the Oilersa 2-0 lead at 9:51, his second of the season as he stepped into the play and beat Thunder netminder Ryan McDonald to the blocker side. Colin Hemingway was able to get Wichita on the board at 12:21 when he recieved an Aaron Davis pass and was able to squeeze the puck through Keserich's legs and into the net for his second goal of the season. Wichita then opened up the shooting gallery, with goals from Summers (2), Davis, Robinson and Martens. Wichita outshot Tulsa 50-16, limiting Tulsa to just 3 in the final period. With the five goals scored in the third period tonight and three last Saturday, Wichita has scored eight goals in the last two games in the final period of play. The Thunder returns to home action on Saturday at 7:05 PM when they again host the Allen Americans. To order tickets visit INTRUST Bank Arena, call 755-SEAT or go to . -Thunder- Sat, 29 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1286.html#1337242333 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1286.html Thunder Weekly October 24th Thunder win twice in consecutive shoot-outs on Opening Weekend The Wichita Thunder opened its 20th anniversary season in dramatic fashion this past weekend, winning both games in a shootout against two of the leagues top teams from a year ago. On Friday night, The Thunder took a 2-0 lead in the first period, led by goals from Brett Hemingway and Matt Robinson. Rapid City flipped the coin and scored two in the second, with tallies from Shawn Limpright and Les Reaney. After a scoreless third period and a five minute overtime session, the two teams went into a six round shootout. Matt Robinson scored in round three and Brett Hemingway ended it in round six, giving Wichita the 3-2 shootout win. Saturday night, Wichita spotted Allen a three goal lead before rallying in the third period to tie the game and eventually win 4-3 in a shootout. Matt Summers got Wichita on the board before two goals scored in 59 seconds by Colin Hemingway and Daniel Tetrault tied the game at three goals apiece. Brett Hemingway scored in round nine of the shootout, giving the Thunder back to back shootout wins to open the season. Brett Hemingway earns Oakley CHL Player of the Week Honors Brett Hemingway collected the first CHL Player of the Week honor of the season after having a tremendous impact in both games. Hemingway scored the first goal of the season for Wichita and then capped the night with the game-winning shootout goal in the sixth round of a 3-2 victory over the Rapid City Rush. The following night, Hemingway was instrumental in the comeback. Trailing 3-0 in the third period, the Thunder scored three goals in just over four minutes, with Hemingway assisting on the final two goals (one of which was a goal by his brother Colin). With the Thunder needing a goal to keep the game alive, Hemingway scored a sixth round shootout goal to prolong the affair. The Thunder eventually defeated the Allen Americans 4-3 in the ninth round of the shootout. Russo solid in debut Thunder netminder Adam Russo earned two shootout wins and was solid between the pipes in his debut this past weekend. Russo logged 130 minutes, posting a 2.31 GAA and a save percentage of 89.6. Nice crowds for first two games Through, two games, Wichita is averaging 8,754 fans per game, which currently sits second in the league behind Fort Wayne. Bourret suspended, will sit Friday Night Alex Bourret was suspended by the Central Hockey League for his hit on Rapid City defenseman Joe Grimaldi. Bourret will be out of the line-up for the second straight night this coming Friday and will return to the line-up this Saturday as Wichita will host Allen. Thunder partner with KWME, KKLE for second straight year The Wichita Thunder are proud to announce the renewaloftheir partnership withJohnson Enterprises, home of KWME and KKLE. All games can be heard on 1550 KKLE while a number of games will be simulcast on 93.5 KWME. Each broadcast opens with a 20-minute pre-game show featuring interviews with Thunder players and Head Coach Kevin McClelland. Out-of-town Thunder fans can catch the action streamed live on the internet at or they can listen by downloading theTune In Radio appon their Smart Phone. Up Next The 2-0-0, first place Thunder will travel to Tulsa on Friday night for a 7:35 p.m. face-off with the Oilers. Wichita returns home on Saturday to host Allen once again. Tickets can be purchased at the INTRUST Bank Arena box office, by calling 755-SEAT or online at . For more information or to purchase season tickets visit the Thunder website at . -Thunder- Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1284.html#1337242334 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1284.html Check out the highlights from another thrilling Thunder victory on Saturday night. Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1282.html#1337242335 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1282.html Wichita, KS- The Central Hockey League today announced Wichita Thunder forward Brett Hemingway as the first Oakley CHL Player of the Week award winner. Hemingway was instrumental in both Thunder shootout victories this weekend. On Friday, Hemingway scored the first Thunder goal of the season and then capped the night with the game-winning shootout goal in the sixth round of a 3-2 victory over the Rapid City Rush. Hemingway had another huge night on Saturday, helping fuel the Thunder comeback. Trailing 3-0 in the third period, the Thunder scored three goals in just over four minutes, with Hemingway assisting on the final two goals (one of which was a goal by his brother Colin). With the Thunder needing a goal to keep the game alive, Hemingway scored a sixth round shootout goal to prolong the affair. The Thunder eventually defeated the Allen Americans 4-3 in the ninth round of the shootout. The 2-0-0, first place Thunder will travel to Tulsa on Friday night for a 7:35 p.m. face-off with the Oilers. Wichita returns home on Saturday to host Allen once again. Tickets can be purchased at the INTRUST Bank Arena box office, by calling 755-SEAT or online at . For more information or to purchase season tickets visit the Thunder website at . -THUNDER- Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1283.html#1337242336 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1283.html Wichita, KS- Tim Kraus finished a nine-round shootout beating Allen netminder Rajean Beauchemin, giving Wichita a 4-3 win for the second consecutive night Saturday at Intrust Bank Arena. Allen struck first at the 2:12 mark of the first period when Bruce Graham beat Adam Russo to give Allen an early 1-0 lead. The Americans added to the lead when Jason Deitch found some open ice off a face off right after a penalty was assessed to Tim Kraus and scored just eight seconds into the power play. Wichita went through the first period shorthanded three times. The only tally of the second came fron Allen's Joshua Hepditch to extend the lead to 3-0. Russo had made a terrific save on a breakaway seconds before. Wichita outshot Allen in the second period, 14-11 Wichita got on the board at the 3:40 mark of the 3rd as Matt Summers netted his first in a Thunder uniform, assisted by Robinson and Beauregard. Wichita then went on a 5-on-3 powerplay and Colin Hemingway cut the lead to one with a nice goal at 6:50. Right after the second penalty ended, Daniel Tetrault tied the game 3-3 at 7:49 with a blast from the point and what looked like a tough hill to climb gave Wichita second life. The win improves the Thunder record to 2-0-0 - both in exciting fashion -to open the season. The Thunder returns to home action on Saturday at 7:05 PM when they again host the Allen Americans. To order tickets visit INTRUST Bank Arena, call 755-SEAT or go to . -THUNDER- Sun, 23 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1281.html#1337242337 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1281.html Check out the Highlights from Friday Night's thrilling home opening Thunder shootout victory over Rapid City Sat, 22 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1280.html#1337242338 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1280.html Wichita, KS- Brett Hemingways goal in the sixth round of the shootout gave the Thunder a 3-2 win over the Rapid City Rush on Friday night at INTRUST Bank Arena. The Thunder jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, thanks to goals byBrett Hemingway and a beautiful shorthanded tally by Matt Robinson. Rapid City tied things up in the second on power play goals by Shawn Limpright and Les Reaney. The teams played scoreless hockey thru the third period and overtime, setting up the shootout. In the shootout the Thunder led 1-0 on a goal by Robinson, before Collin Circelli tied it up again on Rapid Citys last attempt. After Joe Grimaldi was denied by Thunder goaltender Adam Russo in the sixth round, Hemingway won it for the Thunder in front of a crowd of 8,734. The Thunder returns to action on Saturday at 7:05 PM when they host the Allen Americans. To order tickets visit INTRUST Bank Arena, call 755-SEAT or go to . -THUNDER- Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1279.html#1337242339 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1279.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder made a flurry of roster moves today in preparation for opening weekend. The Thunder traded defenseman Craig Cescon and forward Matt Whitehead to the Bloomington Blaze in exchange for future considerations and waived defenseman Adam Bartholomay. The Thunder also placed forwards Dustin Donaghy, Chris Greene and Robin Richards on injured reserve. Wichita now has 18 active players on the roster for this weekends opening games. Newcomers include forwards Alex Bourret, Thomas Beauregard and goaltender Adam Russo. They join key returning stars Matt Robinson, Aaron Davis, Daniel Tetrault, Travis Wight and Andrew Martens. The Thunder will open the regular season at home this Friday versus the Rapid City Rush and this Saturday versus the Allen Americans. Tickets are still available at the INTRUST Bank Arena Box Office, or by calling (316) 755-SEAT. Season tickets are still available and can be ordered by calling the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. For more information visit us online at . -THUNDER- Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1278.html#1337242340 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1278.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder today acquired defenseman Jarred Mohr from the Rapid City Rush in exchange for future considerations. A sixth-year pro out of Regina, Saskatchewan, Mohr began his pro career in 2006 with the ECHLs Cincinnati Cyclones. He has spent the last three seasons in the CHL - the last two with the Laredo Bucks - where he notched 57 points in 125 games. Over his pro career he has amassed 100 points in 297 games. The Thunder will unveil their final roster on Thursday afternoon. The Thunder will open the regular season at home this Friday versus the Rapid City Rush and this Saturday versus the Allen Americans. Tickets are still available at the INTRUST Bank Arena Box Office, or by calling (316) 755-SEAT. Season tickets are still available and can be ordered by calling the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. For more information visit us online at . -THUNDER- Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1277.html#1337242341 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1277.html Wichita, KS- Alex Bourret scored a natural hat trick in the third period, leading the Thunder to a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over the Tulsa Oilers in front of a packed Wichita Ice Center on Saturday night. Dustin Donaghy and Matt Whitehead scored first period goals to put the Thunder up 2-1, before Tulsa took a 3-2 lead after two periods on goals by Dustin Cloutier and Gerome Giudice. Bourret turned it on in the third period, scoring three goals in exactly eight minutes. Tulsa made it close with an extra attacker goal by Michel Beausoleil in the final minute. Goaltender Ryan MacDonald made 21 saves in the victory as the Thunder outshot Tulsa 47-25. Whitehead and Justin Sawyer each had two points for the Thunder while Beausoleil had two points for Tulsa. The Wichita Thunder will open the regular season on Friday, October 21 versus the Rapid City Rush and tickets are on sale now at the INTRUST Bank Arena Box Office, or by calling (316) 755-SEAT. Season tickets are still available and can be ordered by calling the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. For more information visit us online at . -THUNDER- Sun, 16 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1275.html#1337242342 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1275.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder edged the Tulsa Oilers 2-1 in a shootout on Friday night in a CHL exhibition game played at the Wichita Ice Center. After a scoreless first period, the Thunder got on the board late in the second on a goal by Dustin Donaghy. The score stayed that way until the latter part of the third period when Matt Robertson tied things up at 1-1. Thunder goaltender Adam Russo (35) and Tulsa goaltender Ian Keserich (40) shut the door the rest of the third period, combining to stop 75 shots in the game. The two teams went straight to the shootout with Robin Richards giving Wichita the early lead with a first round goal. Tulsa tied the shootout in the second round on a goal by Jay Sprague before Justin Sawyer scored the game-winnerwith a prettyfourth round goal. Wichita will host Tulsa again on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. at the Wichita Ice Center. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at the Thunder office. Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1274.html#1337242343 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1274.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder announced today that forward Chris Chappell has been assigned to the Thunder by the New York Rangers. A third-year pro out of Pickering, Ontario, Chappell has spent part of the last two seasons with the Rangers AHL affiliates the Hartford Wolf Pack and the Connecticut Whale. Chappell, a 6-4, 215-pound power forward spent the majority of last season with the ECHLs Greenville Road Warriors, notching nine goals and 21 points in 53 games. Prior to turning pro, Chappell played four seasons with the Ontario Hockey Leagues (OHL) Saginaw Spirit. He put up huge numbers in 2008/09 - his final junior season - piling up 38 goals and 76 points in 68 games. The newest Thunder team will see their first action tonight and tomorrow when they host the Tulsa Oilers at the Wichita Ice Center. Both games will face-off at 7:05 p.m. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at the Thunder office, located at 505 W. Maple. Former Thunder greats Bryan Wells and Sean OReilly will coach the Thunder for their exhibition games. The Wichita Thunder will open the regular season on Friday, October 21 versus the Rapid City Rush and tickets are on sale now at the INTRUST Bank Arena Box Office, or by calling (316) 755-SEAT. Season tickets are still available and can be ordered by calling the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. For more information visit us online at . -THUNDER- Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1273.html#1337242344 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1273.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder announced today that alumni Bryan Wells and Sean OReilly will coach the Thunder during their two exhibition games this weekend. A member of both the 1994 and 1995 Thunder CHL Championship Teams, Wells played three seasons for the Thunder, racking up 50 goals, 85 points and 663 penalty minutes in just 73 games. Following his third and final season with the Thunder in 1996, Wells was named head coach and led the Thunder to the 1998 CHL Finals. In five seasons behind the Thunder bench, Wells had a record of 161-146-39. He is currently the General Manager of the Wichita Ice Center. OReilly was recruited to Wichita by Wells in 1997 and spent his entire five-year career with the Thunder. He is currently the all-time leader in Thunder history among defensemenwith 142 assists and 169 points. OReilly also served as interim coach of the Thunder for one game in 2003, a 5-2 victory over Fort Worth. The Thunder will resume training camp on Wednesday and Thursday at 10:00 a.m. at the Wichita Ice Center. The newest Thunder team will see their first action this weekend when they host the Tulsa Oilers on Friday and Saturday, October 14 and 15, also at the Wichita Ice Center. Both games will face-off at 7:05 p.m. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at the Thunder office, located at 505 W. Maple. Season ticketholders can pick up their season tickets at the Ice Center/Thunder office tonight during a meet and greet with the Thunder players. Fans will also be able to purchase extra tickets for opening night as well as the exhibition games. There will also be a public skate with some of the Thunder players beginning at 7:15 p.m. The Wichita Thunder will open the regular season on Friday, October 21 versus the Rapid City Rush and tickets are on sale now at the INTRUST Bank Arena Box Office, or by calling (316) 755-SEAT. Season tickets are still available and can be ordered by calling the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. For more information visit us online at . -THUNDER- Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1271.html#1337242345 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1271.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder will not practice on Tuesday due to numerous off-ice team activities. The Thunder will resume training camp on Wednesday and Thursday at 10:00 a.m. at the Wichita Ice Center. The newest Thunder team will see their first actionthis weekend when they host the Tulsa Oilers on Friday and Saturday, October 14 and 15, also at the Wichita Ice Center. Both games will face-off at 7:05 p.m. Tickets are on still available and can be purchased at the Thunder office, located at 505 W. Maple. Season ticketholders can pick up their tickets at the Ice Center/Thunder office on Tuesday night from 5:00-8:00 p.m. during a meet and greet with the Thunder players. Fans will also be able to purchaseadditional tickets for opening night as well as for the exhibition games. There will also be a public skate with some of the Thunder players beginning at 7:15 p.m. The Wichita Thunder will open the regular season on Friday, October 21 versus the Rapid City Rush and tickets are on sale now at the INTRUST Bank Arena Box Office, or by calling (316) 755-SEAT. Season tickets are still available and can be ordered by calling the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. For more information visit us online at . -THUNDER- Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1269.html#1337242346 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1269.html Overview- It is going to be another exciting season in Wichita as they embark on their 20th anniversary year as a franchise. Last season Wichita rebounded from some disapointments in previous seasons and made the post-season for the first time since 2007. The franchise was recognized by the league as one of four finalists for the prestigious CHL Franchise of the Year Award, won by the Missouri Mavericks. The Thunder went from nine wins in 2009-10 to 34 victories last season, re-emerging in the playoffs and finishing third in the CHL in attendance. In the 2010-11 season, the Thunder finished 5th in the Turner Conference with a record of 34-24-6 (74 points) and were one of the highest scoring teams in the league. They went on to play the Missouri Mavericks in the opening round and lost a hard fought battle, 3 games to 2 games (best-of-5 series). This offseason saw second year head coach Kevin McClelland be very aggressive signing many top end players, while keeping a good chunk of last years core. Key Returns Maybe no bigger of a return for the Thunder than Matt Robinson who was such an offensive presence last year for the Thunder playing a total of 65 games, 57 of them being with Wichita, and scoring a total of 72 points (40g, 32a). At the end of the season he led his team in goals and was tied for second in points. Another great returnee for Wichita is forward Aaron Davis who played all 66 games last season and tied for second in points with 72 (26g, 46a). He led his team in assists and is a deadly duo when matched up with Robinson and is one of the keys to Wichitas successful power play. Lastly, Andrew Martens, last years CHLs Most Outstanding Defenseman, can be expected to return as and be a big presence on the ice he was a key D-man for the Thunder last year. He played in 65 games and led the blue liners with 54 points (15g, 39a). Bidding Farewell Wichitas squad lost some offense during the offseason when they traded their leading scorer, Jesse Bennefield, to the Fort Wayne Komets. Bennefield finished with 75 points (35g, 40a). He also had the teams best plus/minus with a solid +18. The high-scoring forward was dealt to the Komets in exchange for solid defenseman Craig Cescon making this one of those deals that could very well make both teams better. New Arrivals A big pickup for the Thunder was goaltender Adam Russo, acquired in a trade from Quad City. Last year, Russo went 15-13-0 with the Mallards, including one shutout, a 2.88 G.A.A. and a .919 SV%. He had even more impressive numbers two seasons ago, going 23-14-3 with a 2.81 goals against average, playing for the IHLs Port Huron Icehawks, where he was a teammate of Thunder team captain Daniel Tetrault. Perhaps Wichitas biggest off-season acquisition though is forward Thomas Beauregard who has spent his entire North American pro career in the ECHL and the AHL. Following a 71-goal, 124-point season with the QMJHLs Acadie-Bathurst Titan, Beauregard turned pro in 2007 with the ECHLs Cincinnati Cyclones and promptly tallied 31 goals and 65 points in his rookie season. Side Note The Thunder had an adventurous time of the ice this past summer including an ownership change. After 19 years with Chicago-based Horn Chen at the mantle, the Thunder was purchased by three brothers of one of Wichitas most well-known entrepreneurial families. The company, formally known as Stevens Brothers Sports Management consists of Brandon, Johnny and Rodney Stevens. Were now playing at one of the nicest arenas, with Kevin McClelland who is a first class coach, said Rodney Steven II. My brothers and I are ready to put all of our business experience to work, to give this team all the tools it needs to be the best they can be and to keep this team here in Wichita. Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1270.html#1337242347 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1270.html Players will start a rigorous training schedule in anticipation of the season, which kicks off on October 21. Wichita, KS - The Wichita Thunder opens training camp on their 20th Central Hockey League season 10 a.m. on Monday morning at the Wichita Ice Center. The Thunder will hold their first practice from 10 - 11:30 a.m. on Monday, though the remainder of the training camp practice schedule will be announced later next week. The practice is open to the public, and each year the training camp attracts a sizable amount of fans. Twenty-four players will take to the ice on Monday with the addition of rookie forward Steve Moore. The new Thunder team will see their first action next weekend when they host the Tulsa Oilers on Friday and Saturday, October 14 and 15, also at the Wichita Ice Center. Both games will face-off at 7:05 p.m. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at the Thunder office, located at 505 W. Maple. The Wichita Thunder will open the regular season on Friday, October 21 versus the Rapid City Rush and tickets are on sale now at the INTRUST Bank Arena Box Office, www.selectaseat.com or by calling (316) 755-SEAT. Season tickets are still available and can be ordered by calling the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. For more information, visit us online at www.wichitathunder.com. Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1267.html#1337242348 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1267.html WICHITA, KS- The Thunder is continuing to increase community involvement and will be making several appearances around Wichita and the surrounding area this weekend. The Wichita Thunder and Lampton Lightning Girls dance team will be at the Native Lights Casino First Annual Bike Show this Saturday, October 8, in Newkirk, Oklahoma from 11 a.m. 3 p.m. The Thunder team will be hanging out with the bikers, handing out information and cheering on the winning bikes. The Thunder will also be at the Seventh annual Kruzn for Kids Charity Cruise on Sunday, October 9 from 1:45 2:30 p.m. Kruzn for Kids, which benefits the U.S. Marines Toys for Tots, will run from Wichita State to the Mid-America Car Auction. T-Dog and the Thunder staff will be handing out info and supporting the charity event. The Thunder will also be hosting a booth at the Fit for LifExpo following the Prairie Fire Marathon on Sunday, October 9 at Century II Exhibition Hall from 9 a.m. 5 p.m. The expo is geared at encouraging healthier habits and healthier lifestyles. The Wichita Thunder will open their 20th CHL season on Friday, October 21 versus the Rapid City Rush and tickets are expected to go on sale September 14. Tickets for Wichitas exhibition games on October 14 and 15 versus the Tulsa Oilers are on sale now and can be purchased at the Thunder office, located at 505 W. Maple at the Wichita Ice Center. For more information or to order season tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL or visit us online at . -THUNDER- Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1266.html#1337242349 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1266.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder today announced the signings of defensemen Adam Bartholomay and Justin Hofstetter, as well as forwards Travis Dunstall and Matt Whitehead. Bartholomay joins the Thunder from the SPHLs Mississippi Surge where he notched 20 points in just 26 games last season. Over his four-year pro career, Bartholomay has also played in the IHL, ECHL and CHL. He registered 20 points in 55 games for the Tulsa Oilers in 2009-10. A second-year pro, Hofstetter played four seasons of college hockey at R.I.T. amassing 14 goals and 42 points over four seasons. He played overseas last season for Herentals HYC in Holland, scoring 23 points in just 28 games. Dunstall joins the Thunder from Ryerson University in Canada, where he scored 15 points in 18 games last season. Prior to turning pro, Dunstall played six years of junior hockey and enjoyed a phenomenal final season, racking up 42 goals, 82 points and 185 penalty minutes in 53 games for the AJHLs Grande Prairie Storm in 2009-10. Whitehead played in the SPHL the last two seasons, piling up 39 goals and 98 points in 92 games with the Pensacola Ice Flyers. Prior to turning pro he played four seasons of college hockey at SUNY-Oswego, tallying 63 points over four seasons. The Wichita Thunder will open their 20th CHL season on Friday, October 21 versus the Rapid City Rush and tickets are on sale now at the INTRUST Bank Arena Box Office, or by calling (316) 755-SEAT. Tickets for Wichitas exhibition games on October 14 and 15 versus the Tulsa Oilers are on sale now and can be purchased at the Thunder office, located at 505 W. Maple in the Wichita Ice Center. For more information or to order season tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL or visit us online at . -THUNDER- Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1265.html#1337242350 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1265.html WICHITA, KS- Wichita Thunder Hockey team mascot Thunderdog is set to be out at the Kansas Humane Societys Woofstock Saturday, October 1 from 10 a.m. noon. Thunderdog will be judging the Best Dressed Dog competition and be mingling with the other furry creatures of Wichita and encouraging the adoption of homeless pets. Thunderdog himself was once a lonely, afraid pup on the streets, looking for his forever home. Twenty years ago on October 21, after wandering dejectedly around Old Town, he was picked up by a kindly group of hockey players and named Thunderdog, after the brand new hockey team they had just joined called the Wichita Thunder. Since then, Thunderdog spends his days living in the Wichita Thunder office, being a mischievous pup by stealing the Zamboni machine for joy rides through Old Town, chasing pucks across the ice and rooting for his favorite Wichita team: the Wichita Thunder. The Wichita Thunder will open their 20th CHL season on Friday, October 21 versus the Rapid City Rush and tickets are on sale now at the INTRUST Bank Arena Box Office, or by calling (316) 755-SEAT. Tickets for Wichitas exhibition games on October 14 and 15 versus the Tulsa Oilers are on sale now and can be purchased at the Thunder office, located at 505 W. Maple in the Wichita Ice Center. For more information or to order season tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL or visit us online at . -THUNDER- Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1263.html#1337242351 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1263.html WICHITA, KS- From October 1thru October 20, Wichita Thunder fans on Facebook and Twitter will get a chance to win some neat prizes through a trivia contest. Every day, the Thunder will be posting trivia questions on their Facebook and Twitter pages and fans can email to submit answers and gain points to win prizes. The first person to submit a right answer gets three points, any right answer gets two points, and any answer gets one point. The top scorer gets 10 Game Flex pack autographed I Vow posters and a 2010-2011 Fight DVD. The second top scorer gets 4 Game Flex Pack autographed I Vow posters, and the third top scorer gets two Game Flex Pack autographed I Vow posters and miscellaneous Thunder novelty items. The Wichita Thunder will open their 20th CHL season on Friday, October 21 versus the Rapid City Rush and tickets are on sale now at the INTRUST Bank Arena Box Office, or by calling (316) 755-SEAT. Tickets for Wichitas exhibition games on October 14 and 15 versus the Tulsa Oilers are on sale now and can be purchased at the Thunder office, located at 505 W. Maple in the Wichita Ice Center. For more information or to order season tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL or visit us online at . -THUNDER- Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1264.html#1337242352 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1264.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder today traded forward Jesse Bennefield to the Fort Wayne Komets for defenseman Craig Cescon (plus future considerations) and signed high-scoring forward Alex Bourret. A sixth-year pro out of Mississauga, Ontario, Cescon (pronounced SESS-con) spent last season with the Fort Wayne Komets, notching six points and 174 penalty minutes in 60 games. The 6-2, 195-pound stay-at-home defenseman previously spent two seasons with the ECHLs Idaho Steelheads, where he was a teammate of Thunder defenseman Travis Wight and played under former Thunder head coach Derek Laxdal. Cescon is currently attending AHL camp with the Chicago Wolves. In 199 pro games, he has notched 20 points and 564 penalty minutes. Prior to turning pro, Cescon played four seasons of junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). A first round draft pick (16th overall) of the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, Bourret (pronounced BUHR-ray) will also be entering his sixth pro season. Bourret was drafted by Atlanta out of the QMJHL where he enjoyed a stellar four-year junior career. In 2005-06, his final junior season, Bourret piled up 44 goals and 114 points in just 67 games. He began his pro career the following season in the AHL, splitting time between Chicago and the Hartford Wolf Pack, and scoring impressive rookie totals of 16 goals and 50 points in 68 games. Following two more AHL seasons, Bourret has spent the last two years in the ECHL, notching 30 goals and 83 points in 78 games. Over his North American pro career Bourret has compiled 180 points in 248 games. Bourret will be a key piece of the Thunder offensive puzzle, filling in a space left by Bennefields departure. Bennefield led the Thunder last season with 75 points in 66 games. The Wichita Thunder will open their 20th CHL season on Friday, October 21 versus the Rapid City Rush and tickets are on sale now at the INTRUST Bank Arena Box Office, or by calling (316) 755-SEAT. Tickets for Wichitas exhibition games on October 14 and 15 versus the Tulsa Oilers are on sale now and can be purchased at the Thunder office, located at 505 W. Maple in the Wichita Ice Center. For more information or to order season tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL or visit us online at . -THUNDER- Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1262.html#1337242353 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1262.html Wichita, KS- American Hockey League (AHL) training camp gets underway today with five Thunder players in attendance: forwards Matt Robinson, Thomas Beauregard, Matt Summers, Erick Lizonand goaltender Adam Russo. Robinson, who led the Thunder with 39 goals last season, is headed to Oklahoma City Barons camp, along with newcomers Beauregard and Summers. In 197 career games, Beauregard has amassed 105 goals and 197 points, while Summers compiled career highs for goals (28) and points (52) last season with the CHLs Mississippi RiverKings. Lizon will be attending camp with the St. John's IceCaps while Russo is headed to AHL camp with the Rockford IceHogs. Russo went 15-13-0 with the CHLs Quad City Mallards last season, including one shutout, a 2.88 goals against average and a .919 save percentage. The Wichita Thunder will open their 20th CHL season on Friday, October 21 versus the Rapid City Rush and tickets are on sale now at the INTRUST Bank Arena Box Office, or by calling (316) 755-SEAT. Tickets for Wichitas exhibition games on October 14 and 15 versus the Tulsa Oilers are on sale now and can be purchased at the Thunder office, located at 505 W. Maple in the Wichita Ice Center. For more information or to order season tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL or visit us online at . -THUNDER- Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1261.html#1337242354 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1261.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder is cooking up another exciting recipe, this time off of the ice. The Thunder will be downtown tomorrow, Sept. 24, at the Wichita Wagonmasters Chili Cookoff to whip up a batch of Thunder chili. Joel Lomurno, general manager of the Wichita Thunder, as well as the Lampton Lightning girls will be competing in the Anything Goes category. The Anything Goes category throws contestants into a no-holds-barred take on cooking chili. Thunder chili is sure to fire up the masses. The Wagonmasters Chili Cookoff takes place on the 600 block of East Douglas between St. Francis and the railroad tracks. Public tastings open up at noon on Saturday, September 24. This event is free to the public. The Wichita Thunder will open their 20th CHL season on Friday, October 21 versus the Rapid City Rush and tickets are on sale now at the INTRUST Bank Arena Box Office, or by calling (316) 755-SEAT. Tickets for Wichitas exhibition games on October 14 and 15 versus the Tulsa Oilers are on sale now and can be purchased at the Thunder office, located at 505 W. Maple in the Wichita Ice Center. For more information or to order season tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL or visit us online at . -THUNDER- Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1260.html#1337242355 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1260.html WICHITA, KS Today the Wichita Thunder announced the re-signing of forwards Chris Greene, Robin Richards and Dustin Donaghy, as well as the additions of Justin Sawyer and BradyLeavold. A hard-hitting forward out of Massena, New York, Greene returns to the Thunder for a fourth season. After playing with the Thunder for two seasons in 2007-08 and 2008-09, Greene spent the 2009-10 season with the SPHLs Mississippi Surge, where he notched 51 points in 56 games. Greene returned to the Thunder last season, picking up 24 points and appearing in all 66 games. A seventh-year pro out of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Robin Richards returns to the Thunder for a second season. Richards turned pro in 2005, and has also spent time with the CHLs Odessa Jackalopes, Tulsa Oilers and Laredo Bucks. Last season Richards notched 11 points and ranked fifth in the CHL with 199 penalty minutes. A second-year pro, Dustin Donaghy also returns to the Thunder for a second season, after being acquired from the Allen Americans in January. Donaghy made a huge impact for the Thunder as a rookie, notching 10 goals and 18 points in 33 games, including his first career hat trick on January 23 versus Laredo. A 6-6, 240-pound defenseman, Justin Sawyer is also entering his seventh pro season. An imposing presence on the ice, Sawyer has recorded over 200 penalty minutes four times in his pro career. In 2007-08 while with the Oklahoma City Blazers, Sawyer finished second in the CHL with 303 minutes. Sawyer played for the CHLs Odessa Jackalopes last season. A newcomer to the CHL, Brady Leavold is entering his fourth pro season. Prior to turning pro, Leavold played five seasons in the WHL, including a 69-point season with the Kelowna Rockets in 2007-08. Leavold then played parts of three pro seasons with the ECHLs Victoria Salmon Kings, as well as four games with the AHLs Norfolk Admirals. The Wichita Thunder will open their 20th CHL season on Friday, October 21 versus the Rapid City Rush and tickets are on sale now at the INTRUST Bank Arena Box Office, or by calling (316) 755-SEAT. Tickets for Wichitas exhibition games on October 14 and 15 versus the Tulsa Oilers are on sale now and can be purchased at the Thunder office, located at 505 W. Maple in the Wichita Ice Center. For more information or to order season tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL or visit us online at . Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1259.html#1337242356 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1259.html WICHITA, KS- Two members of the Wichita Thunders Lampton Lightning Dance and Promotional Team will be participating in Care to Dances Dancing with the Local Stars. For the next five weeks, from September 16 through October 14, Michelle Caban and Cat Wurtz will participate each Friday at Heroes in Old Town at 8 p.m. to compete for the chance to win 1,000 for the charity of their choice. The competition is a fun way to get local faces to raise money for charity while supporting local businesses. Dancing with the Local Stars was started by Steven Bowling, owner of Care to Dance, who approached Caban to participate. This is their sixth season. With our hectic schedule it was difficult to incorporate the practices for this competition and for the upcoming Thunder season. But, we had many girls who were open to the idea of learning ballroom, Michelle Caban says. Luckily, two of us could fit it into our schedules. Caban says the charity she has chosen is Backpack for Kids, which generates funds to provide underprivileged kids the backpacks and other school supplies. I thought this was a great way to draw attention to a positive way that high school students are impacting the community, says Caban. For more information on the Thunder or the Lampton Lightning, visit us online at . The Thunder opens the regular season, their 20th in the CHL, on Friday, October 21 versus the Rapid City Rush. Tickets are on sale now by calling (316) 755-SEAT and at . -THUNDER- Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1258.html#1337242357 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1258.html WICHITA, KS- Tickets for the Wichita Thunder regular season went on sale today, Wednesday, Sept. 14. As per Wednesday, 1300 season tickets had already been sold. The INTRUST Bank Arena holds over 13,000 seats. The phones in the Thunder office have been ringing off the hook all morning as avid Thunder fans call to reserve their seats for games on the opening weekend, October 21 and 22. Brandon Steven, who recently purchased the team with his brothers Rodney and Johnny, expects several of the games to sell out this season. We have many surprises in store for Wichita where the Thunder is concerned, he said. Were excited to partner with this amazing team, and are excited to see where it can go. The Wichita Thunder was ranked third in the league for average attendance last season, out of 18 teams in the Central Hockey League. Tickets start at 10. For more information or to order season tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL, call (316) 755-SEAT for game tickets, or visit us online at . -THUNDER- Wed, 14 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1257.html#1337242358 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1257.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder today announced the re-signing of defenseman Travis Wight, as well as the additions of forwards Thomas Beauregard, Tim Kraus, Matt Summers and goaltender Ryan MacDonald. A sixth-year pro out of Fannystelle, Manitoba, Wight returns to the Thunder for a second season. A durable, stay-at-home defenseman, Wight notched 13 points last season, while appearing in all 66 games. Prior to joining the Thunder, Wight played three seasons for the ECHLs Idaho Steelheads, where he was a member of the 2007 ECHL Champions. Before turning pro, Wight played four years of college hockey at NCAA powerhouse the University of Maine. Perhaps Wichitas biggest off-season acquisition, Beauregard brings his high-scoring exploits to Wichita after spending his entire pro career in the ECHL and the AHL. Following a 71-goal, 124-point season with the QMJHLs Acadie-Bathurst Titan, Beauregard turned pro in 2007 with the ECHLs Cincinnati Cyclones and promptly tallied 31 goals and 65 points in his rookie season. This past season, Beauregard notched 39 goals and 67 points, splitting time between the ECHLs Wheeling Nailers and Elmira Jackals. He also appeared in two games for the AHLs Springfield Falcons. In 165 career games, Beauregard has amassed 87 goals and 164 points. His older brother David was named the 1998 CHL Rookie of the Year while playing for the Thunder. Another ECHL alumni, Kraus is entering his fourth pro season. Following an impressive junior career in the Western Hockey League, Kraus turned pro in 2008 with the ECHLs Ontario Reign, notching 15 goals and 48 points as a rookie. He followed that performance up with a 16-goal, 53-point season the following year in Ontario. Kraus split this past season between Ontario, the Victoria Salmon Kings and the Las Vegas Wranglers. Summers joins the Thunder from the Mississippi RiverKings where he has spent the last three seasons. He recorded career-highs a year ago with 28 goals and 52 points. Summers has spent his entire four-year pro career in the CHL, scoring 69 goals and 178 points in 233 games. A sixth-year pro, MacDonald joins the Thunder from the Lausitzer Foxes in Germany, where he has notched six shutouts and a 3.05 goals against average over the last three seasons. Prior to turning pro, MacDonald enjoyed a stellar junior career playing in the Ontario Hockey League. In 2005 his final junior season - he picked up 35 wins for the Guelph Storm, including four shutouts and a 2.57 goals against average. He turned pro in 2006 with the ECHLs Fresno Falcons, recording 16 wins, four shutouts and a stellar .925 save percentage. The Wichita Thunder will open their 20th CHL season on Friday, October 21 versus the Rapid City Rush and tickets are expected to go on sale September 14. Tickets for Wichitas exhibition games on October 14 and 15 versus the Tulsa Oilers are on sale now and can be purchased at the Thunder office, located at 505 W. Maple at the Wichita Ice Center. For more information or to order season tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL or visit us online at . Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1256.html#1337242359 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1256.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder will hold a press conference on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Twin Peaks, located at 8310 E. 21st St. North. Returning Head Coach Kevin McClelland will announce several key additions to the 2011-12 Wichita Thunder roster, including a high-scoring forward and a new goaltender. The Thunder will also announce the return of a key defensive player. Fans and media are invited to attend. Under new and local ownership for the first time, this season will see a surge of energy and excitement in the Wichita Thunder. The 2011-12 season builds on last seasons playoff appearance led by returning Coach Kevin McClelland and his extensive NHL and Stanley Cup experience. With games played at Wichitas new INTRUST Bank Arena, fans will see fresh entertainment and sponsorships that inject a high level of energy and ideas into this seasons home games. Led by Rodney, Brandon and Johnny Steven through Steven Brothers Sports Management, LLC, Wichita Thunder goals for leading the Central Hockey League in both attendance and victories are closer than ever. The Wichita Thunder will open their 20th CHL season on Friday, October 21 versus the Rapid City Rush and tickets are expected to go on sale September 14 through or by calling (316) 755-SEAT. Tickets for Wichitas exhibition games on October 14 and 15 versus the Tulsa Oilers are on sale now and can be purchased at the Thunder office, located at 505 W. Maple at the Wichita Ice Center. For more information or to order season tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL or visit us online at . Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1253.html#1337242360 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1253.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder announced today that tickets for their two home exhibition games are on sale now. The Thunder and the Oilers, both entering their 20th CHL season, will do battle on Friday and Saturday, October 14 and 15 at the Wichita Ice Center. Both games will face-off at 7:05 p.m. and tickets are 10 each for general admission seating. The Thunder will start the regular season a week later by hosting a pair of games at INTRUST Bank Arena. TheRapid City Rushwill be in town onFriday, October 21 for the season opener, followed by theAllen Americanson Saturday, October 22. Both games will face-off at 7:05 p.m. Exhibition tickets can be purchased at the Thunder office, located at 505 W. Maple at the Wichita Ice Center or by calling the Thunder office at (316) 264-4625. For more informationvisit the Thunder website at . -THUNDER- Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1252.html#1337242361 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1252.html Wichita KS- The Wichita Thunder will hold their annual golf tournament on Monday, October 17 at 1:00 p.m. at Willowbend Golf Course. The cost for the four-man scramble is 400 per team or 100 per individual. Great prizes will be given away including Thunder season tickets, Wichita Wingnuts season tickets, airfare to Las Vegas and much more! For more information please call the Thunder office at (316) 264-4625. Signup forms can be found . Tue, 23 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1250.html#1337242362 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1250.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder today released their schedule for the 2011-12 Central Hockey League (CHL) season. The Thunder, under new local ownership and coming off an impressive 34-win season, will begin their run toward the CHL Playoffs with a pair of home games on opening weekend. Wichita will host the Rapid City Rush on Friday, October 21 and the Allen Americans on Saturday, October 22. With Wichitas move to the Berry (South) Conference, the Thunder will see more games versus their new division opponents: Allen, the Texas Brahmas, Laredo Bucks, Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees and Arizona Sundogs. A familiar foe, The Tulsa Oilers, will also play in the Berry Conference and will face the Thunder 11 times. Wichita and Tulsa are both entering their 20th CHL season and are the sixth oldest franchises in all of minor league hockey. Though the Thunder are no longer in the same conference as their newest rival the Missouri Mavericks, the two teams will meet nine times this season. The first rematch of their 2011 CHL playoffs match-up will take place the first weekend of November with a home-and-home-series that brings the Mavericks to Wichita on Friday, November 4. The Thunder home schedule will feature 20 weekend games, including 11 Saturdays. The Thunder will also host six Sunday games, as well as home games on the night before Thanksgiving, the Tuesday after Christmas, Valentines Day and St. Patricks Day. New Thunder franchise owner Rodney Steven II said, We are looking forward to beginning the season and will bring some fresh new excitement to the home game atmosphere at INTRUST Bank Arena. We hope to see everyone there! The Thunder will have the opportunity to get off to a fast start, playing 11 of their first 17 games at INTRUST Bank Arena. The Thunder will also host four games over the final two weekend of the season in March. Of the 66 total games, Wichita will face all but two teams at least once with the exception being the Bloomington Blaze and the Dayton Gems. The CHL playoffs this season will feature eight teams and three rounds, all of which will be a best-of-seven format. Individual tickets for all home games will go on sale in September. For season ticket information call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL or visit us online at . -THUNDER- Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1249.html#1337242363 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1249.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder today announced the signings of goaltender Adam Russo, as well as forwards Colin and Brett Hemingway. Russo went 15-13-0 with the Quad City Mallards last season, including one shutout, a 2.88 goals against average and a .919 save percentage. He had even more impressive numbers two seasons ago, going 23-14-3 with a 2.81 goals against average, playing for the IHLs Port Huron Icehawks, where he was a teammate of Thunder team captain Daniel Tetrault. Russo began his pro career in 2004 and has played the majority of the time in Italy, prior to returning to North America in 2009. The Thunder acquired Russo last month from Quad City in exchange for future considerations. He will attend training camp with the AHLs Rockford IceHogs prior to joining the Thunder. Brothers Colin and Brett Hemingway join the Thunder after spending last season overseas in the EIHL, playing for the Belfast Giants. Colin turned pro in 2003 with the AHLs Worcester IceCats following an impressive four-year career at the University of New Hampshire where he amassed 67 goals and 147 points in just 67 games. His best season came during his junior year, when he notched 33 goals and 66 points in just 40 games. Colin was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the 8th round of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft (221 overall) and played three games for the Blues during the 2005-06 season. With Belfast last year he compiled 15 goals and 36 points in 35 games. Over his seven-year pro career he has notched 156 goals and 352 points in 382 games. Brett was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the 7th round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft (225 overall), also following a stellar career at the University of New Hampshire. He turned pro in 2006 with the AHLs Albany River Rats and has spent most of his career playing in the ECHL. Last season with Belfast Brett notched 55 points in 56 games and led the team with 30 goals. Over his five-year pro career he has compiled 69 goals and 169 points in 220 games. The signings of Russo and the Hemingways now bring the Thunder roster to eight players for the upcoming season. The Thunder will begin play in their 20th season in the CHL starting this October. For season ticket information call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL or visit us online at . -THUNDER- Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1248.html#1337242364 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1248.html WICHITA, KS Nineteen years after its formation within the Central Hockey League owned by Chicago-based Horn Chen, Wichita Thunder Hockey has been purchased by three brothers in one of Wichitas well-known entrepreneurial families. Rodney, Brandon and Johnny Steven closed Monday afternoon on the purchase of the minor league professional hockey team by its newly formed Steven Brothers Sports Management, LLC. The announcement was made at a news conference today by Rodney Steven II, joined by his brothers and Wichita Thunder representatives. The announcement was made from INTRUST Bank Arena inside the Cox Lounge, overlooking the facilitys expansive 15,000 seat venue where the team has been playing since January 2010. Were now playing at one of the nicest arenas, with Kevin McClelland who is a first class coach, said Rodney Steven II. My brothers and I are ready to put all of our business experience to work, to give this team all the tools it needs to be the best they can be and to keep this team here in Wichita. Steven noted that through the new partnership and the support Wichita gives this team getting back to eventually winning championships will be the goal. In its heyday, the Wichita Thunder played to sell-out crowds at the Kansas Coliseum. Steven Brothers Sports Management LLC is a new venture for the brothers, but not necessarily a new industry. Kansans know the Steven brothers as the owner/operators of Genesis Health Clubs, just adding their 9th and 10th facilities which supports their belief in physical activity and fitness. The partners also own/operate multiple car dealerships throughout the Wichita Area including Brandon Steven Motors, Subaru of Wichita, Suzuki of Wichita, Ford of Augusta and a partnership in Eddys Toyota. Brandon Steven says, we have never owned a Sports Team but we are confident that with the Thunders fan support and our support we will get this team back to the championship! Thunder Coach Kevin McClelland said support for the new ownership is echoed throughout the team and staff. I am very excited to have good local owners who are committed to winning! We made great strides as an organization last season and I know the Steven Brothers will be instrumental in ensuring the longtime success of the Thunder. My family and I have enjoyed our first year in Wichita and look forward to calling Wichita home for many more! In an unrelated move, the Wichita City Council approved Genesis Health Club as the management company for the Wichita Ice Center in April. Among its first priorities was hiring a new general manager for the facility and in April, Steven brought in Bryan Wells from Lafayette, LA as new GM. Coincidentally, Wells had played and coached for the Wichita Thunder, as a player winning back to back championships in 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons. It was Wells and the current GM Joel Lomurno who opened discussions with Rodney about the Wichita Thunder opportunity in the past few months. It was no secret, the owners had been trying to sell the team for a while, said Steven. It would have either been sold to another outside owner or moved to another city. Were excited to keep the team here and provide the community with more opportunities for entertainment and competitive sports. Steven Brothers Sports Management, LLC, is a limited liability corporation formed in 2011 to own and operate Wichita Thunder Hockey. -THUNDER- Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1247.html#1337242365 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1247.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder announced today the return of defenseman Andrew Martens, as well as the addition of rugged forward Erick Lizon for the 2011-12 season. Martens, the recipient of the 2011 CHLs Most Outstanding Defenseman Award, returns for a second season with the Thunder after compiling career-bests last season for goals (15), assists (39) and points (54). He finished second among all CHL defensemen in scoring last season and was called-up to the AHLs Lake Erie Monsters following the CHL playoffs, where he played in one game. In six pro seasons, Martens has amassed 42 goals and 203 points in 360 career games. Prior to turning pro, Martens played college hockey at Bemidji State University in Minnesota. A sixth-year pro out of Kitchener, Ontario, Lizon spent last season with the ECHLs Bakersfield Condors, notching seven points and 208 penalty minutes. The 6-4, 235-pound Lizon also appeared in eight games for the AHLs Worcester Sharks, picking up 24 penalty minutes. This will be Lizons third stint in the CHL, having played for the Oklahoma City Blazers in 2007-08 and the Laredo Bucks in 2008-09. Prior to joining the Thunder, Lizon will attend training camp with the AHLs St. Johns IceCaps the new affiliate of the NHLs Winnipeg Jets. The Thunder will begin play in their 20th season in the CHL starting this October. For season ticket information call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL or visit us online at . -THUNDER- Fri, 05 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1244.html#1337242366 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1244.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder acquired goaltender Adam Russo from the Quad City Mallards today in exchange for future considerations. Russo went 15-13-0 with Quad City last season, including one shutout, a 2.88 goals against average and a .919 save percentage. He had even more impressive numbers two seasons ago, going 23-14-3 with a 2.81 goals against average, playing for the IHLs Port Huron Icehawks, where he was a teammate of Thunder team captain Daniel Tetrault. Russo began his pro career in 2004 and has played the majority of the time since in Italy, prior to returning to North America in 2009. The Thunder will begin play in their 20th season in the CHL starting this October. For season ticket information call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL or visit us online at . -THUNDER- Fri, 29 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1243.html#1337242367 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1243.html Courtesy of : The Chicago Blackhawks have named Ted Dent as head coach of the organizations top affiliate, the American Hockey Leagues Rockford IceHogs. NOTE: Dent scored 69 points (35-44=69) in 60 games for the Wichita Thunder during the 1992-93 season Dent replaces Bill Peters, who was recently named an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings. We are proud to promote Ted to the head coaching position in Rockford, an extremely important role in our hockey operations department, Blackhawks Vice President/General Manager Stan Bowman said. During his time with our organization, Ted has proven himself as a great leader and has developed a solid track record in helping players rise to the National Hockey League level. Our hockey operations department is full of talented individuals and we take pride when we are able to promote someone from within, like Ted. I am very honored and fortunate for the opportunity to coach the Rockford IceHogs, said Dent. I would like to thank Mr. John McDonough, Mr. Stan Bowman and the rest of the Chicago Blackhawks management team for believing in me. I am excited to continue the development and growth of the young prospects we have in Rockford and at the same time create a positive winning environment. A 41-year-old native of Toronto, Dent is entering his sixth season in the Blackhawks organization and his fifth with Rockford. He spent the previous five seasons as an assistant coach under Bill Peters and Mike Haviland with the IceHogs (2007-11) and Chicagos previous AHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals (2006-07). His teams have compiled a regular-season record of 216-145-17-22 and qualified for the Calder Cup playoffs in four of the five campaigns. Dent has been instrumental in the development of 31 players that have been promoted to the Blackhawks from Rockford over the last four years. Following a collegiate career at St. Lawrence University, Dent played professional hockey for parts of four seasons before serving as the video coordinator for the Washington Capitals from 1999-2004, working with current NHL head coaches Randy Carlyle and Ron Wilson. He began his career behind the bench as an assistant coach with the ECHLs Kelly Cup champion Trenton Titans (2004-05) and served as the head coach of the ECHLs Columbia Inferno (2005-06) before joining the Blackhawks organization. Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1242.html#1337242368 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1242.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder announced today that they have re-signed forwards Matt Robinson and Aaron Davis, as well as defenseman Daniel Tetrault. Robinson, a 2011 CHL All-Star, joined the Thunder in a November trade with the Laredo Bucks last season and quickly became Wichitas best all-around player. Robinson compiled 66 points in 57 games with the Thunder, including a team-high 39 goals. Robinson notched a four-goal game on December 14 vs. Tulsa and had a hat trick in the 2011 CHL All-Star Game in Rapid City, South Dakota. Davis also returns for a second season, following a career-best 2010-11 campaign with the Thunder. Davis played in all 66 games last season, compiling career-highs for goals (26) and points (72). Davis also led the Thunder with four shorthanded goals and seven game-winners. Team Captain Tetrault returns for a second consecutive season and his fifth overall in a Thunder uniform. In 59 games Tetrault scored eight goals and 27 points, and led all Thunder scorers with three playoff goals. Tetrault currently ranks second all-time among Thunder defensemen with 155 points, 14 shy of Sean OReillys team record. The Thunder will begin play in their 20th season in the CHL starting this October and today unveiled their 20th Anniversary logo to the public. The logo was designed by Thunder partner Squid Ink Creative. For season ticket information call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL or visit us online at . -THUNDER- Sat, 16 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1241.html#1337242369 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1241.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder acquired goaltender Chris Whitley from the Allen Americans today in exchange for defensemen Kory Scoran and Steve Kaunisto, as well as forward Troy Schwab. Whitley spent the last two seasons with Allen, compiling impressive numbers and leading the Americans to the CHL finals in his rookie season. In 79 games with Allen, Whitley had a record of 55-18-2 with a 2.72 goals against average, a .909 save percentage and two shutouts. Whitley also played and won a game with the AHLs Lake Erie Monsters. The Thunder will begin play in their 20th season in the CHL starting this October. For season ticket information call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL or visit us online at . -THUNDER- Thu, 16 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1240.html#1337242370 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1240.html TEMPE, AZ In preparation for the Central Hockey Leagues (CHL) historic 20th Anniversary Season, the league announced several operational issues that were determined by the CHL Board of Governors during meetings at the leagues annual Summer Conference that took place at the Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona on June 10 and 11. The CHL announced that 14 teams will be participating during the 2011-12 season with two seven-team conferences. The Turner Conference will consist of the Dayton Gems, Evansville IceMen, Fort Wayne Komets, Missouri Mavericks, Quad City Mallards, Rapid City Rush and the new Bloomington club that has yet to determine their team name. The Berry Conference will be made-up by the Allen Americans, Arizona Sundogs, Laredo Bucks, Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees, Texas Brahmas, Tulsa Oilers and the Wichita Thunder. The Thunder are the lone CHL team that played during the 2010-11 season that will be shifting conferences, moving from the Turner to the Berry for the upcoming season. Turner Conference Bloomington (team name TBD) Dayton Gems Evansville IceMen Fort Wayne Komets Missouri Mavericks Quad City Mallards Rapid City Rush Berry Conference Allen Americans Arizona Sundogs Laredo Bucks Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees Texas Brahmas Tulsa Oilers Wichita Thunder Teams that participated last season that are not on the CHLs roster of teams are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, Colorado Eagles, Mississippi RiverKings and the Odessa Jackalopes. We were notified just prior to our meetings on Friday that the Mudbugs would not be able to defend their title, said Duane Lewis, CHL Commissioner. We thank Tommy and Leslie Scott for their efforts, dedications and leadership over the past two seasons and as the CHL family will miss them deeply. We do understand the numerous issues and challenges they faced to make the Mudbugs a financially viable franchise and do respect and understand their decision to cease operations. We would also like to express our sincere appreciate the RiverKings contributions to the CHL as one of the Leagues original members, Lewis continued. We thank the RiverKings, Maddox Hockey and the Maddox Foundation for their commitment and tenure in the CHL. Players from the Mudbugs and RiverKings will join the players from the Colorado Eagles (announced in late May that they would not be participating in the CHL) as unrestricted free agents within the league. Additionally, the players from the Odessa Jackalopes are also free agents as the team failed to submit their summer player protection list by the June 10 deadline. The leagues playing schedule for the 2011-12 season will be announced later this summer but it was determined that for the second straight season, that each team will play 66 games during the regular season. --www.centralhockeyleague.com-- Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1239.html#1337242371 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1239.html Wichita, KS- The Wichita Thunder received plenty of recognition at the 2011 CHL Awards Banquet in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday night, coming away with four nominations and one award. Thanks in part to the tremendous technology afforded at INTRUST Bank Arena, The Thunder beat out three other finalists to win the Game Operations Franchise of the Year Award. The Thunder recently completed their first full season at INTRUST Bank Arena. Thunder Director of Ticket Sales Amy Wilds was also one of four finalists for the Ralph Backstrom Soul of Service Award for Customer Service while General Manager Joel T. Lomurno was a finalist for the CHL Executive of the Year Award. The franchise was also recognized as one of four finalists for the prestigious CHL Franchise of the Year Award, won by the Missouri Mavericks. The Thunder went from nine wins in 2009-10 to 34 victories last season, making their first playoff appearance since the 2006-07 season, while finishing third in the CHL for attendance. The Thunder will begin play in their 20th season in the CHL starting this October and expects to announce their first player signings next week. For season ticket information call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL or visit us online at . -THUNDER- Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1238.html#1337242372 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1238.html Season Comes to a Close The Wichita Thunder had their season come to an end last week, falling to the Missouri Mavericks in the Opening Round of the playoffs. The Thunder led the best-of-five series 2-1, but Missouri held on for a 2-1 victory in Game Four on Tuesday night at the INTRUST Bank Arena to even the series. Mavericks' goaltender Rob Nolan stopped 38 of 39 shots to earn the win. Jesse Bennefield scored the Thunder's lone goal, while Marc-Antoine Gelinas was 22 of 24 in the loss. It marked just the second time all season the Thunder lost in regulation to a Turner Conference opponent. The other loss was also at the hands of the Mavericks when Nolan posted a 31-save shutout on December 27th. Wichita fell in Game Five by a final score of 5-4 on Wednesday in Missouri. Nathan O'Nabigon scored what proved to be the series-winning goal with 4:24 left in regulation, spoiling a tremendous comeback by Wichita. Led by three power play goals in the third period, the Thunder rallied from a 4-1 deficit to tie the game. After O'Nabigon put Missouri back in front, the Thunder had both a power play and an extra attacker in the final minute, but could not re-tie the game. Daniel Tetrault scored twice for the Thunder, while Jesse Bennefield, A.J. Gale, and Brent Cullaton each had two assists. Marty Magers, who took over in the second period following a game misconduct charged to Marc-Antoine Gelinas, was 12 for 14 in the loss. Gelinas saved 12 of 15. Martens' Stellar Season Continues Thunder defenseman Andrew Martens was signed by the AHL's Lake Erie Monsters over the weekend, making his debut on Sunday in a 5-4 shootout win at Rochester. Martens was +1 with two PIM. It is the second stint in the AHL for Martens, who split time with Toronto and Manitoba in 2008-09. During the final week of the regular season, Martens was named to the 2011 All-CHL Team and was also named the league's Most Outstanding Defenseman. It marked the first time since 2005 that a Thunder player earned either distinction. Martens finished the regular season second among CHL blue liners with 54 points and tied for fourth with 15 goals. Playoff Leaders Jesse Bennefield, A.J. Gale, Brent Cullaton, and Aaron Davis each had five points to lead the Thunder during the Opening Round series versus Missouri. Tetrault and Matt Robinson tied for the team lead with three goals. Travis Wight ranked first on the Thunder with a +3 plus/minus rating. Andrew Martens collected a team-high 23 PIM, including a fighting major during Game Two. Year One of New Era is Complete The Thunder nearly quadrupled their total number of wins from one year ago, posting a 34-26-6 (.561) record in their first season under Head Coach Kevin McClelland. It was the Thunder's first winning season since 2005-06, and their first playoff appearance since 2007. Thunder Finishes Third in Attendance Race The Wichita Thunder finished the 2010-11 regular season third in the CHL attendance standings, averaging 5,342 fans per game. It is the sixth consecutive year in which the Thunder has finished third or better. Team Awards Prior to the their regular season finale on March 27th, the Thunder handed out their 2011 team awards. Travis Wight was presented with the Thunder's Community Service Award. A.J. Gale earned Most Improved Player honors. Chris Greene took home Lewis Street Glass Rattler of the Year. Aaron Davis was named the Thunder's Unsung Hero. Andrew Martens was awarded Thunder Defenseman of the Year. Matt Robinson was named the team's Most Valuable Player. Thunder Ironmen Four players skated in all 66 of the Thunder's regular season games. They were Chris Greene, Jesse Bennefield, Travis Wight, and Aaron Davis. The quartet also appeared in all five of the Thunder's playoff games. Top-25 The Thunder ended the regular season with four players that ranked in the CHL's top-25 in points. Right wing Jesse Bennefield led the Thunder with 75 points, and tied for 12th overall in the league. Linemates Matt Robinson and Aaron Davis tied for 15th overall with 72 points apiece. Right wing A.J. Gale finished 22nd in the league with 64 points. Other League Leaders Left wing Matt Robinson finished the season second in the CHL with 40 goals, while right wing Jesse Bennefield tied for seventh with 35. Kory Scoran's 12 goals were ninth-most among defensemen. Forward Dustin Donaghy finished fourth among CHL rookies with 16 goals. Defenseman Steven Kaunisto tied for fourth among rookies in plus/minus at +10. Rookie goaltender Marc-Antoine Gelinas tied for third overall in the league with 26 wins and tied for second with four shutouts. The four shutouts were also a new Thunder single-season record. Right wing Robin Richards finished seventh overall with 189 PIM. Key Breakthroughs The Thunder experienced several breakthroughs during the 2010-11 season. Wichita won six consecutive games from late-October into early-November, marking their first winning streak of more than three games since the end of the 2005-06 season. The six-game winning streak also followed an 0-4-0 start which gave the Thunder more wins than total losses in-season for the first time since November of 2006. After losing their first 11 head-to-head meetings against the Missouri Mavericks, Wichita finally captured a win over the Mavs on November 6th. Wichita would finish the regular season 7-4-0 against Missouri. In mid-January, the Thunder also upped their record to three games over .500 for the first time since November of 2006. Roster Notes Defenseman Mike Looby and center Bobby Hughes finished the season on the 10-Day IR. Center Matt Hubbauer finished on the 30-Day IR. Left wing Matt Robinson was scratched from Game Five on Wednesday due to injury. Up Next The Thunder opens the 2011-12 season in mid-October. For information on season tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL, or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1237.html#1337242373 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1237.html WICHITA, KS- Thunder defenseman Andrew Martens has been signed by the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League. Martens finished second among CHL defensemen this season with 54 points, while tying for fourth with 15 goals. The sixth-year pro earned a spot on the 2011 All-CHL Team and was also named the league's Most Outstanding Defenseman. This will be Martens' second opportunity at the AHL level. The Calgary, Alberta native split time with Manitoba and Toronto during the 2008-09 season, totaling 11 points in 27 games played. The Monsters are the AHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche. The Thunder opens the 2011-12 season in mid-October. For information on season tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL, or vist the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sun, 10 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1236.html#1337242374 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1236.html Photo Credit: Scott Thomas INDEPENDENCE, MO- The Wichita Thunder lost 5-4 to the Missouri Mavericks in Game Five of the Opening Round at the Independence Events Center on Wednesday night. The Mavericks win the series 3-2 and advance to the Turner Conference semifinals versus the Colorado Eagles. The Thunder, who rebounded from a 9-50-5 season in 2009-10, has a remarkable turnaround come to an end in a year that saw them improve to 36 wins and qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2007. Nathan O'Nabigon's tie-breaking goal at 15:36 spoiled a huge Thunder comeback during the third period. O'Nabigon found a loose puck following a scramble in front of the crease and tipped it past the left of Marty Magers. Wichita had a power play plus anextra attacker in the final minute, but could not tie the game and send it to overtime. Wichita trailed 4-1 heading into the third, but used three power play goals to tie the game. A.J. Gale shot a rebound past the left of Mavericks' goaltender Rob Nolan during a five-on-three at 1:09. On the ensuing five-on-four, Daniel Tetrault connected from the top of the left circle just 56 seconds later to trim the lead to 4-3. At 12:42, and during another Thunder power play, Andrew Martens drove the puck past Nolan from the top of the right circle to tie it. Missouri used two power play goals from Nick Sirota in the first to build a 2-0 lead. Sirota re-directed Shawn Fensel's shot from the point past the left of Marc-Antoine Gelinas at 9:37 for the game's opening goal. Sirota connected again, after Gelinas was charged with a delay of game penalty, at 17:50 at the tail end of the man advantage, shooting from the slot. The Thunder cut the lead in half with less than a minute left in the frame when Daniel Tetrault deflected Jesse Bennefield's backhander from the left corner past the left of Nolan. The Mavericks scored twice more in the second to open a 4-1 advantage. After several great saves by Gelinas, Ray DiLauro managed to punch in a loose puck from the left side of the crease at 12:58 to re-extend Missouri's lead. At 15:12 during a stoppage in play, and with referee Ryan Hersey's back to the play, a linesman interjected a spearing major and game misconduct on Gelinas thatresulted in a five-minute Missouri power play and Gelinas' ejection. Derek Pallardy upped the Mavericks' lead to 4-1 at 16:35. Magers, who took over for Gelinas, made two acrobatic saves in front of the crease before Pallardy jammed the puck underneath Magers' left skate for the goal. Magers took the loss, saving 12 of 14. Gelinas was 12 of 15 in the no-decision. Nolan earned the win, stopping 20 of 24. The Thunder was 3 for 5 on the power play. The Mavericks were 2 for 7. The Thunder would like to thank all of their fans for making 2010-11 a tremendous season and look forward to continuing in the right direction this fall. Stay tuned to for information about season tickets for 2011-12. -Thunder- Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1235.html#1337242375 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1235.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder lost 2-1 to the Missouri Mavericks in Game Four of the Opening Round at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Tuesday night. The series is now tied 2-2 heading back to Missouri for a decisive Game Five on Wednesday night. Mavericks' goaltender Rob Nolan stopped 38 of 39, while the Mavericks weathered three Thunder power plays in the third to help Missouri even the series. The teams battled to a scoreless tie after the first period. Rob Nolan made two key saves to keep Wichita off the board, stopping Daniel Tetrault on a centering pass from Brent Cullaton, and later denying Cullaton from point blank range on a pass from Jesse Bennefield. With the game still scoreless midway through the second, the teams combined for three goals separated by 1:04 that ultimately led to the Mavericks taking a 2-1 lead into the second intermission. At 8:43, Toby Lafrance scored to the short side of the net from the right half boards, giving the Mavericks a 1-0 lead. Nick Sirota followed at 9:38, tapping in a shot just around the left skate of Marc-Antoine Gelinas to make it 2-0. Just nine seconds after Sirota's goal, Jesse Bennefield took Cullaton's pass from behind the net and shot past Nolan from the bottom of the right circle to cut Missouri's lead in half. Nolan's final key save came in the third when he stopped a close range shot by A.J. Gale during a Thunder power play. Gelinas took the loss, saving 28 of 30. Wichita was 0 for 7 on the power play, including two extended five-on-three chances. Missouri was 0 for 6. Game Five is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday night. All the action can be heard live on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and Oldies 93.5 KWME as well as worldwide at Call the Thunder office for more information about the 2011 playoffs at (316) 264-GOAL or by visiting the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Wed, 06 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1234.html#1337242376 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1234.html Thunder Leads Opening Round 2-1 The Wichita Thunder opened their first postseason in four years last Tuesday, beating the Missouri Mavericks 2-1 in Game One of the Opening Round at home. After the teams traded goals in the first, Matt Robinson scored on the power play 54 seconds into the middle frame to provide the final margin. Marc-Antoine Gelinas was 23 of 24 to earn a win in his postseason debut. Troy Schwab had the Thunder's other goal. The Mavericks evened the series on Friday night in Independence. With Missouri already leading 2-0, Brandon Coccimiglio scored a natural hat trick in the third period to break open the game. Rob Nolan stopped 30 shots en route to his second shutout versus the Thunder this season. Andrew Martens, Kory Scoran, and Dustin Donaghy all had fighting majors for the Thunder. Wichita re-gained the lead in the series with a dramatic 5-4 overtime win in Game Three on Saturday night. After Missouri broke a 3-3 tie with a power play goal late in the third, Jesse Bennefield scored with 58.6 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime. Bennefield's goal came during a power play and with an extra attacker. Daniel Tetrault scored the game-winning goal at 5:47 in overtime. Matt Robinson had two goals earlier in the game for the Thunder. Aaron Davis had three assists. Playoff Leaders Left wing Matt Robinson is tied for third in the playoffs with three goals. Robinson finished the regular season with 40 goals, which was second most in the league. Aaron Davis is second among playoff performers with four assists. Davis tied for 15th in the league in total points with 72 during the regular season. Overtime Notes Saturday was the Thunder's first playoff overtime game since April 7th, 2007 versus Bossier-Shreveport, and their first playoff overtime victory since April 1st, 2006, also versus the Mudbugs. The Thunder is now 8-5 all-time in sudden death overtime during the playoffs. Deja Vu for Bennefield, Thunder Right wing Jesse Bennefield scored the game-tying goal on Saturday night with 58.6 seconds left in regulation, setting up Daniel Tetrault's eventual game-winner in overtime. Back on November 6th at Missouri, Bennefield scored in similar fashion on Rob Nolan with 16 seconds left in the third period to tie the game. Andrew Martens went on to win the game for the Thunder in overtime, giving them their first ever win against the Mavericks in 12 tries. The Quest for Three The Wichita Thunder is in the postseason for the first time since 2007 and aims to win their first playoff series since 2005. The Thunder is also looking to become the first CHL franchise to win three championships (1994, 1995). The Oklahoma City Blazers, Memphis RiverKings, Laredo Bucks, and Colorado Eagles have also won two President's Cups during the league's 19-year history. INTRUST Bank Arena Advantage At 20-9-4 (.667), the Thunder has the best home record in the Turner Conference and second-best overall in the league. Wichita has played exceptionally well at the INTRUST Bank Arena when hosting Turner Conference opponents. The Thunder finished the regular season 12-1-2 (.867) at home against the Turner, losing in regulation just once. Turnering it Around A big reason for Wichita's success this season has been its record versus the top three returning teams in the conference. Wichita went a combined 13-7-2 (.636) against Colorado, Rapid City, and Missouri, with winning records against all three. The Thunder was 0-24-3 against those three clubs last year. Overall this year, the Thunder had a .686 winning percentage (22-9-4) against the Turner, best in the conference. Around the Playoffs In the Turner Conference, Rapid City City leads Dayton 2-0 in their Opening Round series. Colorado and Quad City are tied 1-1. Fort Wayne has a 2-0 lead over Bloomington. In the Berry Conference, Allen finished a three-game sweep of Rio Grande Valley on Sunday and is the first team to advance to the conference semifinals. Bossier-Shreveport and Arizona are tied 1-1. Tulsa staved off elimination with a win at Mississippi Sunday, and trails the RiverKings 2-1. Texas and Odessa split the first two games of their matchup. Roster Notes Forward Robin Richards has been suspended by the league for one game. Center Bobby Hughes and defenseman Mike Looby are on the IR through the remainder of the playoffs. Follow the Thunder Through the Playoffs All Thunder playoff games are broadcast on either 93.5 FM KWME or 1550 AM KKLE. You can also listen to each game on the internet at Emerson Biggin's West (located at 21st and Maize) is the Thunder's official watch party sponsor of all road games. Thunder food and drink specials will be offered throughout the playoffs. Up Next Game Four of the Opening Round is Tuesday night at the INTRUST Bank Arena. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. A potential Game Five would be Wednesday at the Independence Events Center at 7:05 p.m. For tickets to Tuesday's game, call the INTRUST Bank Arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Mon, 04 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1233.html#1337242377 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1233.html Photo Credit: Scott Thomas INDEPENDENCE, MO- The Wichita Thunder beat the Missouri Mavericks 5-4 in overtime in Game Three of the Opening Round at the Independence Events Center on Saturday night. The Thunder now leads the best-of-five series 2-1 heading back to Wichita for Game Four on Tuesday night. Daniel Tetrault scored the game-winning goal during a power play at 5:47 in overtime, connecting on a low shot from the point past the right side of Mavericks' goaltender Rob Nolan. Trailing 4-3 in the final minute, Jesse Bennefield tied the game on a scrum in front of the net with 58.6 seconds left in regulation. Wichita was on the power play and also utilized an extra attacker in the process of tying the game. Missouri broke a 3-3 tie with 3:01 left in regulation when Shawn Fensel scored from the point on a Mavericks' power play. It was Missouri's sixth power play of the game on 15 penalty minutes. At the time, the Thunder had just two power plays on four minutes, and none since the middle of the first period. It was Missouri's first lead of the night. Ryan Jardine scored at 3:03 in the third to tie the game at 3-3, beating Marc-Antoine Gelinas on a deke to his right. Shortly after Jardine's goal, Bennefield appeared to have put the Thunder in front, sneaking a backdoor pass from Brent Cullaton underneath Nolan's left pad. Refree Marc-Andre Lavoie definitively pointed at the net twice to signal for a goal, but reversed his decision after a discussion with the Independence Events Center's goal judge. In the first, Wichita killed off a five-minute Mavericks power play after Robin Richards was called for charging at 2:24. The period remained scoreless until the 18:20 mark when Matt Robinson scored on a backhand shot from the low slot. Robinson took control of the puck after Aaron Davis placed a slapshot from the right side of the blue line on Nolan. Missouri tied the game with 13.9 seconds left in the period when Ray DiLauro deflected Simon Watson's shot from the point past Gelinas during the Mavericks' third power play of the opening frame. Robinson helped Wichita re-gain the lead at 3:29 in the second. Robinson scored on a backhander above the crease, beating Nolan to his right. At 13:17 in the period, Troy Schwab gave the Thunder their first multi-goal lead of the series. Cullaton rushed the puck behind the net, skated back to the right circle, and took a backhand shot that Nolan stopped. Bennefield was also denied on the ensuing rebound, but Schwab shot inside the right post for the score with Nolan still sprawled on the crease. Nick Sirota trimmed the lead to 3-2 at 16:49, scoring on a backhander from the slot that knuckled past Gelinas' right. Gelinas was 18 of 22 in the win. Nolan was 36 for 41 in the loss. The Thunder was 2 for 4 on the power play while Missouri was 2 for 6. It was the Thunder's first playoff overtime game since April 7th, 2007 versus Bossier-Shreveport, and their first playoff overtime victory since April 1st, 2006, also versus the Mudbugs. Game Four is scheduled for Tuesday, April 6th at the INTRUST Bank Arena with a 7:05 p.m. opening faceoff. For tickets, call the INTRUST Bank Arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sun, 03 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1231.html#1337242378 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1231.html Photo Credit: Scott Thomas INDEPENDENCE, MO- The Wichita Thunder lost 5-0 to the Missouri Mavericks in Game Two of the Opening Round at the Independence Events Center on Friday night. The best-of-five series is now tied 1-1 heading into Game Three on Saturday night. Brandon Coccimiglio scored a natural hat trick in the third, with all three goals coming on the power play, while Rob Nolan pitched his second shutout of the season against the Thunder, going 30 of 30. Leading 2-0 in the third, Coccimiglio scored at 5:57 on a close-range shot past Marc-Antoine Gelinas. The Mavericks went up 4-0 at 12:35 when Coccimiglio re-directed Blake Forsyth's shot from the left point past Gelinas' right. Coccimiglio completed the hat trick with 13.5 seconds left in the game, sneaking a loose puck under Gelinas' left pad. Missouri took their first lead of the series when Ryan Jardine scored on a breakaway at 6:04 in the first. Jardine sped past the Thunder defense and used a forehand-backhand-forehand move to beat Gelinas to his right. The Mavericks struck again at 0:36 in the second to take a 2-0 lead. Jardine circled the puck around the net and made a backdoor pass to Toby Lafrance who tapped the puck in past the left of Gelinas. Late in the third, three consecutive fights broke out with Kory Scoran, Andrew Martens, and Dustin Donaghy all picking up majors at the 15:36 mark. Gelinas was 22 of 27 in the loss. Wichita went 0 for 6 on the power play. Missouri was 3 for 7. Game Three is Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. in Independence. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at Game Four, which is not guaranteed, is scheduled for Tuesday, April 5th at the INTRUST Bank Arena. For tickets, call the INTRUST Bank Arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sat, 02 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1230.html#1337242379 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1230.html (courtesy of Jeff Brucculeri, The Tulsa Beacon) full article here: Celebrating its 18th season since its rebirth, the Central Hockey League has come a long way and players that were around that first year remember that season fondly. On Saturday, the Tulsa Oilers hosted an alumni game pitting former Tulsa Oilers against former members of the Wichita Thunder. Our fans enjoy seeing the old players come back and play, said Oilers general manager and former player Taylor Hall. We host our own alumni game every year, but this season we talked with Wichitas general manager and decided to play a couple of games between our alums. We played the first one in Wichita before an Oiler-Thunder game, and now this one here. Hall said he would like to see this become an annual event. We would really like to continue to do this in the future, and I know the guys want to keep doing it, because they want to keep playing, Hall said. The Wichita alums won both of the games, including an 8-7 victory at the BOK Center. Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1229.html#1337242380 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1229.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder beat the Missouri Mavericks 2-1 in Game One of the Opening Round at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Wednesday night. Wichita leads the best-of-five series 1-0. Matt Robinson's power play goal 54 seconds into the second period broke a 1-1 tie and proved to be the final margin of the game. Marc-Antoine Gelinas and the Thunder defense shut down Missouri over the final 39-plus minutes, limiting them to 14 shots. Wichita prevented the Mavericks from taking any shots with an extra attacker during the game's final minute to close out the win. The Thunder survived a minor scare late in the third when Nick Sirota's shot from the point bounced off the left post and then back to the point. The goal light briefly came on, but the officials quickly waved the goal off, and later affirmed their call after a discussion with the goal judge. Troy Schwab delivered the first goal of the playoffs at 12:57 in the first period. Schwab carried the puck from behind the net and into the right circle before turning and shooting over the left shoulder of Mavericks' goaltender Rob Nolan. Missouri tied the game at 16:14 when Brandon Coccimiglio scored on a high shot from the slot. Robinson helped Wichita re-gain the lead at 0:54 in the second. After several shots from varying directions, Robinson connected from the bottom of the right circle, shooting past Nolan's left. Just beyond the 5:00 mark in the second, Gelinas denied Sirota with a backdoor save to his left on a clear two-on-one rush. Gelinas earned a win in his professional postseason debut, saving 23 of 24. Nolan was 22 of 24 in the loss. Wichita went 1 for 4 on the power play while going a perfect 4 for 4 in penalty kill chances. The series shifts to Missouri for Games Two and Three on Friday and Saturday. Opening faceoff is 7:05 p.m. for both contests. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE as well as Oldies 95.3 KWME, and worldwide at Game Four (if necessary) is scheduled for Tuesday, April 5th at the INTRUST Bank Arena. For tickets, call the INTRUST Bank Arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1228.html#1337242381 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1228.html WICHITA, KS - The Thunder will host the Mavericks for Game One at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Wednesday, March 30th. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. The best-of-five series follows a 1-2-1-1 format. 2011 Central Hockey League Opening Round (All Games Scheduled for 7:05 p.m.) Game 1- Wednesday, March 30th at Wichita (INTRUST Bank Arena) Game 2- Friday, April 1st, at Missouri (Independence Events Center) Game 3- Saturday, April 2nd, at Missouri (Independence Events Center) Game 4*- Tuesday, April 5th at Wichita (INTRUST Bank Arena) Game 5*- Wednesday, April 6th, at Missouri (Independence Events Center) *if necessary For information on Thunder playoff tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL, or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1225.html#1337242382 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1225.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder and Missouri Mavericks will have the stage to themselves tonight when the teams kickoff the 2011 Central Hockey League playoffs at the INTRUST Bank Arena. Game One of the Opening Round begins at 7:05 p.m. The best-of-five series shifts to Independence, MO for Games Two and Three on Friday and Saturday respectively. The Thunder would host a potential Game Four on Tuesday, April 5th, while the Mavericks hold the rights to a winner-take-all Game Five the following night. The remaining game times are all scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Separated by just 207 miles, the series pits one of the CHL's original members against one of its newest. The Thunder, now in their 19th season, are in the playoffs for the 11th time in franchise history, but the first since 2007. Under new Head Coach Kevin McClelland, the Thunder rebounded from 9-50-5 last season to 34-26-6 in 2010-11. McClelland is now one of only four coaches in league history to guide three different teams to the playoffs. A four-time Stanley Cup champion as a player, McClelland is making his fifth straight appearance in the CHL tournament, having taken Mississippi and Colorado twice each. An expansion team last year, the Mavericks are making their second appearance in the CHL playoffs. Missouri edged Mississippi two games to one in last year's Opening Round before losing to eventual champion Rapid City in the conference semifinals. The Mavericks are coached by Scott Hillman who was a star defenseman for the Odessa Jackalopes from 1999-2007. Hillman won back-to-back SPHL championships as Head Coach of the Knoxville Ice Bears before signing on with the Mavericks prior to last season. Missouri dominated the head-to-head series last year, winning all 10 matches. The Thunder responded this season with a 7-4-0 mark against the Mavericks that included one overtime win and one shootout win. The Thunder was 4-1-0 versus the Mavericks at the INTRUST Bank Arena, while going 3-3-0 at the Independence Events Center. Rob Nolan's 31-save shutout in a 2-0 Missouri win on December 27th marked the only time this season the Thunder lost in regulation to a Turner Conference opponent at home. The Thunder ranked third in offense during the regular season at 3.77 goals for per game. Missouri was first in defense, allowing just 2.62 goals against per contest. Aaron Davis was Wichita's leading scorer versus Missouri, netting six goals with 11 assists and a +8 rating in 11 games. Nick Sirota's 12 points (5 G, 7 A) led the Mavericks. Each team features a player who took home major hardware last week. Thunder defenseman Andrew Martens earned a spot on the 2011 All-CHL Team, and was later named the league's Most Outstanding Defenseman. Nolan also earned a spot on the All-CHL Team, and was voted Most Outstanding Goaltender. Missouri center Simon Watson won Man of the Year honors. For tickets to tonight's game, call the INTRUST Bank Arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1227.html#1337242383 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1227.html Thunder Starts Week Slow, Ends With a Bang The Wichita Thunder went 1-3-0 last week to close out the regular season, beginning with a 5-3 loss to the Missouri Mavericks on Tuesday night in Independence. The Thunder had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 thanks to goals from A.J. Gale and Troy Schwab, but the Mavericks scored three times in the second and never looked back. Mike Berry netted a key goal on a penalty shot in the third for Missouri. Dustin Donaghy accounted for the Thunder's other goal. The game was a makeup for the contest originally scheduled for February 1st. Wichita dropped a 5-3 contest to the Tulsa Oilers at home on Friday night. Goals from Kory Scoran and Matt Robinson helped the Thunder battle back from an early 2-0 deficit, but the Oilers rattled off three straight scores to break open the game. Kevin Beech took the loss, saving 16 of 21. Davis and Scoran each had two points. Robinson's goal was his 40th of the season. The Thunder lost their third straight game on Saturday night, 4-2 at Tulsa. Chris Greene potted a shorthanded goal in the first to give the Thunder a 1-0 lead, but the Oilers stormed back with three straight in the second to take control. Andrew Martens cut the lead to 3-2 with a late goal in the second, before Jack Combs' second of the night midway through the third accounted for the game's final tally. Marty Magers returned from Goaltender IR and was 20 of 24 in the loss. Wichita ended their mini losing streak with a dominating 8-1 victory over the Mississippi RiverKings on Sunday at home. Dustin Donaghy, Troy Schwab, and Daniel Tetrault each scored two goals, with Schwab and Tetrault finishing with four points each. Marty Magers made a season-high 44 saves to earn the win. Brent Cullaton and Steven Kaunisto each chipped in three assists, with Cullaton finishing the game +4. Tetrault and Aaron Davis also scored shorthanded in the game. It was Davis' fourth shorthanded goal of the year. Magers' 44 saves were the most by a Thunder goaltender this season. Opening Round: Thunder vs. Mavericks The Wichita Thunder (5th, Turner) begin their first playoff run since 2007 on Wednesday, March 30th when they host the Missouri Mavericks (4th, Turner) in Game One of the Opening Round. The best-of-five series follows at 1-2-1-1 format, with the Mavericks hosting Games Two and Three on Friday, April 1st and Saturday, April 2nd respectively. Game Four (if necessary) is scheduled for Tuesday, April 5th at Wichita. Game Five (if necessary) would be Wednesday, April 6th at Missouri. The Thunder was 7-4-0 against the Mavericks during the regular season, including an overtime win and a shootout win. The Mavericks were the lone Turner Conference team to beat the Thunder in regulation at the INTRUST Bank Arena, winning 2-0 on December 27th behind a shutout from Rob Nolan. The Quest for Three The Wichita Thunder is in the postseason for the first time since 2007 and aims to win their first playoff series since 2005. The Thunder is also looking to become the first CHL franchise to win three championships (1994, 1995). The Oklahoma City Blazers, Memphis RiverKings, Laredo Bucks, and Colorado Eagles have also won two President's Cups during the league's 19-year history. Thunder Finishes Third in Attendance Race The Wichita Thunder finished the 2010-11 regular season third in the CHL attendance standings, averaging 5,342 fans per game. It is the sixth consecutive year in which the Thunder has finished third or better. McClelland in Select Company First-year Thunder Head Coach is in the Central Hockey League playoffs for a fifth consecutive season. McClelland has guided the Mississippi RiverKings and Colorado Eagles to the playoffs twice each, reaching the President's Cup Finals with Colorado in 2009. McClelland is one of only four coaches in CHL history to lead three different teams to the playoffs. Bill McDonald, Chris Stewart, and Todd Lalonde are the others. INTRUST Bank Arena Advantage At 20-9-4 (.667), the Thunder has the best home record in the Turner Conference and second-best overall in the league. Wichita has played exceptionally well at the INTRUST Bank Arena when hosting Turner Conference opponents. The Thunder finished the regular season 12-1-2 (.867) at home against the Turner, losing in regulation just once. Turnering it Around A big reason for Wichita's success this season has been its record versus the top three returning teams in the conference. Wichita went a combined 13-7-2 (.636) against Colorado, Rapid City, and Missouri, with winning records against all three. The Thunder was 0-24-3 against those three clubs last year. Offensive Thunder The Thunder finished the regular season third in the league in offense at 3.77 goals for per game. Special Teams Finish Strong The Thunder received exceptional play from its special teams units down the stretch. The Thunder went 9 for 33 (27.3%) on the power play over its final seven games. Wichita's penalty kill was 40 for 45 (88.9%) during that same stretch. Thunder Survives Long March The Thunder went 8-6-0 during the month of March in which they played 14 games in a span of just 27 days. Team Awards Prior to Sunday's regular season finale, the Thunder handed out their 2011 team awards. Travis Wight was presented with the Thunder's Community Service Award. A.J. Gale earned Most Improved Player honors. Chris Greene took home the Lewis Street Glass Rattler of the Year. Aaron Davis was named the Thunder's Unsung Hero. Andrew Martens was awarded Thunder Defenseman of the Year. Matt Robinson was named the team's Most Valuable Player. Thunder Ironmen Four players skated in all 66 of the Thunder's regular season games this season. They were Chris Greent, Jesse Bennefield, Travis Wight, and Aaron Davis. Big Week for Martens Last week, Thunder defenseman Andrew Martens was named to the 2011 All-CHL Team and was also named the league's Most Outstanding Defenseman. It marked the first time since 2005 that a Thunder player earned either distinction. Martens finished the regular season tied for second among CHL blue liners with 54 points and tied for fourth with 15 goals. Top-25 The Thunder ended the regular season with four players that ranked in the CHL's top-25 in points. Right wing Jesse Bennefield led the Thunder with 75 points, and tied for 12th in the league. Linemates Matt Robinson and Aaron Davis tied for 15th with 72 points each. Right wing A.J. Gale finished 22nd in the league with 64 points. Other League Leaders Left wing Matt Robinson finished the season tied for second in the CHL with 40 goals, while right wing Jesse Bennefield tied for seventh with 35. Kory Scoran's 12 goals were ninth-most among defensemen. Forward Dustin Donaghy finished fourth among CHL rookies with 16 goals. Defenseman Steven Kaunisto tied for fourth among rookies in plus/minus at +10. Rookie goaltender Marc-Antoine Gelinas tied for third overall in the league with 26 wins and tied for second with four shutouts. Right wing Robin Richards finished seventh overall with 189 PIM. Around the CHL Playoffs In the Northern Conference, Rapid City (1) faces Dayton (8), Colorado (2) takes on Quad City (7), and Bloomington (3) faces Fort Wayne. In the Southern Conference, Allen (1) battles Rio Grande Valley (8), Bossier-Shreveport (2) tackles Arizona (7), Tulsa (3) faces Mississippi (6), and Texas (4) goes up against Odessa (5). Roster Notes Marty Magers was activated from Goaltender IR over the weekend. The Thunder waived goaltender Kevin Beech. Defenseman Mike Looby, forward Lance Galbraith, and center Bobby Hughes are all on the 10-Day IR. Follow the Thunder Through the Playoffs All Thunder playoff games are broadcast on either 93.5 FM KWME or 1550 AM KKLE. You can also listen to each game on the internet at Emerson Biggin's West (located at 21st and Maize) is the Thunder's official watch party sponsor of all road games. Thunder food and drink specials will be offered throughout the playoffs. Up Next The Thunder hosts the Missouri Mavericks for Game One of the Opening Round on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. Games Two and Three are scheduled for Friday and Saturday at the Independence Events Center. Both start at 7:05 p.m. For tickets to Wednesday's game, call the INTRUST Bank Arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1222.html#1337242384 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1222.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder announced their 2011 playoff roster on Monday, as well as the acquisition of defenseman Iain McPhee. McPhee skated in 48 games this season for the Berry Conference champion Allen Americans. The 25-year old blue liner totaled 12 assists, 79 PIM, and a plus/minus rating of +14. The 6-foot-2, 209-pound McPhee split time with three IHL clubs as a rookie last season, playing for Quad City, Muskegon, and Dayton. A native of Pickering, Ontario, McPhee played four years of Major Junior hockey with the OHL's Windsor Spitfires before enjoying a three-year college career at the University of Prince Edward Island. The Thunder also activated left wing Lance Galbraith from the 10-Day IR, giving them 19 players on their playoff roster. CHL playoff rosters may not change during the course of the tournament, but teams may add up to two amateurs (players with zero professional experience) to their playoff roster as needed. Defenseman Mike Looby and center Bobby Hugheswill finish the seasonon the IR. 2011 Wichita Thunder Playoff Roster #5 Kory Scoran, D #6 Steven Kaunisto, D #7 Daniel Tetrault, D #16 Matt Robinson, LW #18 Dustin Donaghy, LW #19 Chris Greene, C #21 Jesse Bennefield, RW #22 A.J. Gale, RW #23 Brent Cullaton, LW #24 Robin Richards, RW #27 Travis Wight, D #28 Troy Schwab, RW #29 Jason Goulet, D #30 Marc-Antoine Gelinas, G #40 Aaron Davis, C #55 Andrew Martens, D #56 Marty Magers, G #71 Lance Galbraith, LW Iain McPhee, D The Thunder hosts the Missouri Mavericks in Game One of the Opening Round on Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the INTRUST Bank Arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1223.html#1337242385 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1223.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder has officially learned they will play the Missouri Mavericks in the Opening Round of the 2011 Central Hockey League playoffs. The Thunder will host the Mavericks for Game One at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Wednesday, March 30th. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. The best-of-five series follows a 1-2-1-1 format. Earlier today, the Bloomington Prairie Thunder clinched the Turner Conference's number three seed by reaching overtime in an eventual shootout loss versus Evansville. The result of that game left Missouri with the number four seed, and a matchup against fifth-seeded Wichita. 2011 Central Hockey League Opening Round (All Games Scheduled for 7:05 p.m.) Game 1- Wednesday, March 30th at Wichita (INTRUST Bank Arena) Game 2- Friday, April 1st, at Missouri (Independence Events Center) Game 3- Saturday, April 2nd, at Missouri (Independence Events Center) Game 4*- Tuesday, April 5th at Wichita (INTRUST Bank Arena) Game 5*- Wednesday, April 6th, at Missouri (Independence Events Center) *if necessary For information on Thunder playoff tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL, or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Mon, 28 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1220.html#1337242386 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1220.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder defeated the Mississippi RiverKings 8-1 at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Sunday evening in their regular season finale. Dustin Donaghy, Troy Schwab, and Daniel Tetrault each potted two goals, while Marty Magers made a season-high 44 saves to earn the win. Already leading 4-0 in the third, Tetrault rifled the puck from the left boards past RiverKings' goaltender Alexander Pechurskiy for a power play goal at 2:43. 48 seconds later, Schwab netted his second of the game for a 6-0 Thunder advantage. Jesse Bennefield took a pass from Brent Cullaton during a two-on-one and shot past Pechurskiy's right at 12:58 for the Thunder's seventh goal. Tetrault made it 8-0 at 16:38, scoring shorthanded on a one-timer that also originated from Cullaton. Magers carried a shutout into the final minutes of the game. Magers and the Thunder defense killed off an entire five-minute major midway through the third after Robin Richards was charged with a boarding penalty at 4:01. During another Mississippi man advantage, Chris Richards deflected Derek Landmesser's shot from the point past Magers' right with 2:53 left in regulation to break up the shutout bid. Magers was 16 of 17 in a third period that included nearly eight minutes of RiverKings power play. The Thunder exploded for three goals in the first to take early control of the game. Donaghy scored from the left halfboards at 5:07 for the first goal of the night. At 14:04, and with the Thunder on a power play, Schwab shot a rebound past the left of Pechurskiy. Schwab's opportunity was the product of Tetrault's shot from the right point. Just 27 seconds after Schwab's first goal, Donaghy scored his second of the night, again from the left boards, this time beating Pechurskiy to the short side of the net. Aaron Davis scored Wichita's first shorthanded goal at 10:19 in the second period to make it 4-0 Wichita. Cullaton made a headlong pass to Tetrault that triggered a two-on-one. Tetrault skated through the right circle before making a backdoor pass over the crease that Davis buried to the right of new RiverKings' goaltender Larry Sterling. Sterling took over for Pechurskiy at 8:10 in the second. Pechurskiy would return to start the third period and played the remainder of the game. Magers stopped all 15 of Mississippi's shots in the second. Magers was 44 of 45 for the game. The 44 saves were the most for any Thunder goaltender this season. Pechurskiy took the loss, combining for 22 saves on 29 shots. Sterling was 11 for 12. The Thunder went 2 for 6 on the power play and 6 for 7 on the penalty kill. Cullaton and Steven Kaunisto finished with three assists, while Tetrault and Schwab each totaled four points. Chris Greene also had two assists. Cullaton was +4 in the game. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at For information on Thunder playoff tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. -Thunder- Mon, 28 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1221.html#1337242387 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1221.html TULSA, OK- The Wichita Thunder lost 4-2 to the Tulsa Oilers at the BOK Center on Saturday night. Chris Greene helped the Thunder grab a first period lead, scoring shorthanded at 11:06. Greene grabbed a loose puck at the Wichita blue line, worked up the ice, and faked out Oilers' goaltender Ian Keserich with a shot under his left pad. Tulsa ran off three straight goals in the third to take a 3-1 advantage, including two scores separated by just 50 seconds. After Marty Magers made a great kick save on a shot from Jack Combs, Combs snuck his own rebound past Magers' left to tie the game at 2:22. At 3:12 in the period, Luke Lucyk scored from close range to give Tulsa a 2-1 lead. Chad Costello scored Tulsa's third unanswered goal at 13:09, finishing off a two-on-one rush started by Combs. Andrew Martens scored a key goal with 28 seconds left in the period to cut the lead to 3-2. Martens connected on a one-timer from the right point that was setup by Kory Scoran. Combs scored his second of the night at 11:46 in the third to make it 4-2 Tulsa. Combs ripped a shot from the right half boards past Magers during a power play. Magers took the loss, saving 20 of 24. Keserich earned the win, stopping 37 of 39 and finishes the season 6-1-0 against the Thunder. Wichita was 0 for 7 on the power play. Tulsa was 1 for 8. Prior to the game, the Wichita Thunder alumni topped the Oilers alumni for a second time in as many meetings this year, winning 8-7. The Thunder closes the regular season on Sunday versus the Mississippi RiverKings at 5:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at For information on Thunder playoff tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. -Thunder- Sun, 27 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1219.html#1337242388 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1219.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder lost 5-3 to the Tulsa Oilers at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Friday night. Wichita's loss combined with Quad City's loss at Dayton has guaranteed them the fifth seed in the Turner Conference playoffs next week. Wichita will now face the fourth seed in the opening round, which has yet to be determined. The Oilers claimed a 1-0 lead at 16:41 in the first when Michel Beausolei took a pass from Jack Combs and ripped a shot past the right side of Kevin Beech. Tulsa took a 2-0 lead 41 seconds into the second period. After Beech stopped a quick shot from Anthony Battaglia, Derek Eastman slipped the rebound under Beech's left pad for the score. Kory Scoran cut the lead in half, blasting a shot from the middle point that traveled over the right shoulder of Oilers' goaltender Ian Keserich. Matt Robinson knotted the score with his 40th goal of the season at 7:16, taking a cross-crease pass from Aaron Davis and shooting under Keserich's left pad from a tough angle along the goal line. Anthony Battaglia put Tulsa back in front at 17:43 on a shot from the right circle that deflected off Beech and under the crossbar. The Oilers ran off two more goals early in the third to break the game open. Gary Steffes shot past Beech at 2:07 while Brennan Barker connected at 5:41 to make it 5-2. Davis scored a power play goal at 7:49, tipping in Scoran's shot from the point to bring the Thunder back within two. Beech took the loss, saving 16 of 21. Keserich earned the win, saving 35 of 38. Wichita was 1 for 2 on the power play. Tulsa was 0 for 4. The Thunder plays at Tulsa on Saturday at 7:35 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at The Thunder hosts the Mississippi RiverKings on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. to close out the 2010-11 regular season. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at For information on Thunder playoff tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. -Thunder- Sat, 26 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1218.html#1337242389 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1218.html WICHITA, KS- Wichita Thunder defenseman Andrew Martens has been named the Central Hockey League's 2011 Most Outstanding Defenseman. Martens has skated in 62 of the Thunder's 63 games this season and is currently tied for second among CHL defensemen with 52 points. Martens is tied for fourth with 14 goals, and ranks ninth in shot percentage at .101. A native of Alberta, Canada, Martens has a plus/minus rating of +5 and has scored 47 points over his last 48 games. Since November 24th, Martens has not gone more than two consecutive games without a point. The 29-year old Martens has had three point streaks this season of five or more games, including a seven-game streak from January 25th-February 12th. On February 5th at Fort Wayne, Martens became the first defenseman since the CHL's merger with the WPHL to score four goals in a game, turning the trick in a span of just 5:17. Martens is the first Thunder player to earn a major CHL award since Paul Esdale was named Most Outstanding Defenseman in 2005. Earlier this week, Martens was named to the 2011 All-CHL Team. Including this year, Martens has now scored at least 30 points in five consecutive seasons. The sixth-year professional played three years of college hockey at Bemidji State University before turning pro in 2006 with the ECHL's Greenville Grrrowl. Martens saw extensive time in the AHL during the 2008-09 season with Manitoba and Toronto. The Thunder hosts the Mississippi RiverKings tonight at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at For information on Thunder playoff tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. -Thunder- Fri, 25 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1217.html#1337242390 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1217.html INDEPENDENCE, MO- The Wichita Thunder lost 5-3 to the Missouri Mavericks at the Independence Events Center on Tuesday night. The Mavericks overcame a pair of one-goal deficits during a three-goal second period that tipped the game in Missouri's favor. With the Mavericks down 1-0, Ryan Jardine tied the game at 1:55 during a three-on-two rush. Troy Schwab helped Wichita re-gain the lead at 3:57, carrying the puck around the net and shooting past Nolan's left. But Missouri tied it at 4:41 on a power play goal from Brandon Coccimiglio, who snuck a rebound under Marc-Antoine Gelinas' right pad, and then took their first lead of the game at 9:00 on Jardine's second goal of the period. Mike Berry converted a penalty shot 8:14 in the third to make it 4-2 Mavericks. Berry was ruled to have been hauled down driving to the net before crashing into Marc-Antoine Gelinas. Berry scored on a wristshot to Gelinas' left. Dustin Donaghy cut the lead to 4-3 with a goal from the high slot at 9:22, but Todd Griffith scored on an empty net with 44 seconds left to close out the game. A.J. Gale supplied the first goal of the night during a Thunder power play at 2:19 in the first. Brent Cullaton passed to Gale who worked around the crease before shooting past the blocker side of Mavericks' goaltender Rob Nolan. Gelinas saved 20 of 24 in the loss. Nolan was 33 of 36 in the win. Cullaton and Schwab each had two points. Wichita was 1 for 3 on the power play. Missouri was 1 for 4. The Thunder hosts the Tulsa Oilers on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at For information on Thunder playoff tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. -Thunder- Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1216.html#1337242391 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1216.html WICHITA, KS- Wichita Thunder defenseman Andrew Martens has been named to the 2011 All-CHL Team. The six-man squad was voted on by the league's Head Coaches, Public Relations Departments, and select members of the media. Martens opens the week tied for second among blue liners with 52 points, and tied for third with 14 goals. Martens has skated in 61 of the Thunder's 62 games and has compiled a plus/minus rating of +6. The Alberta native has now scored at least 30 points in five consecutive seasons. On February 5th at Fort Wayne, the 29-year old Martens became the first defenseman to score four goals in a game since the CHL's merger with the WPHL. Martens has strung together three point streaks this season of at least five games. The rest of the 2011 All-CHL Team includes defenseman Darcy Campbell (Rio Grande Valley), forwards Riley Nelson (Colorado), Sebastien Thinel (Odessa), and Chad Woollard (Texas), and goaltender Rob Nolan (Missouri). Martens is the first Thunder player to make the All-CHL Team since Travis Clayton and Paul Esdale were both named in 2005. Martens is also a finalist for the CHL's Most Outstanding Defenseman award, which will be announced later this week. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at For information on Thunder playoff tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. -Thunder- Wed, 23 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1215.html#1337242392 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1215.html Thunder Has Another Winning Week The Wichita Thunder won two of three games last week, beginning with a 6-4 road victory against the Quad City Mallards on Thursday night. After falling behind 2-0 in the first, Wichita battled back to take three separate leads, with Bobby Hughes' shorthanded goal late in the third proving the difference. Hughes and Troy Schwab each had two goals and two assists. Schwab finished the game +4. Marc-Antoine Gelinas saved 25 of 29 in the win. The Thunder was 9 for 9 on the penalty kill. Daniel Tetrault and Jesse Bennefield each had two points. The Thunder lost 5-2 to the Missouri Mavericks in Independence on Friday night. Missouri scored twice within the first seven minutes of the game, and while Kory Scoran cut the lead in half with a power play goal later in the period, the Mavericks re-extended their lead for good in the second. Nick Sirota and Simon Watson both had two goals for Missouri. Matt Robinson accounted for the Thunder's other goal. Kevin Beech took the loss, saving 31 of 36. Wichita came from behind to win 5-3 at Missouri on Saturday night. A.J. Gale scored twice in the second period to wipe out a 3-1 Mavericks lead. Troy Schwab supplied the game-winning goal with 2:33 left in regulation. Aaron Davis and Matt Robinson also scored for the Thunder. Kevin Beech picked up the win, saving 22 of 25. Gale finished with three points. Brent Cullaton had two assists in his return from team suspension. It was the Thunder's first regulation win at the Independence Events Center in 10 tries. Thunder Climbing CHL Attendance Race The Wichita Thunder ranks third in the CHL in attendance at 5,342 fans per game. Wichita needs to average 6,360 fans over their final two home games to finish in front of the Missouri Mavericks' current pace (5,403). The Thunder has ranked second in the league in attendance each of the last five years. The Race for Home Ice While the Turner Conference playoff field has been set for over a week, the final seedings are far from decided. Wichita currently sits in fifth place, four points back of Missouri and Bloomington for third and fourth place. Wichita has one game in hand on Missouri while Bloomington has one game in hand on the Thund Special Teams Excel The Thunder had a productive week on special teams. Wichita went 5 for 15 (33.3%) on the power play last week, with at least one goal on the man advantage in all three games. Wichita's penalty kill was equally effective, converting 20 of 22 (90.1%) opportunities. Playoff-Bound Thunder Earlier this month, the Thunder clinched their first playoff berth in four years. It is the 10th time in franchise history the Thunder is in the playoffs. McClelland Joins Select Group First-year Thunder Head Coach is in the Central Hockey League playoffs for a fifth consecutive season. McClelland has guided the Mississippi RiverKings and Colorado Eagles to the playoffs twice each, reaching the President's Cup Finals with Colorado in 2009. McClelland is now one of only four coaches in CHL history to lead three different teams to the playoffs. Bill McDonald, Chris Stewart, and Todd Lalonde are the others. Offensive Thunder The Thunder is third in the league in goals for per game at 3.76. Thunder Ironmen Four players have skated in all 62 of the Thunder's games this year. They are Chris Greene, Jesse Bennefield, Travis Wight, and Aaron Davis. INTRUST Bank Arena Advantage At 19-8-4 (.677), the Thunder has the best home record in the Turner Conference and second-best overall in the league. Wichita has played exceptionally well at the INTRUST Bank Arena when hosting Turner Conference opponents. The Thunder finishes the regular season 12-1-2 at home against the Turner, having lost in regulation just once. 'Turnering' it Around A big reason for Wichita's success this season has been its record versus the top three returning teams in the conference. Wichita is a combined 13-6-2 (.667) against Colorado, Rapid City, and Missouri, with winning records against all three. The Thunder was 0-24-3 against those three clubs last year. The Long March The Thunder's final four games will be played in a span of six days. Wichita opened the month of March having to play 14 games in 27 days. The Thunder is currently 7-3-0 in March. Martens CHL Finalist Andrew Martens has been named a finalist for the CHL's Most Outstanding Defenseman award. Martens is tied for second in the league among blue liners with 52 points, and tied for third with 14 goals. Bennefield Among League's Best Right wing Jesse Bennefield is tied for 12th in the league with 73 points and tied for seventh with 34 goals. Bennefield has 93 goals and 203 points in 176 CHL games over the last three seasons. Robinson Lighting the Lamp Left wing Matt Robinson is second in the league with 39 goals. Robinson trails Texas' Chad Woollard (42) in the CHL's scoring race. Paul Jackson is the only Thunder player to ever lead the league in goals, scoring 71 in 1993-94. Rookies Excelling All three of Wichita's rookies have produced for the Thunder this season. Forward Dustin Donaghy is tied for sixth among rookies with 13 goals. Defenseman Steven Kaunisto ranks fourth with a +10 plus/minus rating. Goaltender Marc-Antoine Gelinas is third overall in the league with 26 victories, and tied for second with four shutouts. Roster Notes Wichita made several transactions over the weekend. Forward Lance Galbraith and defenseman Mike Looby were both placed on the 10-Day IR. Defenseman Jason Goulet was activated from the 10-Day IR. Left wing Brent Cullaton returned from team suspension. Marty Magers is on Goaltender IR. Catch the Thunder All Season All 66 Thunder games are broadcast on either 93.5 FM KWME or 1550 AM KKLE. You can also listen to each game on the internet at Emerson Biggin's West (located at 21st and Maize) is the Thunder's official watch party sponsor of all road games. Thunder food and drink specials will be offered throughout the season. Up Next The Thunder finally wraps up their busy March with a bevy of games this week. The Thunder faces Missouri for a third straight game on Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday is the re-scheduled game that was snowed out on February 1st. The Thunder returns home on Friday, March 25th when they host the Tulsa Oilers at 7:05 p.m. Friday is Team Photo Night, courtesy of Allegiant Air, Eaton Place, Newman University, Oce, and The Wichita Eagle. The first 5,000 fans through the door will receive a free 2011 Thunder team photo. During the game, fans can also bid on the Thunder's 2011 wheelchair sweaters. Proceeds from the auction will benefit Wheelchair Sports. Wichita and Tulsa play at the BOK Center on Saturday night at 7:35 p.m. The Thunder and Oilers alumni squads will have a rematch from their exhibition at the INTRUST Bank Arena on February 19th. The regular season concludes Sunday when the Thunder hosts the Mississippi RiverKings at 5:05 p.m. Sunday is 'Fan'demonium, presented by Wichita Technical Institute and Viega. Great gifts will be thrown into the stands throughout the night. There will also be an auction during the game for the Thunder's 2010-11 Meta Blade Record warm-up jerseys. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at For information on Thunder playoff tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. -Thunder- Tue, 22 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1214.html#1337242393 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1214.html INDEPENDENCE, MO- The Wichita Thunder beat the Missouri Mavericks 5-3 at the Independence Events Center on Saturday night. A.J. Gale scored twice, while Troy Schwab scored the game-winning goal with 2:33 left in regulation. It marked Wichita's first regulation win at the Independence Events Center in 10 games over the last two seasons. Tied at 3-3 in the third, Brent Cullaton backhanded a pass from the left corner out to the crease where Schwab backhanded it past the left of Mavericks' goaltender Gerry Festa for the go-ahead goal. Matt Robinson sealed the game with an empty netter at 19:40. For a second straight night, the Mavericks used an early goal to jump out to a 1-0 lead. Ryan Jardine wristed a shot past Kevin Beech 39 seconds into the game after taking a pass from Steven Later. Aaron Davis tied it for Wichita at 10:37, ripping a shot from the left circle that Festa deadened, but could not stop from trickling through his five-hole. Missouri re-gained the lead at 13:04 on a two-man advantage when Ray DiLauro scored on a one-timer from the right circle. Mike Wakita scored from the left boards at 8:48 in the second to give Missouri a 3-1 lead, but Gale scored consecutive goals at 9:44 and 17:06 to tie the game. Gale's first goal came on a backdoor pass that originated from Daniel Tetrault at the point, with Gale shooting past Festa's right. The second came during a Thunder power play with Gale driving to the net and lifting the puck over Festa's left shoulder before being hauled down in front of the crease. Kevin Beech stopped 22 of 25 for the win. Festa was 25 of 29 in the loss. The win pulls the Thunder within two points of both Missouri and Bloomington for third place in the Turner Conference playoff race. Wichita was 2 for 5 on the power play and has scored two power play goals in three consecutive games. Missouri was 1 for 7 on the man advantage. Prior to the game, Lance Galbraith and Mike Looby were placed on the 10-Day IR. Jason Goulet was activated from the 10-Day IR, while Cullaton returned from team suspension. The Thunder and Mavericks play for a third straight game in Independence again on Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at Wichita returns home on Friday, March 25th when they host the Tulsa Oilers. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at For information on Thunder playoff tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. -Thunder- Sun, 20 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1213.html#1337242394 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1213.html Photo Credit: ScottThomas INDEPENDENCE, MO- The Wichita Thunder lost 5-2 to the Missouri Mavericks at the Independence Events Center on Friday night. Missouri used two early goals to take control of the game. Simon Watson scored past Kevin Beech just 1:45 into the contest, while Nick Sirota made it 2-0 at 6:58 on a deflection in front of the net. Kory Scoran helped the Thunder cut the lead in half, scoring a power play goal on a one-timer from the point setup by Andrew Martens at 16:28. Watson scored again at 7:55 in the second, skating towards the crease and beating Beech under his left pad. In the third, Sirota became the second Mavericks player to score twice in the game, benefitting from a deflection off of Beech's skate from the red line at the 2:45 mark. Matt Robinson slapped a puck past Rob Nolan during a Thunder power play at 5:52, shooting from the left halfboards, but Todd Griffith's power play goal at 15:17 sealed the game for Missouri. Robin Richards picked up two fighting majors in the game, squaring off with Derek Knowles in the first and Mike Wakita in the third. Daniel Tetrault also fought in the third, taking on Carlyle Lewis. Beech was 31 of 36 in the loss. Nolan earned the win, saving 22 of 24. Wichita was 2 for 5 on the power play. Missouri was 1 for 6. The Thunder and Mavericks play in Independence again on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at Wichita returns home on Friday, March 25th when they host the Tulsa Oilers. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at For information on Thunder playoff tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. -Thunder- Sat, 19 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1212.html#1337242395 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1212.html Photo Credit: Elizabeth Cohrs MOLINE, IL- The Wichita Thunder defeated the Quad City Mallards 6-4 at the iWireless Center on Thursday night. Bobby Hughes broke a 4-4 tie with a shorthanded goal with 2:54 left in regulation to propel the Thunder to the win. Hughes and Troy Schwab each had two goals. With Quad City on a power play, Hughes picked up a loose puck that trickled through the neutral zone. Hughes grabbed the puck in the slot and drove closer to the net before beating Mallards' goaltender David Brown with a wristshot to his left. Jesse Bennefield iced the game with an empty net goal with 1:02 left in the game. Schwab scored his second of the night at 3:57 in the third to snap a 3-3 tie, tapping in his own rebound to the left of Brown. Brandon Marino made it a 4-4 game at 10:41, dragging the puck around the left post and beating Marc-Antoine Gelinas with a high backhand shot. Jared Brown scored the first goal of the night at 4:03 in the first period, beating Gelinas on a wrist shot from the right circle during an odd-man rush. Later in the period, the Mallards went ahead 2-0 when Jake Riddle tipped the puck past Gelinas at 17:23 on a scramble in front of the crease. Hughes cut the lead in half at 18:44, taking a drop pass from Jesse Bennefield and shooting past Brown from the slot. Schwab tied the game at 2-2 at the 4:42 mark in the second. Outnumbered by the Mallards' defense, Schwab beat Brown from the top of the right circle with a high shot that rang down under the crossbar. Kory Scoran gave Wichita its first lead of the night with a power play goal at 7:26. Hughes passed from behind the net where Scoran shot past Brown from close range. Adam Maccarone re-tied the game at 9:09 in the second with a slapshot from the left circle. Gelinas was 25 of 29 for the win. Brown saved 28 of 33 in the loss. Wichita was 9 for 9 on the penalty kill, including Hughes' shorthanded goal, while going 1 for 5 on the power play. The win allowed the Thunder to sweep the regular season series from Quad City 4-0-0. The Thunder plays at Missouri on Friday at 7:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at Wichita returns home on Friday, March 25th when they host the Tulsa Oilers. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at For information on Thunder playoff tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. -Thunder- Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1211.html#1337242396 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1211.html WICHITA, KS- Wichita Thunder goaltender Marc-Antoine Gelinas has been named the Oakley CHL Goaltender of the Week for March 7th-13th. The rookie netminder went 3-0-0 last week with wins against Tulsa, Mississippi, and Quad City. During the stretch, Gelinas posted a 1.63 goals against average and a .940 save percentage. A native of St. Etienne de Lauzon, Quebec, Gelinas has put together a terrific rookie campaign. Gelinas is second overall in the league with 25 wins, and tied for second with four shutouts. The 22-year old Gelinas has proven durable as well, ranking fourth with 2400:40 minutes played. The four shutouts are a Thunder single-season record. For his accomplishments, Gelinas will receive a gift, courtesy of Oakley. The Thunder plays at Quad City on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at Wichita returns home on Friday, March 25th when they host the Tulsa Oilers. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at For information on Thunder playoff tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. -Thunder- Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1210.html#1337242397 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1210.html Thunder Wins Three of Four The Wichita Thunder earned six of eight points last week. The Thunder came from behind and beat Tulsa 3-2 in overtime on Tuesday at the BOK Center. Troy Schwab scored the game-winning goal with 43 seconds left in overtime. Mike Looby tied the contest at 2-2 with a goal in the third period. Marc-Antoine Gelinas earned the win, saving 25 of 27. Aaron Davis scored for the Thunder. Wichita defeated the Mississippi RiverKings 5-1 on Friday night at home. Matt Robinson and Aaron Davis each had three points, with Robinson potting two goals. Marc-Antoine Gelinas was 26 of 28 for the victory. Davis, Dustin Donaghy, and Jesse Bennefield also scored Thunder goals. The Thunder dropped a 4-1 game to the Allen Americans in Allen, TX on Saturday night. Bobby Hughes scored Wichita's lone goal while Marty Magers was 25 of 29 in his first game since February 5th. Nino Musitelli had two points in the win for the Americans. Chris Whitley was the winning goaltender, saving 31 of 32. Wichita finished the weekend strong with a 4-1 win versus Quad City on Sunday evening. Aaron Davis netted two goals to lead the offense. Marc-Antoine Gelinas was 28 for 29 in the victory. Chris Greene and Jesse Bennefield also had Thunder goals. Thunder Climbing CHL Attendance Race The Wichita Thunder ranks third in the CHL in attendance at 5,342 fans per game. Wichita needs to average 6,063 fans over their final two home games to finish in front of the Missouri Mavericks' current pace (5,385). The Thunder has ranked second in the league in attendance each of the last five years. Full Lineup On Friday, the Thunder played with their seven highest-scoring forwards (Aaron Davis, Matt Robinson, A.J. Gale, Bobby Hughes, Troy Schwab, Jesse Bennefield, and Lance Galbraith) for the first time in 25 games. The group had not played together since January 7th. Playoff-Bound Thunder Earlier this month, the Thunder clinched their first playoff berth in four years. It is the 10th time in franchise history the Thunder is in the playoffs. McClelland Joins Select Group First-year Thunder Head Coach is in the Central Hockey League playoffs for a fifth consecutive season. McClelland has guided the Mississippi RiverKings and Colorado Eagles to the playoffs twice each, reaching the President's Cup Finals with Colorado in 2009. McClelland is now one of only four coaches in CHL history to lead three different teams to the playoffs. Bill McDonald, Chris Stewart, and Todd Lalonde are the others. Offensive Thunder The Thunder is second in the league in goals for per game at 3.73. Thunder Ironmen Five players have skated in all 59 of the Thunder's games this year. They are Chris Greene, Jesse Bennefield, Travis Wight, Aaron Davis, and Lance Galbraith. Home Ice Advantage The Thunder has one of the best home records in the league at 19-8-4. Wichita has played exceptionally well at the INTRUST Bank Arena when hosting Turner Conference opponents. The Thunder finishes the regular season 12-1-2 at home against the Turner, having lost in regulation just once. 'Turnering' it Around A big reason for Wichita's success this season has been its record versus the top three returning teams in the conference. Wichita is a combined 12-5-2 against Colorado, Rapid City, and Missouri, with winning records against all three. The Thunder was 0-24-3 against those three clubs last year. The Thunder begins a stretch of three straight games against Missouri later this week. The Long March The Thunder's final seven games will be played in a span of 11 days, including two sets of three games in three nights. Wichita opened the month of March having to play 14 games in 27 days. 30 Goals Both Matt Robinson (35) and Jesse Bennefield (31) have scored 30 goals in a Thunder sweater this season. Wichita's last 30-goal campaign was by Travis Clayton (30) in 2006-07. Wichita has had just one 20-goal scorer (Jason Duda, 2008-09) over the last three years. A.J. Gale joins Robinson and Bennefield as Thunder players with 20-plus goals in 2010-11, with Aaron Davis (19) and Andrew Martens (14) within in reach. Martens CHL Finalist Andrew Martens has been named a finalist for the CHL's Most Outstanding Defenseman award. Martens is second in the league among blue liners with 50 points, and third with 14 goals. Bennefield Among League's Best Right wing Jesse Bennefield is 13th in the league with 71 points and tied for eighth with 33 goals. Bennefield has 92 goals and 201 points in 173 CHL games over the last three seasons. Robinson Lighting the Lamp Left wing Matt Robinson is second in the league with 37 goals. Robinson trails Texas' Chad Woollard (40) in the CHL's scoring race. Paul Jackson is the only Thunder player to ever lead the league in goals, scoring 71 in 1993-94. Rookies Excelling All three of Wichita's rookies have produced for the Thunder this season. Forward Dustin Donaghy is tied for fourth among rookies with 13 goals. Defenseman Steven Kaunisto ranks second with a +15 plus/minus rating. Goaltender Marc-Antoine Gelinas is second overall in the league with 25 victories, and tied for second with four shutouts. Roster Notes Right wing A.J. Gale returned to the lineup on Friday after missing four games. Forward Robin Richards has been scratched each of the last three games. Marty Magers was activated from Goaltender IR. Goaltender Kevin Beech was granted leave by the league. Defenseman Jason Goulet is on the 10-Day IR. Left wing Brent Cullaton is on team suspension. Catch the Thunder All Season All 66 Thunder games are broadcast on either 93.5 FM KWME or 1550 AM KKLE. You can also listen to each game on the internet at Emerson Biggin's West (located at 21st and Maize) is the Thunder's official watch party sponsor of all road games. Thunder food and drink specials will be offered throughout the season. Up Next The Thunder has another busy week, playing three games on the road. Wichita plays at Quad City on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. The Thunder then plays at Missouri both Friday and Saturday. Both contests against the Mavericks begin at 7:05 p.m. The Thunder finally returns home on Friday, March 25th when they host the Tulsa Oilers at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at For playoff tickets and information, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. -Thunder- Tue, 15 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1209.html#1337242398 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1209.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder beat the Quad City Mallards 4-1 at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Sunday evening. Aaron Davis scored two goals while Marc-Antoine Gelinas stopped 28 of 29 in the win. Wichita scored twice in the second period to open a 3-1 lead. Aaron Davis broke a 1-1 tie at 10:39, scoring his second goal of the night. Davis took a centering pass from Matt Robinson and shot just under the crossbar for the go-ahead goal. Chris Greene made it 3-1 at 14:57, faking out Mallards' goaltender Adam Russo on a two-on-one. Greene brought the puck down the right circle and snuck it around Russo's left pad after the netminder came out to challenge him at the top of the crease. Jesse Bennefield sealed the game at 15:58 in the third period, shooting past Russo's left during an odd-man rush. Just prior, Gelinas made a key save on a Joel Gasper breakaway that kept Quad City from pulling back within one goal. Quad City scored the first goal of the game at 8:12 in the first. Tyler Sheast ripped a shot from the right half boards over the shoulder of Marc-Antoine Gelinas. The Thunder evened things just 28 seconds later on a goal from Davis. Andrew Martens flipped the puck through the length of the slot where Davis re-directed it behind Russo from just outside the crease. Each team was 0 for 1 on the power play. Russo took the loss, saving 44 of 48. The Thunder finishes the regular season 12-1-2 against the Turner Conference at the INTRUST Bank Arena. The Thunder plays at Quad City on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at The Thunder next plays at home on Friday, March 25th against the Tulsa Oilers. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at For information on Thunder playoff tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. -Thunder- Mon, 14 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1208.html#1337242399 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1208.html ALLEN, TX- The Wichita Thunder lost 4-1 to the Allen Americans at the Allen Event Center on Saturday night. Allen cracked a scoreless tie at 18:23 in the first on the power play. Colton Yellow Horn carried the puck in front of the crease and made a backdoor pass that deflected off of Nino Musitelli's skate and into the net. After the officials reviewed the call, the goal was allowed to stand. After Brian McMillan's goal at 4:35 in the second gave Allen a 2-0 lead, Bobby Hughes responded 32 seconds later to bring the Thunder back within one. Hughes led a two-on-one rush into the slot and scored on a snapshot past the right of Americans' goaltender Chris Whitley. Liam Huculak made it 3-1 Allen at 10:43 in the third, while Tobias Whelan put the game away with a power play goal in the final minute of regulation. Marty Magers stopped 25 of 29 in the loss. Whitley earned the win, saving 31 of 32. Wichita was 0 for 3 on the power play. Allen was 2 for 5. The Thunder hosts the Quad City Mallards Sunday at 5:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at For information on Thunder playoff tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. -Thunder- Sun, 13 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1207.html#1337242400 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1207.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder defeated the Mississippi RiverKings 5-2 at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Friday night. Matt Robinson and Aaron Davis each had three points as the Thunder improved to 4-1-0 in the month of March. Robinson scored twice in the second to help Wichita build a 3-2 lead. With the game tied at 1-1, Robinson won a foot race to a loose puck in front of the crease and then beat RiverKings' goaltender Alexander Pechurskiy with a deke to his left. Robinson made it 3-1 at 9:32, re-directing Aaron Davis' shot from the point through Pechurskiy's five-hole. Chris Richards cut the lead to 3-2 at 13:23, converting a rebound to right of Marc-Antoine Gelinas. Dustin Donaghy gave the Thunder some breathing room at the 14:23 mark in the third, beating Pechurskiy five-hole with a slapshot from halfway down the left boards. Jesse Bennefield put the game away with an empty netter at 19:16. Wichita opened a 1-0 lead at 8:54 in the first when Aaron Davis tipped in a rebound behind the left side of Pechurskiy. A.J. Gale started the play off the right boards and passed to Matt Robinson in the slot who took the initial shot. Chris Auger was credited with a goal at 16:10 in the first, backhanding a high shot that rang under the crossbar and then into the net. Gelinas was 26 of 28 for the win. Pechurskiy was 38 of 42 in the loss. The Thunder was 0 for 5 on the power play while Mississippi was 0 for 3. The Thunder plays at Allen on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at The Thunder hosts the Quad City Mallards on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at For information on Thunder playoff tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. -Thunder- Sat, 12 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1206.html#1337242401 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1206.html WICHITA, KS- Wichita Thunder defenseman Andrew Martens has been named a finalist for the Central Hockey League's 2011 Most Outstanding Defenseman Award. Martens is joined by Darcy Campbell (Rio Grande Valley), Frankie DeAngelis (Fort Wayne), Derek Eastman (Tulsa), and Jason Krischuk (Texas). Martens enters Friday third among CHL blue liners in both goals (14) and points (48). The 29-year old Martens has played in 55 games and has a plus/minus rating of +7. Prior to this season, the sixth-year pro had spent his entire career at the ECHL and AHL levels. On February 5th at Fort Wayne, Martens became the first defenseman to score four goals in a game since the CHL's merger with the WPHL. The Alberta native has strung together three point streaks this season of at least five games. Martens played three seasons of college hockey at Bemidji State University before turning pro in late 2006 with the ECHL's Greenville Grrrowl. Including this year, Martens has scored at least 30 points in five straight seasons. Balloting for the league's annual awards will take place among CHL Head Coaches, team Communications Departments, and select members of the media. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at For information on Thunder playoff tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. -Thunder- Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1205.html#1337242402 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1205.html TULSA, OK- The Wichita Thunder defeated the Tulsa Oilers 3-2 in overtime at the BOK Center on Tuesday night. Troy Schwab punched in the game-winner with 43 seconds left in overtime, sneaking the puck under left pad of Oilers' goaltender Trevor Cann from just outside the left post. Mike Looby helped the Thunder get through regulation, scoring at 5:28 in the third to tie the game at 2-2. Looby carried the puck through the right circle and slipped it behind Cann after a pass from Steven Kaunisto. With the game scoreless, John Mori gave Tulsa a 1-0 lead with a shorthanded goal at 7:58 in the second period. Mori came around the right post and poked the puck behind Marc-Antoine Gelinas for the goal. Aaron Davis tied it at 1-1 at the 13:10 mark, shooting over the left shoulder of Cann from the right side of the slot. Tulsa re-gained the lead when Tom Dignard stripped the puck at his own blue line and connected on the ensuing breakaway at 18:19. Gelinas saved 25 of 27 to earn the win. Cann took the loss, saving 36 of 39. Each team was 0 for 3 on the power play. The Thunder hosts the Mississippi RiverKings on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at For information on Thunder playoff tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. -Thunder- Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1204.html#1337242403 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1204.html WICHITA, KS- For a second straight season, the INTRUST Bank Arena has topped the Central Hockey League's annual Best-of-the-Best poll. The Thunder's home venue, now in its second year, took home first place honors for Best Arena, Best Locker Rooms, and Best Press Box. We are thrilled to play in the CHL's premier arena, said Thunder General Manager Joel T. Lomurno. It has been very helpful to our recruiting this season and should be for years to come. The poll lists the top three finishers in 50 categories, using input from players, coaches, and staff. A feature story on this year's poll, written by Blake Sebring of The News Sentinel in Fort Wayne, IN, can be found here: The INTRUST Bank Arena is a modern, state-of-the-art sports and entertainment venue, perfect for concerts and conventions alike. The arena features 22 suites, 40 loge boxes, and 300 premium seats with a total 15,000-seat capacity (). The arena has given Wichita a clear home ice advantage this season, where the Thunder is 17-8-4 at home, and an even more impressive 11-1-2 against Turner Conference opponents. The Thunder has played at the INTRUST Bank Arena since January 23rd, 2010. Fifth-year Equipment Manager Brad Brungardt and First-Year Athletic Trainer Dennis Brogna placed third under Best Training/Equipment Staff. Wichita ranked second in the Most Annoying Fans category, with the Texas Brahmas having the honor of ending the Thunder's seven-year reign at the top. Thunderdog, the teams 18-year old mascot earned second place billing for Best Mascot. Thunderdog fell one vote shy of beating Rio Grande Valley's Sir-Sting-A-Lot for first place. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at For information on Thunder playoff tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. -Thunder- Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1203.html#1337242404 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1203.html Thunder Takes Two of Three The Wichita Thunder earned four of six points last week, beginning with a 7-6 shootout win versus Colorado on Tuesday. Troy Schwab finished the night with three points, including the game-winner in the shootout. Dustin Donaghy had two goals and an assist. Jesse Bennefield and Lance Galbraith each had two points. Marc-Antoine Gelinas was 4 for 4 in the shootout and 26 of 32 in regulation and overtime to earn the victory. The Thunder topped the Rapid City Rush 3-2 on the road on Friday night. Matt Robinson scored two goals to lead a second-period comeback. Kevin Beech saved 33 of 35 to earn the win. Dustin Donaghy also scored for the Thunder. Rapid City earned a split of the weekend series with a comeback of their own, winning 2-1 on Saturday night in South Dakota. Konrad Reeder and Jamie Carroll scored 2:03 apart in the third to erase a 1-0 Wichita lead. Marc-Antoine Gelinas played well in the loss, saving 33 of 35. Lance Galbraith scored the Thunder's lone goal. Thunder Clinches Playoff Berth With Evansville's loss to Fort Wayne on Sunday, the Thunder officially clinched its first playoff berth since the 2006-07 season. It is the Thunder's 10th playoff appearance in franchise history. McClelland in Playoffs Again, Joins Select Group First-year Thunder Head Coach is in the Central Hockey League playoffs for a fifth consecutive season. McClelland has guided the Mississippi RiverKings and Colorado Eagles to the playoffs twice each, reaching the President's Cup Finals with Colorado in 2009. McClelland is now one of only four coaches in CHL history to lead three different teams to the playoffs. Bill McDonald, Chris Stewart, and Todd Lalonde are the others. Offensive Thunder The Thunder ranks second in the league in offense, averaging 3.76 goals per game. Thunder Ironmen Five players have skated in all 55 games this season for the Thunder. They are Chris Greene, Jesse Bennefield, Travis Wight, Aaron Davis, and Lance Galbraith. Home Ice Advantage The Thunder has one of the best home records in the league at 17-8-4. Wichita has played exceptionally well at the INTRUST Bank Arena when hosting Turner Conference opponents. The Thunder is 11-1-2 at home against the Turner, having lost in regulation just once. 'Turnering' it Around A big reason for Wichita's success this season has been its record versus the top three returning teams in the conference. Wichita is a combined 12-5-2 against Colorado, Rapid City, and Missouri, with winning records against all three. The Thunder was 0-24-3 against those three clubs last year. Bonus Hockey The Thunder played 21 consecutive games decided in regulation from November 26th-January 17th. Since then, Wichita has reached overtime or a shootout in seven of their last 20 contests. The Long March Wichita's final 11 games will be played in a span of 20 calendar days. Wichita has three stretches of three games in three nights remaining on their schedule. 30 Goals Both Matt Robinson (35) and Jesse Bennefield (31) have scored 30 goals in a Thunder sweater this season. Wichita's last 30-goal campaign was by Travis Clayton (30) in 2006-07. Wichita has had just one 20-goal scorer (Jason Duda, 2008-09) over the last three years. A.J. Gale joins Robinson and Bennefield as Thunder players with 20-plus goals in 2010-11, with Aaron Davis (19) and Andrew Martens (14) within in reach. Schwab Back in Full Force Since missing 10 games during the month of January due to injury, center/right wing Troy Schwab has quickly returned to form. The second-year pro has 15 points in his last 12 games, and 42 total points in 43 contests for the season. Bennefield Among CHL's Best Right wing Jesse Bennefield ranks 13th in the league with 67 points and tied for ninth with 31 goals. Bennefield has 90 goals and 197 points in 169 CHL games over the last three seasons. Robinson Lighting the Lamp Left wing Matt Robinson is tied for third in the league with 35 goals. Robinson trails Texas' Chad Woollard (39) and Rapid City's Ryan Menei (36) in the CHL's scoring race. Paul Jackson is the only Thunder player to ever lead the league in goals, scoring 71 in 1993-94. Dynamic D-Man Defenseman Andrew Martens is tied for third among CHL blue liners with 47 points and third with 14 goals. Paul Esdale led all CHL defensemen with 22 goals and 69 points in 2004-05. Rookies Excelling All three of Wichita's rookies have produced for the Thunder this season. Forward Dustin Donaghy is tied for fifth among rookies with 12 goals. Defenseman Steven Kaunisto ranks third with a +13 plus/minus rating. Goaltender Marc-Antoine Gelinas is tied for fourth overall in the league with 22 victories, and ranks second with four shutouts. Roster Notes Center Bobby Hughes was activated from the 10-Day IR last week. Defenseman Jason Goulet was placed on the 10-Day IR. Marty Magers is on Goaltender IR. Left wing Brent Cullaton is on team suspension. A.J. Gale has been scratched the last three games. Catch the Thunder All Season All 66 Thunder games are broadcast on either 93.5 FM KWME or 1550 AM KKLE. You can also listen to each game on the internet at Emerson Biggin's West (located at 21st and Maize) is the Thunder's official watch party sponsor of all road games. Thunder food and drink specials will be offered throughout the season. Up Next The Thunder has a busy week ahead, beginning with a road game at Tulsa on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. The Thunder returns home on Friday, March 11th to host the Mississippi RiverKings at 7:05 p.m. Friday is Youth Jersey Night, presented by Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Blockbuster Video, and 105.3 The Buzz. The first 1,000 fans at the game ages 12 and under receive a free youth jersey. The Thunder plays at Allen on Saturday night and returns home Sunday evening to host the Quad City Mallards at 5:05 p.m. Sunday is American Family Insurance Buy-In Night. Fans can stop by any participating American Family Insurance Agent's office for a free Upper Level ticket. For tickets to this weekend's games, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at For information on playoff tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. -Thunder- Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1202.html#1337242405 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1202.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder has officially clinched a berth in the 2011 Central Hockey League playoffs. By virture of the Evansville IceMen's 5-1 loss to the Fort Wayne Komets earlier this afternoon, the Thunder has guaranteed at least an eighth place finish in the Turner Conference. It is the Thunder's first playoff berth since the 2006-07 season, and 10th overall in franchise history. With 11 games remaining on their regular season schedule, Wichita will now focus on earning its highest possible seed for the tournament. The conference's top four finishers earn home ice advantage in the opening round. Eight teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs. The first two rounds feature best-of-five series, while the Conference and President's Cup Finals are best-of-seven matchups. Playoff tickets are available round-by-round, or in an entire block to ensure the same great seats at the INTRUST Bank Arena for all potential home playoff games For more information, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL, or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Mon, 07 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1201.html#1337242406 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1201.html RAPID CITY, SD- The Wichita Thunder lost 2-1 to the Rapid City Rush at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center on Saturday night. Konrad Reeder and Jamie Carroll scored at 5:27 and 7:30 in the third period respectively to erase a 1-0 Thunder lead. Reeder tipped in a shot from the point by Gio Flaminio while Carroll scored on a slapshot along the right half boards. Lance Galbraith broke a scoreless deadlock that lasted nearly two full periods, connecting on a one-timer with 56.3 seconds left in the second period. Troy Schwab led a two-on-one during a Wichita power play and passed to the right circle where Galbraith scored past the left of Rush goaltender Danny Battochio. Marc-Antoine Gelinas helped keep the Rush off the scoreboard through the first period, stopping 14 shots. Gelinas cut down three clear-cut two-on-one rushes during the first. Gelinas took the tough loss, saving 33 of 35. Battochio earned the win, saving 26 of 27. Wichita was 1 for 8 on the power play. Rapid City was 0 for 7. The Thunder travels to Tulsa on Tuesday to take on the Oilers at 7:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at The Thunder returns home on Friday, March 11th when they host the Mississippi RiverKings. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sun, 06 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1200.html#1337242407 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1200.html Photo Credit: Mike Wolforth RAPID CITY, SD- The Wichita Thunder defeated the Rapid City Rush 3-2 at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center on Friday night. Kevin Beech saved 33 of 35 for the win, while Matt Robinson scored his 34th and 35th goals of the season. Trailing 1-0 in the second, Robinson scored to the short side of the net during a Thunder power play at 2:39 to tie the game. At 6:47, Dustin Donaghy took advantage of a turnover at Rapid City's blue line, and shot past the right of Rush goaltender Danny Battochio to give the Thunder a 2-1 lead. Robinson made it three straight goals for Wichita at 12:47, bouncing one past Battochio after taking a pass from the left point from Andrew Martens. Derek LeBlanc tipped in Ryan Menei's shot from against the right boards at 15:34 to trim the lead to 3-2. Beech made several key saves for the Thunder in the period. Inside the 9:00 marker, and with Wichita on a power play, Beech faced a three-on-one rush that he quelled with a poke check on Derek LeBlanc. Later in the period, Beech rolled on his back to freeze a puck just before it could cross the goal line. Beech was 8 for 8 in the third, helped by several plays by the Thunder defense, to hold on for the win. Menei gave the Rush a 1-0 lead 1:34 into the game. After receiving a centering feed from Scott Wray, Menei waited and then shot past the left of Beech for the game's first score. Battochio was 21 of 24 in the loss. Wichita was 1 for 4 on the power play. Rapid City was 1 for 3. The Thunder and Rush complete their series Saturday at 8:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at The Thunder returns home on Friday, March 11th when they host the Mississippi RiverKings. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sat, 05 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1199.html#1337242408 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1199.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder beat the Colorado Eagles 7-6 in a shootout at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Tuesday night. With the Thunder leading 1-0 in shootout after four rounds, Aaron Davis sealed the win with a quick wrister past Eagles' goaltender Kyle Jones. Troy Schwab earned credit for the game-winner, sneaking the puck past Jones' right pad on a deke. Marc-Antoine Gelinas stopped all four of Colorado's shootout attempts to earn the win. It was the Thunder's first home shootout win since March 7th, 2007 when Wichita beat Colorado 3-2 at the Kansas Coliseum. It was also the third straight game in which the Thunder went into overtime. Colorado managed to push the game to overtime, scoring two power play goals in the third period that wiped away a 6-4 Thunder lead. Daymen Rycroft netted a hat trick at 4:17 while Kevin Ulanski found the back of the net at 13:53 to tie the game. The Thunder overcame a couple of early deficits to build a 4-2 lead after the first period. Rycroft blasted a power play shot from the left circle that clanked just under the long corner of the net at 1:17 to give Colorado the early lead. Steven Kaunisto responded 25 seconds later, tying the game on the front end of a two-on-one rush. The Eagles went ahead 2-1 at 10:39 on another power play goal, this time with Riley Nelson forcing the puck in the net from around the left post. At 11:42 in the first, Eagles' forward Alex Penner took a spearing penalty that resulted in a five-minute Thunder power play. Wichita took full advantage, scoring twice to take their first lead of the night. Lance Galbraith re-tied the game at 2-2 at the 12:24 mark, scoring high on a rebound in front of the crease left by Davis. Jesse Bennefield scored in similar fashion 31 seconds later, finishing off a loose puck from Schwab. Wichita made it 4-2 at 17:06 when Dustin Donaghy scored just inside the left post on a centering pass from Chris Greene. Dan Sullivan's goal at 3:59 in the first pulled the Eagles within one, but Donaghy earned his second of the night at 11:59 to re-extend Wichita's lead. Donaghy, who had just stepped onto the ice to begin a line change, scored under the crossbar from the high slot on a pass from Schwab. Kory Scoran made it 6-3 Thunder at 15:32, scoring on the power play from the left corner. Rycroft again made it a two-goal contest, netting his second of the game with 8.1 seconds left in the period while a delayed penalty was being called against Wichita. Gelinas saved 26 of 32 in regulation and overtime. Jones took the loss, saving 34 of 40 and two of four in the shootout. Wichita was 3 for 9 on the power play. The Eagles were 4 for 6. The Thunder heads to Rapid City for a two-game series beginning Friday night at 7:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at The Thunder returns home on Friday, March 11th when they host the Mississippi RiverKings. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1198.html#1337242409 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1198.html Thunder Drops Two Heartbreakers, Gains Two Points The Wichita Thunder picked up two of four points last week, falling twice in overtime. Wichita dropped a wild 8-7 affair on Wednesday to the Texas Brahmas at home, battling back from three separate four-goal deficits to tie the game. Greg Hogeboom scored the overtime game-winner for the Brahmas 27 seconds into the extra frame. Matt Robinson scored two goals while Aaron Davis and Andrew Martens each had three points. The Thunder fell 5-4 in overtime to the Colorado Eagles on Saturday night in a back-and-forth contest. After Colorado took an early 1-0 lead, Matt Robinson, Jesse Bennefield, and Robin Richards scored in succession to put the Thunder in front 3-1. The Eagles responded and patched together three straight of their own to re-gain the lead before Andrew Martens tied the game at 4-4 midway through the third period. Adam Chorneyko potted the game-winner at 1:34 in overtime. Offensive Thunder The Thunder ranks second in the league in offense, averaging 3.77 goals per game. Thunder Ironmen After 52 games played this season, the Thunder has had six players appear in every contest. They are Chris Greene, Jesse Bennefield, A.J. Gale, Travis Wight, Aaron Davis, and Lance Galbraith. Bonus Hockey The Thunder has gone to overtime in six of their last 17 games. Prior to January 21st, the Thunder had played 21 straight games that were decided in regulation. The Long March The Thunder endures a greuling schedule to finish out the season. Wichita plays their final 14 games in a span of just 27 days. Nine of the Thunder's final 13 games will be on the road. Wichita also does not have any consecutive home games left on their schedule. 30 Goals Both Matt Robinson (32) and Jesse Bennefield (30) have scored 30 goals in a Thunder sweater this season. Wichita's last 30-goal campaign was by Travis Clayton (30) in 2006-07. Wichita has had just one 20-goal scorer (Jason Duda, 2008-09) over the last three years. A.J. Gale joins Robinson and Bennefield as Thunder players with 20-plus goals in 2010-11, with Aaron Davis (19) and Andrew Martens (14) well within in reach. Schwab Back in Full Force Since missing 10 games during the month of January due to injury, center/right wing Troy Schwab has quickly returned to form. The second-year pro has 11 points in his last nine games, and 38 total points in 40 contests for the season. Bennefield Among CHL's Best Right wing Jesse Bennefield ranks tied for 11th in the league with 65 points and tied for ninth with 30 goals. Bennefield has 89 goals and 195 points in 166 CHL games over the last three seasons. Robinson Lighting the Lamp Left wing Matt Robinson is third in the league with 33 goals. Robinson trails Texas' Chad Woollard (35) and Rapid City's Ryan Menei (34) in the CHL's scoring race. Paul Jackson is the only Thunder player to ever lead the league in goals, scoring 71 in 1993-94. Dynamic D-Man Defenseman Andrew Martens is tied for second among CHL blue liners with 45 points and tied for first with 14 goals. Paul Esdale led all CHL defensemen with 22 goals and 69 points in 2004-05. Roster Notes Center Bobby Hughes is on the 10-Day IR. Center Matt Hubbauer is on the 30-Day IR. Marty Magers is on Goaltender IR. Left wing Brent Cullaton is on team suspension. Catch the Thunder All Season All 66 Thunder games are broadcast on either 93.5 FM KWME or 1550 AM KKLE. You can also listen to each game on the internet at Emerson Biggin's West (located at 21st and Maize) is the Thunder's official watch party sponsor of all road games. Thunder food and drink specials will be offered throughout the season. Up Next The Thunder hosts the Colorado Eagles on Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday is Sonic Drive-In Buy-In Night, presented by Sonic Drive-In and KFH Radio. Fans can stop by any participating Sonic Drive-In in the Wichita area and receive a free Green Level ticket to the game. The Thunder plays at Rapid City both Friday and Saturday. Both games are scheduled for 8:05 p.m. For tickets to Tuesday's game, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1197.html#1337242410 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1197.html LOVELAND, CO- The Wichita Thunder lost 5-4 in overtime to the Colorado Eagles at the Budweiser Events Center on Saturday night. Adam Chorneyko scored on a one-on-one rush at 1:34 in overtime, shooting through the five-hole of Marc-Antoine Gelinas. The back-and-forth game saw the lead change a total of four times. Down 3-2 entering the third, Colorado went in front 4-3 on goals from Aaron Schneekloth at 4:53 and Steve Haddon at 8:47. Schneekloth wrapped a loose puck around the left post while Haddon scored on a slapshot from the top of the left circle. Andrew Martens tied the game for the Thunder at 11:39, shooting from the point on a Thunder power play. Colorado struck just 29 seconds into the game when Dan Sullivan tipped a centering feed through the five-hole of Gelinas. Wichita rallied for three straight goals to run out the period, beginning with Matt Robinson at 5:20. Robinson took Chris Greene's pass from the left half-wall and ripped it past the right of Eagles' goaltender Kyle Jones. At 11:04, Jesse Bennefield's pass from the left corner deflected off of Jones' pad and into the net to give the Thunder a 2-1 lead. Robin Richards scored Wichita's third goal of the period at 16:44. While on a breakaway, Richards dragged the puck across the crease from right to left before backhanding it behind Jones. Colorado trimmed the lead to 3-2 early in the second when Riley Nelson connected on the power play 15 seconds into the frame. Gelinas was 33 of 38 in the loss. Jones earned the win, saving 33 of 37. Wichita went 1 for 9 on the power play. Colorado was 2 for 6. The Thunder hosts the Eagles on Tuesday, March 1st at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sun, 27 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1196.html#1337242411 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1196.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder fell 8-7 to the Texas Brahmas in overtime at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Wednesday night. The Thunder battled back from three separate four-goal deficits to force overtime, but Greg Hogeboom's hat trick goal 23 seconds into overtime allowed Texas to escape with the win. Wichita's comeback began in the second period in which they entered trailing 5-2. Hogemboom scored a power play goal at 5:55 in the period to give Texas their third four-goal lead of the night. Wichita responded with three unanswered goals to pull within 6-5. Steven Kaunisto re-directed Jason Goulet's shot from the point past the right of Brahmas' goaltender Scott Reid at 6:07 to cut the lead to 6-3. At 13:05, Aaron Davis took a centering pass from Matt Robinson before poking the puck just inside the right post to make it 6-4 Texas. The Thunder made it a one-goal game at 14:56 in the second when Lance Galbraith beat Reid on a breakaway, using a wristshot past his right. Galbraith grabbed the puck from Andrew Martens who made a clean pass through the neutral zone. Wayne Savage came in for Reid after Galbraith's goal. Texas inched forward to 7-5 with 16.5 seconds left in the period on a one-timer from Jason Krischuk who was fed off the right boards by Hogeboom. Jesse Bennefield sliced the lead to 7-6 at 5:36 in the third. Robinson delivered his second of the night at 9:06 to finally tie the game, stickhandling his way through the zone and then beating Savage to his left with a backhander. Texas came out firing in the first and built a four-goal just over halfway through the period. Darryl McArthur punched in on a wide-open backdoor 65 seconds into the game for the Brahmas first score. Chad Woollard potted back-to-back goals at 2:57 and 11:10 before Hogeboom ripped a shot from the high slot at 12:22 to make it 4-0. Marc-Antoine Gelinas relieved Kevin Beech after Texas scored their fourth goal. Robinson put the Thunder on the board at the 13:23 mark in the first, cleaning up a rebound left from a shot by Aaron Davis. Brian Ihnacak made it 5-1 Brahmas at 13:38 before A.J. Gale connected with 1:04 left in the opening period. Wichita recorded 60 shots on goal, tying a franchise single-game record set on March 8th, 1994. Texas had 29 shots. Savage earned the win in relief, saving 21 of 23. Reid was 32 of 37. Gelinas went 17 of 21 in the loss. Beech was 4 for 8. The Thunder was 1 for 3 on the power play while the Brahmas were 1 for 4. The Thunder plays at Colorado on Saturday at 8:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at The Thunder returns home on Tuesday, March 1st versus the Eagles. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1195.html#1337242412 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1195.html Thunder Splits Four Games The Wichita Thunder took four of eight points in recent action. The Thunder shutout the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs 3-0 at the Century Tel Center on Tuesday. Marc-Antoine Gelinas worked his fourth shutout of the season, making a career-best 38 saves. Aaron Davis provided early offense with his third shorthanded goal of the year. Troy Schwab and Robin Richards also scored. The Thunder rolled to a 5-2 win versus the Mississippi RiverKings on Friday, their first in four head-to-head tries this season. Jesse Bennefield led the offense, scoring two goals and two assists. Troy Schwab collected three points, while Kory Scoran and A.J. Gale each had two. Marc-Antoine Gelinas was 19 of 21 in the win. Wichita fell 5-1 to the Tulsa Oilers on Saturday night. The Thunder had a season-high 53 shots while allowing a season-low 12, but a three-goal first by the Oilers proved more than enough. Former Thunder netminder Ian Keserich saved 52 of 53 in the win. Matt Robinson scored Wichita's lone goal. Kevin Beech was seven of eight over the final two periods in relief of Marc-Antoine Gelinas. The Thunder lost 4-1 to the Texas Brahmas on Monday night in North Richland Hills, TX. After taking an early 1-0 lead, the Brahmas scored four unanswered goals, including three on the power play, to pick up the win. Kevin Beech saved 29 of 33 and also stymied a third period penalty shot while taking the tough loss. Andrew Martens scored the Thunder's lone goal. Tough Schedule Including Monday's game at Texas, the Thunder plays the Brahmas, Colorado Eagles, and Rapid City Rush two games apiece over their next six. Texas and Colorado opened the week in second place in the Berry and Turner Conferences respectively. The Rush have won 13 games in a row and lead the Turner. Offensive Thunder The Thunder is averaging 3.70 goals per game, second most in the CHL. Team Defense The Thunder has allowed just 28.26 shots per game, fourth fewest in the league. Thunder Ironmen After 50 games played this season, the Thunder has had six players appear in every contest. They are Chris Greene, Jesse Bennefield, Travis Wight, and Lance Galbraith. Robinson Lighting the Lamp Left wing Matt Robinson is tied for third in the league with 30 goals scored. Robinson has scored 29 of them in just 41 games with Wichita. Robinson is also 14th in the league with 56 points. Bennefield Among CHL's Best Right wing Jesse Bennefield ranks tied for ninth in the league with 63 points and tied for eighth with 28 goals. Over the last three seasons, all spent in the CHL, Bennefield has 87 goals and 193 points in 164 games. Gale Having Stellar Season Right wing A.J. Gale is tied for 15th in the league with 55 points, and tied for 20th with 22 goals. Gale has had three point streaks this season of seven or more games and was the CHL's Player of the Month for December. Dynamic D-Man Defenseman Andrew Martens is fifth in the league among blue liners with 40 points and tied for first with 13 goals. Martens scored four goals in one game on February 5th at Fort Wayne. Rookie Netminder Excels Rookie goaltender Marc-Antoine Gelinas ranks 11th in the league with a 2.78 goals against averave, 15th with a .900 save percentage, and tied for third with 21 wins. Gelinas is also tied for the league lead with four shutouts, a new Thunder single-season record. Roster Notes Center Bobby Hughes is on the 10-Day IR. Center Matt Hubbauer is on the 30-Day IR. Marty Magers is on Goaltender IR. Left wing Brent Cullaton is on team suspension. Catch the Thunder All Season All 66 Thunder games are broadcast on either 93.5 FM KWME or 1550 AM KKLE. You can also listen to each game on the internet at Emerson Biggin's West (located at 21st and Maize) is the Thunder's official watch party sponsor of all road games. Thunder food and drink specials will be offered throughout the season. Up Next The Thunder and Brahmas square off again Wednesday night at the INTRUST Bank Arena at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday is Bombardier Learjet Buy-In Night. Following the game, there will be a postgame party at Emerson Biggin's West, located at 21st and Maize. The Thunder concludes the week Saturday night at Colorado for an 8:05 p.m. game. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Wed, 23 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1194.html#1337242413 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1194.html NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, TX- The Wichita Thunder lost 4-1 to the Texas Brahmas at the NYTEX Sports Centre on Monday night. Wichita took the early lead, but the Brahmas managed four unanswered goals, the last three of which came on the power play, to earn the win. Wichita scored just 3:08 into the game for the first goal of the night. Andrew Martens took a pass from Aaron Davis and scored from the blue line. The Brahmas tied it 41 seconds later when Mick Lawrence backhanded an open rebound underneath the left pad of Kevin Beech. Jason Deitsch fanned on a shot during a Texas power play early in the second period, but the puck slipped past Beech's right side at 1:38 to give the Brahmas a 2-1 lead. Texas broke the game open with two more power play goals in the third. Greg Hogebom ripped a backdoor pass from Deitsch under the left corner of the net on a five-on-three at 2:34. Chad Woollard made it 4-1 at 7:31 on another man advantage, scoring on a slapshot from the point. Beech stopped a penalty shot from Ross Rouleau late in the third and saved 29 of 33 in the loss. Wayne Savage picked up the win for the Brahmas, saving 32 of 33. Wichita was 0 for 4 on the power play while Texas was 3 for 5. The Thunder returns home on Wednesday to host the Brahmas at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1193.html#1337242414 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1193.html WICHITA, KS- Stars of past and present aligned at the INTRUST Bank Arena late Saturday evening as the Wichita Thunder defeated the Tulsa Oilers 9-8 in their first ever alumni game. Scott Rozendal (Wichita 05-07, 08-09) scored what proved to be the game-winning goal, shooting under the left corner of the net at the 12:03 mark of the second half. The goal, which gave Wichita its biggest lead of the event at 9-6, proved key as the Oilers pulled within one thanks to a pair of late goals by Doug Pirnak (98-00, 01-05) inside the final two minutes. Pirnak finished the game with a hat trick. The first several minutes were mostly defensive-minded for both sides, with Bobby Desjardins (Wichita 92-94) and Brian George (Tulsa) making key saves. Former Team Captain and Head Coach Rob Weingartner (92-96) broke the ice at the 4:37 mark in the first half to give the Thunder a 1-0 lead. Sean Roulston, who played under Weingartner in 2008, assisted on the goal. The teams continued to trade goals throughout the first half until the score was tied 3-3 heading into the intermission. Cory Dosdall (Wichita 96-99) accounted for both Thunder goals, coming at 6:23 and 15:47. Sly Naud (Tulsa 92-96, 99-01) gave the Oilers their only lead of the night at 4-3 just 1:50 into the second half. Naud finished the night with two goals. The Thunder responded 67 seconds later when Weingartner setup a backdoor opportunity that was punched in by Sean Roulston. Roulston's father, Tom (Wichita 94-95), put Wichita back in front at 5-4 at the 6:19 mark. Bryan Wells (Wichita 93-96), another former captain and Head Coach had the assist. Todd Newton (Tulsa 99-00) knotted the game yet again, scoring on a three-on-one at 7:08, but Dosdall scored his second of the night 15 seconds later to put Wichita in front for good. Weingartner and Mike Hiebert (Wichita 97-98, 99-00) added goals for the Thunder before Rozendal capped off Wichita's offensive attack. Brad Link (Wichita 98-99) and Brad Best (10-11) played in net for their respective teams during the second half. Three of Wichita's four retired numbers were represented on the ice through Weingartner (#15), Jason Duda (#11), and Desjardins (#35). The two alumni squads will have a rematch on Saturday, March 26th at the BOK Center, preceding the regularly scheduled game between the Thunder and Oilers. The Thunder and Oilers play their regularly scheduled game at 7:05 p.m. tonight at the INTRUST Bank Arena. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sun, 20 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1191.html#1337242415 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1191.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder lost 5-1 to the Tulsa Oilers at theINTRUST Bank Arenaon Saturday night. Matt Robinson became the first Thunder player to score 30 goals in a season since 2006-07, but a three-goal first period by the Oilers was too much to overcome. Mike Wirill snuck a backhander near the crease under the left pad of Marc-Antoine Gelinas at 6:30 in the first ti give Tulsa a 1-0 lead. At 12:51, Jason Goulet hauled down Evan Kotsopoulos at the tail end of a breakaway, leading to a penalty shot. Kotsopoulos converted the free chance with a backhander through Gelinas' five-hole. The Oilers made it 3-0 at 13:10 when Anthony Battaglia deflected a rising puck just inside the right post. Tulsa extended their lead to 4-0 when Marty Standish scored shorthanded 25 seconds into the second period. Robinson punched in a loose puck on the backdoor at the 9:59 mark in the third. Chad Costello scored on an empty net at 19:23 to provide the final margin. The Thunder pounded out a season-high 53 shots while allowing a season-low 11. Marc-Antoine Gelinas took the loss, allowing three goals on three shots in the first. Kevin Beech saved seven of eight over the final two periods in relief. Ian Keserich picked up the win, stopping 52 of 53. Wichita was 0 for 6 on the power play while Tulsa was 0 for 2. Prior to the game, the Thunder defeated the Oilers 9-8 in the teams' first ever alumni game. The Thunder plays at Texas on Monday at 6:00 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at The Thunder hosts the Brahmas on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sat, 19 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1192.html#1337242416 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1192.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder and Thankful American Civilians (TAC) are holding a benefit night for USMC Sgt. Jonathon Blank tomorrow, Saturday, February 19 when the Thunder battles the Tulsa Oilers at INTRUST Bank Arena. USMC Sgt. Jonathon Blank, 1st Marine Recon was hit with an IED on October 26 in Afghanistan when his team was fighting to take over a compound held by insurgents. Jonathon, a native of Augusta, Kansas lost both legs and sustained serious internal injuries. Jonathon will have many new challenges and added expenses to his life, including the need to purchase a new vehicle with a wheelchair lift as a means of transportation to gain his independence back, as well as many modifications to his house and simply adjusting to life. The Wichita Thunder has teamed up with the local American Legions, American Legion Riders, Sons of the American Legion and the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary to fill the arena on February 19th and help Jonathon! The first 1500 fans in attendance will receive a small U.S. Flag, while Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Mel Hambelton Ford will also make presentations to Jonathon. The Thunder will hold a ceremony prior to the opening face-off, including a tribute video, numerous Color Guards, a re-enactment of the flag raising at Mount Sarabachi on Iwo Jima and a ceremonial puck drop by Jonathans family. Congressman Mike Pompeo (R - Wichita) will also be on hand to present the Blank family with an honorary American flag which was flown over the U.S. Capitol. Fans can get discount coupons for the event at numerous locations around Sedgwick County. A generous portion of the proceeds purchased with these coupons will go to Jonathon. To see the complete list, visit the Thunder website at . A large crowd is expected, as over 6000 tickets have already been sold for the event. Saturdays game is also sponsored by Popeyes in support of C.A.R.E. Program at Heartspring. A portion of proceeds from the game will also go to this cause. Prior to this game members of the Wichita Thunder Alumni will battle the Tulsa Oilers Alumni at 5:30 p.m. Doors will open at 5:00 p.m. for this evenings events and the start time of the Thunder-Oilers game has been moved back to 7:35 p.m. For more information or to order season tickets, please call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. Remember the Thunder office is not open on weekends, but fans can purchase tickets on Saturday at the INTRUST Bank Arena box office. Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1172.html#1337242417 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1172.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder beat the Mississippi RiverKings 5-2 at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Friday night. Jesse Bennefield led the offense with Wichita's fifth hat trick of the season, helping the Thunder beat the RiverKings for the first time in four tries this year. A.J. Gale capped off a defensive-minded first period with a goal at the 19:24 mark. Aaron Davis led a three-on-one rush down the left side before making a centering pass to Gale. Gale's one-timer went through the five-hole of RiverKings' goaltender Larry Sterling, hit the left post, and then bounced off the back of Sterling's pad and into the net. Bennefield increased Wichita's lead to 2-0 at 2:02 in the second, deflecting Mike Looby's shot from the high slot over Sterling's left shoulder. The Thunder scored in the final minute of play for a second straight period when Troy Schwab lifted a backhander from the right faceoff circle past Sterling's right with 27 seconds left on the clock. After Matt Summers scored from close range at 1:38 in the third to get Mississippi on the board, Bennefield punched in Gale's backdoor pass along the crease just 1:40 later. Bennefield potted his third of the night at 8:30, connecting on a breakaway setup by a headlong pass from Schwab. Patrik Levesque cut the lead to 5-2 with a goal at 10:41, but Wichita kept the RiverKings scoreless for the rest of the night. Marc-Antoine Gelinas stopped 19 of 21 for the win. Sterling saved 31 of 36 in the loss. Wichita was 0 for 5 on the power play. Mississippi was 0 for 7. The Thunder hosts the Tulsa Oilers Saturday night at 7:35 p.m. Prior to the game, the Thunder plays its inaugural alumni game at 5:30 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1189.html#1337242418 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1189.html from TEMPE, AZ- For the fifth consecutive poll and for the sixth time this season, the Allen Americans have been voted the #1 team in the Yellowbook CHL Coaches Poll. Allen continues to lead all CHL teams with 69 points and despite losing back-to-back games for the first time this season in their last two outings, are 34-10-1. Allen is well on their way to winning the Berry Conference leading the second place Texas Brahmas by 16 points. The Yellowbook CHL Coaches Poll is released on or near the beginning and middle of each month throughout the regular season. Each first place vote receives 10 points, second place votes earn nine points, etc. All 10 teams on the CHL Coaches Poll remained the same from the poll released in early February. The #2 and #3 teams switched places as the Turner Conference leading Rapid City Rush, winners of 11 straight games, take over the #2 spot and the Colorado Eagles drop to #3. Wichita remains #4 and Bloomington remains #5 rounding out the top five. The Rush have been the biggest movers over the past month moving up from the #9 spot in the mid-January poll to their current location at #2. The Americans earned 16 first place votes and the Rush garnered the other two top votes. The biggest advancement in the current poll belongs to the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs who jump from #9 to #6 thanks to three wins in their last four outings. The Tulsa Oilers reflect the biggest drop falling from #6 to #10. Complete rankings in the Yellowbook CHL Coaches Poll: -www.centralhockeyleague.com- Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1188.html#1337242419 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1188.html BOSSIER CITY, LA- The Wichita Thunder won 3-0 over the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs at the Century Tel Center on Tuesday night. Marc-Antoine Gelinas set a new Thunder single-season record with his fourth shutout of the year. Gelinas stopped all 36 Mudbugs' shots, including a staggering 21 in the final period. Gelinas made several brilliant saves from close range throughout the game, and was helped by a number of defensive plays in a third period that saw Wichita get outshot 21-0. Aaron Davis put Wichita in front 1-0 with a shorthanded goal at the 5:14 mark in the first. A.J. Gale's shot from the top of the right circle created a rebound in the low slot that Davis banged past the left of Mudbugs' goaltender John DeCaro. It was Davis's third shorthanded goal of the season. In the closing seconds of the period, and with the Thunder on a power play, Matt Robinson was struck in the face with a puck that created a breakaway for Simon Mangos. Marc-Antoine Gelinas stopped Mnagos's attempt to tie the game and then halted Shawn Limpright's rebound opportunity near the left post as time expired. The Thunder increased its lead to 3-0 after the second. Robin Richards's took a backhand shot in front of the net that hit the crossbar and eventually settled behind DeCaro at 14:18. The Thunder struck again at 18:17 on a goal from Troy Schwab. Jesse Bennefield made a circle-to-circle pass to Lance Galbraith who passed into the slot where Schwab punched through a wide-open backdoor. DeCaro was 15 of 18 in the loss. Each team went 0 for 5 on the power play. The Thunder hosts the Mississippi RiverKings on Friday at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1187.html#1337242420 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1187.html Thunder Wins One, Drops Two The Wichita Thunder went 1-2-0 last week, playing three games in three nights. Wichita fell 5-3 to the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees on Friday night at home, allowing three shorthanded goals. The Thunder twice pulled within one goal in the third period, but were unable to tie the game. Troy Schwab, Matt Robinson, and Mike Looby all scored with Andrew Martens and Lance Galbraith each chipping in two assists. Marc-Antoine Gelinas saved 12 of 17 in the loss. The crowd of 10,114 at the INTRUST Bank Arena was the second-largest in the Thunder's 19-year history. The Thunder earned a dramatic 4-3 overtime win versus Bloomington on Saturday night. Wichita overcame a 3-0 deficit, including a game-tying goal from Lance Galbraith with 47.3 seconds left in regulation. Aaron Davis scored the game-winner in overtime during a Thunder power play. Jesse Bennefield netted two goals, while Troy Schwab and Galbraith finished with three points each. Kevin Beech stopped 22 of 25 in the win in his Thunder debut. It was the Thunder's first home overtime victory since Jason Tessier beat Odessa in OT on February 7th, 2009 at the Kansas Coliseum. The Thunder closed out the weekend with a 4-1 loss at Mississippi on Sunday. Daniel Tetrault tied the game at 1-1 in the third, but the RiverKings struck twice within 10 seconds shortly thereafter to re-gain the lead for good. Marc-Antoine Gelinas, who was celebrating his 22nd birthday, had a strong game, making 30 saves on 33 shots. Offensive Thunder Wichita ranks second in the league at 3.80 goals per game. Team Defense The Thunder has allowed the fourth fewest shots in the league per game at 28.46. Penalty Shot Bonanza The Thunder has taken seven penalty shots this season, breaking the team's previous record of five set during the 2005-06 campaign. Wichita is 2 for 7 in their chances this year. Jesse Bennefield has been awarded a team-leading four penalty shots, going 2 for 4. Gale Having Stellar Year Right wing A.J. Gale had a 10-game point streak snapped on Sunday at Mississippi. It was Gale's third point streak this season of seven or more games. Gale was named the CHL's Player of the Month for December and has 45 points over his last 31 games and ranks tied for 14th in the league with 52 points for the season. Bennefield Among League's Best Right wing Jesse Bennefield is having a third consecutive all-star year in the CHL. Bennefield is tied for ninth in the league with 58 points and tied for eighth with 26 goals. Bennefield has 188 points in 160 CHL games over the last three seasons with Wichita and Rio Grande Valley. Robinson Lighting the Lamp Left wing Matt Robinson is tied for third in the league with 29 goals and 12th with 56 points. Robinson has scored 28 of his goals in just 37 games with the Thunder. Robinson had a seven-game point streak broken on Sunday afternoon. Dynamic Martens Defenseman Andrew Martens is tied for third among CHL blue liners with 38 points and tied for first with 12 goals. Martens had a seven-game point streak snapped on Sunday in which he totaled four goals and eight assists. Roster Notes Center Bobby Hughes is on the 10-Day IR. Center Matt Hubbauer is on the 30-Day IR. Left wing Brent Cullaton is on team suspension. Robin Richards, Jason Goulet, and Marty Magers have all served out their suspensions resulting from the February 5th game at Fort Wayne. Catch the Thunder All Season All 66 Thunder games are broadcast on either 93.5 FM KWME or 1550 AM KKLE. You can also listen to each game on the internet at Emerson Biggin's West (located at 21st and Maize) is the Thunder's official watch party sponsor of all road games. Thunder food and drink specials will be offered throughout the season. Up Next The Thunder plays their lone game this season against the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. at the Century Tel Center. The Thunder returns home on Friday to host the Mississippi RiverKings at 7:05 p.m. for Alefs Harley Davidson Night. Saturday, the Thunder hosts the Tulsa Oilers at 7:35 p.m. Prior to the regularly scheduled contest, the Thunder and Oilers will play their first ever alumni game at 5:30 at the INTRUST Bank Arena, presented by 104.5 The Fox. The gates open for the alumni game at 5:00 p.m. Fans can use their regular game ticket to gain admission to the event. Saturday is also Jonathan Blank Benefit Night, in conjunction with Thankful American Citizens, The American Legion, American Legion Riders, Sons of the American Legion, and the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary. Proceeds from the game will benefit Jonathan Blank, a US Marine Corps Sgt. and native of Augusta, KS, who injured in combat while in Afghanistan last October. More information about how to get involved can be found here: For tickets to next weekend's games, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1186.html#1337242421 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1186.html SOUTHAVEN, MS- The Wichita Thunder lost 4-1 to the Mississippi RiverKings at the DeSoto Civic Center on Sunday afternoon. R.G Flath and Brennan Sarazin scored 10 seconds apart midway through the third to break a 1-1 tie and open a 3-1 RiverKings' lead. Flath knocked in a rebound near the crease at 9:08, while Sarazin drove to the net on the ensuing faceoff and slipped the puck past the left of Marc-Antoine Gelinas. Daniel Tetrault had tied the game for Wichita at 8:11 with a power play goal from the high slot. Gelinas, who turned 22 Sunday, stopped 30 of 33 in the tough loss. RiverKings' goaltender Larry Sterling was 33 of 34 in the win. The RiverKings scored the first goal of the game at 5:27 in the second. Derek Landmesser lofted a shot from the blue line that ticked off the crossbar and behind Gelinas. The teams battled to a scoreless tie after the first, with both Gelinas and Sterling making several key saves. Each team was 1 for 7 on the power play. The Thunder plays at Bossier-Shreveport on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at The Thunder returns home on Friday, February 18th when they host the RiverKings at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Mon, 14 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1185.html#1337242422 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1185.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder won 4-3 in overtime over the Bloomington Prairie Thunder at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Saturday night. Wichita overcame a three-goal deficit, including a game-tying goal from Lance Galbraith with 47.3 seconds left in regulation, before Aaron Davisscored at 2:37 in overtime for the win. With an extra attacker on the ice, Matt Robinson led the game-tying rush, carrying the puck down the left boards and behind the net. Robinson slipped the puck in front of the crease where Galbraith crashed through the slot and knocked it past the right of Bloomington goaltender Brad Phillips. In overtime, A.J. Gale faked before stepping to his left and blasting a shot from the high slot that Davis re-directed over Phillips' left shoulder for the game-winner. It was Wichita's first home overtime win since February 7th, 2009. Bloomington scored twice in the first to take an early 2-0 lead. Brett Holmberg opened the scoring at 4:28, shooting high on Kevin Beech on a rebound from the slot. Billy Bezeau slipped a goal past Beech's left from just outside the crease at 13:09. After Jon Booras' wrist shot at 6:58 in the second gave Bloomington a 3-0 lead, Jesse Bennefield put the Thunder on the board, banging in a backdoor rebound during a Wichita power play at 17:05. Bennefield sliced the lead to 3-2, scoring at 4:49 in the third. Beech, who was making his Thunder debut, made several key saves in the second to keep Wichita in the game. Beech finished the night 22 for 25. Phillips took the loss, saving 30 of 34. Wichita was 2 for 10 on the power play while Bloomington was 0 for 3. The Thunder heads to Mississippi for a Sunday afternoon match at 3:00 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at The Thunder returns home on Friday, February 18th when they host the RiverKings at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sun, 13 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1184.html#1337242423 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1184.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder lost 5-3 to the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Friday night. The Thunder allowed three shorthanded goals in the loss, while outshooting the Killer Bees 46 to 17. 10,114 fans attended the game, ranking as the second-largest crowd in Thunder history. The Thunder twice pulled within one goal in the third period, but Rio responded each time. Down 3-1, Matt Robinson poked in a rebound at 6:05, but Aaron Lewicki scored his second shorthanded goal of the night at 7:46 to re-extend the lead. After Mike Looby cut the deficit to 4-3 with a power play goal from the low slot at 8:42, the Killer Bees potted the final goal of the game at 12:32 on a score from Dan Gendur. Troy Schwab scored the first goal of the night at 12:01 in the first period, driving the puck in from the slot after taking Lance Galbraith's pass from behind the left post. Zal McClellan tied the game with a shorthanded goal, during a Wichita two-man advantage, at the 13:55 mark. Wichita had two goals waved off by the officials during the first. Aaron Lewicki battled through the Thunder slot and scored Rio's second shorthanded goal of the night at the 3:03 mark in the second. Bo Cheesman made it 3-1 at 10:49, scoring on a shot that ricocheted off two posts. Marc-Antoine Gelinas took the loss, saving 12 of 17. Juliano Pagliaro earned the win, saving 43 of 46. Wichita was 1 for 7 on the power play while Rio Grande Valley was 0 for 3. The Thunder hosts the Bloomington Prairie Thunder on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sat, 12 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1183.html#1337242424 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1183.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder signed goaltender Kevin Beech to a five-game contract on Thursday afternoon. Beech appeared in 19 games this season with the Texas Brahmas, going 8-4-2 with a 3.25 goals against average and an .891 save percentage. On November 6th, Beech worked a 26-save shutout against the Arizona Sundogs. The Brantford, Ontario native is in his fifth season of professional hockey, and has ranked in the Central Hockey League's top-10 in goals against average each of the last three years. Beech was named the CHL's Most Outstanding Goaltender in 2009, leading the league with 35 wins while playing for the Mississippi RiverKings. The 24-year old backstop also finished fourth that season with a 2.44 goals against average. Beech joins the Thunder with career marks of 3.37 and .901 in 159 professional games. Beech played four years of Major Juniors in the OHL before turning pro in 2007 with the AHL's Springfield Falcons. A former sixth round draft pick by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2005, Beech has seen time in the CHL with Laredo, Youngstown, Mississippi, Corpus Christi, and Texas. Beech is expected to be in uniform this weekend, beginning Friday night versus Rio Grande Valley. Earlier in the week, goaltender Marty Magers was suspended three games by the CHL as a result of last Saturday's game at Fort Wayne. Defenseman Jason Goulet and forward Robin Richards were each suspended two games. The Thunder hosts the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Thu, 10 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1182.html#1337242425 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1182.html Thunder Closes Out Long Trip With Loss The Wichita Thunder went 0-1-1 last weekend, closing out a 10-day road trip at 2-1-1. The Thunder lost 5-4 in a shootout at Fort Wayne on Friday night. The Komets scored four goals in the third to erase a 4-0 Thunder lead, before outscoring Wichita 2-0 in the shootout for the win. Matt Robinson, Chris Greene, Lance Galbraith, and Jesse Bennefield all scored for the Thunder. Marc-Antoine Gelinas made a season-high 38 saves on 42 attempts in regulation and overtime in the loss. Wichita fell 5-4 to the Komets in a wild game on Saturday night. Andrew Martens scored four goals in the second period to help Wichita battle from a 3-0 hole to a 4-4 tie. Fort Wayne regained the lead for good with an early goal in the third period. Komets' goaltender Nick Boucher stopped Matt Robinson's penalty shot with 2.3 seconds left in regulation to keep Wichita from tying the game. Following the penalty shot, a series of fights and penalties took place that resulted in 205 PIM between the two teams. The Thunder finishes their inaugural season series with the Komets 1-1-1. Martens Quartet One for the Record Books Andrew Martens became the first defenseman since the CHL's merger with the WPHL to score four goals in a game. Martens is also the first player to pot four goals in a single period since Mississippi's Louis Dumont in December of 2009. The feat took just 5:17 with a Fort Wayne goal mixed in between. Martens' first two goals came 26 seconds apart. Consistent Thunder Saturday marked the first time since December 25th that the Thunder lost consecutive games. The Thunder is 12-3-2 in their last 17 games. Road Warriors The Thunder has played well on the road of late. Since December 29th, the Thunder is 6-2-1 away from the INTRUST Bank Arena. Robinson Lighting the Lamp Left wing Matt Robinson is a on five-game point streak (4 G, 5 A) and is tied for third in the CHL with 28 goals scored. Robinson is also 10th in the league with 53 points. Bennefield Among League's Best Right wing Jesse Bennefield is ninth in the league with both 55 points and 24 goals. Gale Streaking Again Right wing A.J. Gale is riding an eight-game point streak (5 G, 9 A), and is tied for 12th in the league with 50 points. Since December 10th, Gale has had two other streaks that lasted seven games. Gale has 43 points in his last 29 games. Martens Moving Up the Ranks After a five-point weekend, Andrew Martens now leads all CHL defensemen with 12 goals and ranks third with 35 points. Heavyweight Thunder Robin Richards is now fifth in the league with 143 PIM and ranks tied for third with 15 majors. Jason Goulet's 111 PIM and 13 majors are fifth and third respectively among defensemen. Gelinas Strong in Net Goaltender Marc-Antoine Gelinas is all over the leaderboards in his rookie season. The 21-year old is tied for third with 19 wins, tied for ninth in goals against average (2.75), 10th in save percentage (.903), and tied for first with three shutouts. Stars Among Stars Matt Robinson currently ranks third among the CHL's three star leaders with 42 points. Robinson has earned three star honors 14 times this season. Jesse Bennefield is tied for 13th with 33 points. Roster Notes Center Bobby Hughes is on the 10-Day IR, while center Matt Hubbauer is on the 30-Day IR. Last week, Troy Schwab was activated from the 10-Day IR while Brent Cullaton was placed on the team suspension. Kory Scoran was scratched from Saturday's game at Fort Wayne. Catch the Thunder All Season All 66 Thunder games are broadcast on either 93.5 FM KWME or 1550 AM KKLE. You can also listen to each game on the internet at Emerson Biggin's West (located at 21st and Maize) is the Thunder's official watch party sponsor of all road games. Thunder food and drink specials will be offered throughout the season. Up Next The Thunder returns home on Friday, February 11th when they host the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees at 7:05 p.m. Friday the 11th is Credit Union of America Buy-In Night. Fans can stop by any participating Credit Union of America and pick up a free Upper Level voucher for the game. Friday is also the Thunder's first ever White-Out Night. Fans are encouraged to wear white to the arena, while the merchandise stand will offer 15% off all white apparel (excluding jerseys). Saturday, February 12th is the Thunder's fourth annual Pink at the Rink Night, presented by ATT Real Real Yellow Pages, Protection One, Salon Knotty, and KFDI. The Thunder will wear special pink sweaters which will be auctioned off during the game. Proceeds from the event will be donated to help raise the awareness of all forms of cancer. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Mon, 07 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1181.html#1337242426 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1181.html FORT WAYNE, IN- The Wichita Thunder lost 5-4 to the Fort Wayne Komets at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum on Saturday night. Wichita rallied from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game, but P.C. Drouin's goal at 3:08 in the third gave Fort Wayne a 5-4 lead that they held through the end of the game. Driving to the net on a power play with an extra attacker, Matt Robinson was awarded a penalty shot with 2.3 seconds left when the Komets' were called for covering the puck in the crease. Robinson was stopped by Fort Wayne goaltender Nick Boucher who used a poke check in front of the crease. Following the penalty shot, a series of fights and penalties broke out beginning with Thunder goaltender Marty Magers, who attempted to fight Boucher. Boucher refused and Magers was sent to the locker room. Lance Galbraith and Daniel Tetrault then dropped the gloves with Bobby Phillips and Craig Cescon respectively. Before what would have been another faceoff, Jason Goulet locked horns with Dustin Molle, while Robin Richards fought Kaleigh Schrock. The Thunder totaled 124 penalty minutes in the game. Andrew Martens rallied the Thunder from a 3-0 deficit in the second to an eventual 4-4 tie by the end of the period. Martens connected twice on a power play just 26 seconds apart at 8:25 and 8:51. The Komets re-extended the lead to 4-2 on a goal from Mathieu Curadeau at 9:48, but Martens popped two more at even strength at 11:40 and 13:42 to tie the game. It was the first time since the CHL's merger with the WPHL that a defenseman scored four goals in a game. The Komets built a 3-0 lead at the end of the first. Kaleigh Schrock scored at 8:23 for the first goal of the night. Tab Lardner connected on a two-on-one to the left side of Magers at 10:10. Frankie DeAngelis fired a rebound past Magers at 13:46 to make it 3-0. The Thunder returns home on Friday, February 11th when they host the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sun, 06 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1180.html#1337242427 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1180.html FORT WAYNE, IN- The Wichita Thunder lost 5-4 in a shootout to the Fort Wayne Komets at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum on Friday night. Fort Wayne rallied for four goals in the third to wipe out a 4-0 Thunder lead, before outscoring the Thunder 2-0 in the shootout for the win. Bobby Phillips lofted a shot past Marc-Antoine Gelinas at 2:43 in the third to get Fort Wayne on the board at 4-1. At 12:10, Tab Lardner tipped in a rebound at the end of a Komets' power play to cut the lead in half. With just over 40 seconds left in regulation, Sean O'Connor made it 4-3 while Lardner tied it with 8.6 seconds left to send the game to overtime. Fort Wayne had five power plays in the third period, including a stretch of four straight 8:07-16:29. The Thunder scored twice late in the first to build a 2-0 lead. Matt Robinson scored a power play goal from the right hash mark at 15:43, beating Komets' goaltender Nick Boucher over the left shoulder. At 17:23, Chris Greene deflected Dustin Donaghy's shot from the point around Boucher's right skate to make it 2-0. Wichita scored twice more in the second to increase its lead to 4-0. Lance Galbraith connected on a perfect backdoor pass from Jesse Bennefield at 5:02 to finish off a two-on-one rush. Later in the period, Bennefield beat Boucher on a penalty shot that bounced off his blocker and into the net. Gelinas took the loss, saving 38 of 42. Boucher earned the win, stopping 21 of 25. Wichita was 1 for 5 on the power play, while the Komets were 1 for 7. Bennefield's goal was his second penalty shot goal of the season. The Thunder and Komets finish their series Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. The Thunder returns home on Friday, February 11th when they host the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sat, 05 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1179.html#1337242428 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1179.html WICHITA, KS- Several Wichita Thunder players recently visited with Victory in the Valley Support Groups in anticipation of the team's fourth annual Pink at the Rink Night on February 12th versus Bloomington. The Wichita Thunder invites all survivors, as well as those fighting their battle, onto the ice during the first intermission for the special survivor walk and luminary ceremony. Participants will receive their goody bags on the ice. Wear your cancer awareness color to the game. Please sign up to participate in the survivor walk with Victory in the Valley at 3755 East Douglas Avenue, or at the Wichita Thunder business office at 505 W. Maple, #100. You can also register the night of the game at the Fan Relations table behind section 121. Check-in for the Survivor walk will be no later than the 10-minute mark of the first period at Fan Relations. Proceeds will be donated to Victory in the Valley. The Thunder will wear special pink sweaters which fans can bid on during the game. Tables hosted by Be The Match, The Cancer Center of Kansas, Chris Cakes of Wichita, and Victory in the Valley will be on the concourse that night to help educate fans on the fight against cancer. More details about Pink at the Rink Night 2011 can be found here: The Thunder faces the Fort Wayne Komets tonight at 8:05 p.m. at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. All the action can be heard live on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at The Thunder next plays at home on Friday, February 11th when they host the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1178.html#1337242429 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1178.html WICHITA, KS- Tuesday's scheduled game between the Thunder and Missouri Mavericks has been postponed due to the expected inclement weather near the Kansas City area. The game has been rescheduled for Tuesday, March 22nd at 7:05 p.m. at the Independence Events Center. The Thunder will resume play on Friday for their scheduled game against the Fort Wayne Komets. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at The Thunder returns home on Friday, February 11th when they host the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1176.html#1337242430 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1176.html from TEMPE, AZ- For the fourth consecutive poll and for the fifth time this season, the Allen Americans have been voted the #1 team in the Yellowbook CHL Coaches Poll. The Americans are the number one team in the league with a 30-8-1 record and 61 points (nine more than the next closest team). Allen is coming off an 8-3-0 record in the month of January. The Yellowbook CHL Coaches Poll is released on or near the beginning and middle of each month throughout the regular season. Each first place vote receives 10 points, second place votes earn nine points, etc. The Americans earned 15 first place votes, followed by Rapid City with two and Colorado with one. Nine of the top 10 teams remained the same with the lone change being the Wichita Thunder (23-15-3) jumping into the poll all the way up to the #4 spot. The Thunder were 9-2-1 in the month of January and are now poised in the fourth spot in the Turner Conference. The team dropping out was the Odessa Jackalopes (19-18-5) who fell from #7 to outside of the top ten. The Rapid City Rush (24-17-4) and Tulsa Oilers (23-19-1) also made big jumps with the Rush moving up six spots (from #9 to #3) and the Oilers moving up four spots (from #10 to #6). The biggest fall in the latest poll belongs to the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs (22-19-2) who drop from #2 all the way down to #10. for the complete rankings in the Yellowbook CHL Coaches Poll. -Thunder- Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1177.html#1337242431 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1177.html Thunder Point Streak Hits Eight The Wichita Thunder went 2-0-1 last week and has collected at least one point in eight consecutive games. The Thunder lost 4-3 in a shootout to the Rapid City Rush on Tuesday night at the INTRUST Bank Arena. Matt Robinson scored twice for Wichita, while Les Reaney netted two for Rapid City, including the shootout game-winner. Steven Kaunisto also scored for Wichita. Brent Cullaton returned to the team, assisting on Kaunisto's goal. Marc-Antoine Gelinas was 36 of 39 in regulation and overtime. Wichita earned a 5-3 road win at Dayton on Friday in the inaugural meeting between the Thunder and Gems. A.J. Gale recorded the first hat trick of his professional career, helping the Thunder rally from a third period deficit. Aaron Davis and Jesse Bennefield also scored. Gale, Kory Scoran, and Andrew Martens all finished +3, with Martens chipping in two assists. Marc-Antoine Gelinas saved 17 of 20 in the win. The Thunder pulled out another come from behind win on Sunday, beating Dayton 4-3. Lance Galbraith and A.J. Gale scored 12 seconds apart inside the 16:00 mark to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead. Marc-Antoine Gelinas saved 23 of 26 in the win. Matt Robinson and Aaron Davis also scored for the Thunder. Thunder Streak First in Five Years The last time the Thunder collected at least one point in eight consecutive games was during a nine-game stretch from February 22nd-March 10th in 2006. Offensive Thunder The Thunder ranks second in the league with 3.88 goals for per game. During the last 14 games, in which the Thunder is 11-2-1, Wichita has totaled 59 goals (4.21). The Thunder has scored 20 or more goals in 20 of their last 27 games. Defense Improving The Thunder has allowed just 40 goals in their last 15 games (2.67), and has risen to 12th in the league in defense at 3.39 goals against per game. Robinson Atop the CHL Left wing Matt Robinson has strung together three straight multi-point games and is tied for the league lead with 27 goals scored. Since joining the Thunder in November, Robinson has 26 goals in just 32 games played. Gale Crushes Weekend Right wing A.J. Gale had a monster weekend in Dayton, potting both game-winners against the Gems. Gale recorded the first hat trick of his professional career in Friday's win, and supplied the late, go-ahead goal on Sunday afternoon. Gale is tied for 16th in the league with 47 points and tied for 13th with 21 goals. Gale is on a six-game point streak and has 40 points in his last 27 games. Bennefield Among League's Best Right wing Jesse Bennefield had a 10-game point streak come to an end on Sunday and ranks seventh in the CHL with 53 points. Bennefield is also tied for ninth in the league with 23 goals. Davis Reaches Top 20 Center Aaron Davis is tied for 19th in the league with 45 points. Davis has 15 points in his last 11 games in which he is +12. Martens and Scoran Shine Defensive partners Andrew Martens and Kory Scoran continue to rank among the best at their position. Martens is tied for sixth among blue liners with 30 points. Scoran is tied for fourth with nine goals. Rookie Guarding the Crease Rookie goaltender Marc-Antoine Gelinas is tied for the league lead with 19 wins, and is 9-2-1 over his last 12 starts. During this stretch, Gelinas has a 2.23 goals against average (27 goals allowed in 728 minutes played) and a .921 save percentage (316 for 343). Gelinas is seventh overall in the CHL with a 2.71 GAA. Roster Notes Left wing Troy Schwab and center Bobby Hughes are on the 10-Day IR. Center Matt Hubbauer is on the 30-Day IR. Catch the Thunder All Season All 66 Thunder games are broadcast on either 93.5 FM KWME or 1550 AM KKLE. You can also listen to each game on the internet at Emerson Biggin's West (located at 21st and Maize) is the Thunder's official watch party sponsor of all road games. Thunder food and drink specials will be offered throughout the season. Up Next The Thunder continues their 10-day road trip on Tuesday against the Missouri Mavericks at 7:05 p.m. The Thunder completes the trip against the Fort Wayne Komets on Friday at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The Thunder finally returns home on Friday, February 11th when they host the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees at 7:05 p.m. Friday the 11th is Credit Union of America Buy-In Night. Fans can stop by any participating Credit Union of America and pick up a free Upper Level voucher for the game. Friday is also the Thunder's first ever White-Out Night. Fans are encouraged to wear white to the arena, while the merchandise stand will offer 15% off all white apparel (excluding jerseys). For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1175.html#1337242432 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1175.html DAYTON, OH- The Wichita Thunder defeated the Dayton Gems 4-3 at Hara Arena on Sunday evening. Lance Galbraith and A.J. Gale scored 12 seconds apart, turning a late one-goal deficit into a 4-3 lead. With Dayton leading 3-2, Galbraith scored to the right of Gems' goaltender Jeff Jakaitis on a rebound during a Thunder power play at 16:47. With the teams back at even strength, Gale struck at 16:59, cashing in his own rebound in front of the crease, again to Jakaitis's right side. Matt Robinson snapped a 1-1 tie 28 seconds into the third with a power play goal, but the Gems moved in front on goals from Matthew McCue at 5:21 and Mike Vaskivuo at 15:41. Aaron Davis broke a scoreless tie at 5:20 in the second period, banging in a backdoor pass from Matt Robinson on a Thunder power play. Jonathan Ornelas tied it at 15:20 in the period, cutting through the slot and shooting over the left shoulder of Marc-Antoine Gelinas from just inside the left circle. Gelinas stopped nine of nine in the opening period to keep the game scoreless. Gelinas made a key stop on a Mike Vaskivuo breakaway attempt midway through the frame. Gelinas earned the win, saving 23 of 26. Jakaitis took the loss, saving 29 of 33. Wichita was 3 for 8 on the power play while going a perfect 5 for 5 on the penalty kill. The Thunder travels to Missouri to face the Mavericks on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at The Thunder returns home on Friday, February 11th when they host the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Mon, 31 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1174.html#1337242433 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1174.html DAYTON, OH- The Wichita Thunder beat the Dayton Gems 5-3 at Hara Arena on Friday night. A.J. Gale recorded a hat trick, which included the game-winning goal, while the Thunder overcame a third period deficit during an eventful final frame. Down 3-2, Aaron Davis scored a hard-fought goal at 5:45 to knot the score. Matt Robinson led a two-on-one rush through the right circle and made a last second pass to his left that Davis punched past the right of Gems' goaltender Jeff Jakaitis. Shortly after, Jesse Bennefield appeared to have given Wichita a 4-3 lead, but the goal was overturned and the game remained tied. Gale struck with 3:25 left in regulation, slipping the puck past Jakaitis's right on another key pass from Robinson. The goal was the end result of sustained pressure deep in the Gems' defensive zone. With an extra attacker, Matt Larke shot past Marc-Antoine Gelinas with 26.2 seconds left in regulation, but the goal did not count because of a delayed penalty against Dayton. Gale buried the empty net with three seconds left to complete the hat trick. The Thunder built a 2-0 lead midway through the first, beginning with Gale's shorthanded goal at 10:10. Gale stole the puck in neutral ice and skated into the left circle before beating with a slapshot. Bennefield made it 2-0 at 11:34, driving in a puck from the slot that Dayton was unable to clear. Brett Lutes put the Gems on the board, scoring on a two-man advantage at 15:05. Larke tied the game with a goal from the slot at 8:38 in the second. Mike Vaskivuo lifted the puck below the hashmarks where Larke turned and fired high on Gelinas. Kyle Bochek gave the Gems their first lead of the night at 16:26, connecting on a rebound in front of the crease left by Greg Labenski's shot from the point. Gelinas saved 17 of 20 in the win. Jakaitis was 39 of 43 in the loss. Each team was 1 for 4 on the power play. The Thunder finishes its series at Dayton on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at The Thunder returns home on Friday, February 11th when they host the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sat, 29 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1173.html#1337242434 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1173.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder lost 4-3 in a shootout to the Rapid City Rush at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Tuesday night. Rush goaltender Tim Boron made a kick save on Lance Galbraith's attempt to extend the shootout and preserve the win for Rapid City. Aaron Davis scored in round four to keep Wichita alive, who had fallen behind 3-1 in the shootout after Rapid City's first four attempts. Steven Kaunisto helped Wichita reach overtime, slamming home a one-timer from the slot that was setup by Brent Cullaton at the 7:48 mark in the third period. Kaunisto's goal came 1:22 after Jamie Carroll gave Rapid City a 3-2 lead, winning a scrum in front of the net. Matt Robinson scored the first goal of the game at 14:36 in the opening period. During a Thunder two-man advantage, Kory Scoran ripped a shot from the point that went off Boron's blocker. Robinson grabbed the rebound near the left side of the crease and shot past Boron's left for the goal. Ryan Menei tied the game 72 seconds into the second frame, beating Marc-Antoine Gelinas with a high shot from underneath the hashmarks. Konrad Reeder gave Rapid City a 2-1 lead at 6:31, but Robinson struck again just 27 seconds after Reeder's goal to tie the game. Robinson connected on a snapshot at the top of the right circle that beat Boron over his right shoulder. Gelinas saved 36 of 39 in regulation and overtime in the loss. Boron earned the win, stopping 28 of 31. Each team was 1 for 6 on the power play. Cullaton was re-signed by the Thunder prior to the game. Wichita also placed Bobby Hughes on the 10-Day IR. The Thunder plays at Dayton on Friday at 6:30 p.m., opening a two-game series against the Gems as well as a five-game road trip. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at The Thunder returns home Friday, February 11th when they host the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1171.html#1337242435 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1171.html WICHITA, KS- Wichita Thunder right wing Jesse Bennefield has been named the Oakley Central Hockey League Player of the Week for January 17th-23rd. Bennefield helped the Thunder to a perfect 4-0-0 record last week, scoring four goals and three assists with a +6 rating. The Calgary, Alberta native is riding a six-game goal scoring streak and an eight-game point streak. The goal scoring streak is one shy of the CHL's season-high, held by Chad Woollard of Texas and Brandon Naurato of Dayton. Bennefield has scored at least one point in 28 of 38 games this season, and ranks sixth in the CHL in both goals (22) and points (51). The 29-year old Bennefield leads the Thunder with 17 multi-point games. The accomplishment is the third league-wide honor a Thunder player has received this year. Defenseman Steven Kaunisto was named Player of the Week for October 25th-31st, while right wing A.J. Gale earned Player of the Month honors in December. Bennefield will receive a gift, courtesy of Oakley. The Thunder hosts the Rapid City Rush on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1170.html#1337242436 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1170.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder won their fifth consecutive game, beating the Laredo Bucks 6-3 at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Sunday evening. Rookie left wing Dustin Donaghy scored a hat trick to lead the offense, while Chris Greene had two assists. Jesse Bennefield, Jason Goulet, and Bobby Hughes also had multi-point games. Wichita built a 2-1 lead after the first, highlighted by two goals from Donaghy. Donaghy scored the first goal of the night at 2:08, tipping Robin Richards' shot from the right circle over the right shoulder of Bucks' goaltender Torrie Jung. After Jeff Hazelwood tied the game for Laredo at 9:58, Donaghy cashed in his own rebound just 45 seconds later to give the Thunder a 2-1 advantage. Daniel Koger scored a power play goal from the slot to tie the game at 3:07 in the second, but Wichita responded with four unanswered goals to run out the frame with a 6-2 lead. A.J. Gale won a scramble in front of the crease at 4:08 to give Wichita its third lead of the night. At 12:57, Jesse Bennefield knocked in a close-range pass from Lance Galbraith to make it 4-2. Donaghy potted his third of the night at 16:00, beating Jung on a wrist shot from the right circle. David Wilson subbed for Jung after the Thunder's fifth goal. Bobby Hughes scored at 17:29 to cap off the period, taking advantage of crisp passing from Bennefield and Mike Looby. Hans Benson sliced the lead to 6-3, scoring at 2:06 in the third, but Wichita shut down the Bucks for the remainder of the game. Marty Magers saved 22 of 25 for the win, while Jung took the loss, saving 18 of 23. Wilson saved 13 of 14 in his relief effort. The Thunder went 1 for 6 on the power play, while Laredo was 2 for 5. Wichita has now won 10 of their last 13 games. The Thunder hosts the Rapid City Rush on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1168.html#1337242437 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1168.html Thunder Sweeps Three-in-Three- The Wichita Thunder ran their current winning streak to five games, with three victories in three nights last weekend. The Thunder edged the Missouri Mavericks 4-3 in a shootout on Friday at the Independence Events Center. Matt Robinson scored two goals, including the shootout game-winner. Marc-Antoine Gelinas saved 25 of 28 in regulation and overtime as well as four of four in the shootout for the win. The Thunder made it four straight wins on Saturday, beating Missouri 4-0 at the INTRUST Bank Arena. Marc-Antoine Gelinas notched his third shutout of the season, saving 16 of 16. Matt Robinson, Jesse Bennefield, Aaron Davis, and Andrew Martens accounted for the goals, with Davis chipping in his second shorthanded goal of the year. Davis, Martens, and Kory Scoran each finished +3. Wichita won 6-3 over the Laredo Bucks on Sunday evening, led by a hat trick from rookie left wing Dustin Donaghy. Donaghy netted two in the first and another in the second to pull off the feat. Bobby Hughes scored a goal and an assist while Chris Greene and Jason Goulet also had multi-point games. Marty Magers saved 22 of 25 to earn his second consecutive win. Sunday was also the first time the Thunder had beaten Laredo in regulation through eight all-time meetings. Offensive Thunder- The Thunder ranks second in the league on offense at 3.87 goals per game. Wichita leads the Turner Conference with 147 total goals. Even Strength- The Thunder has excelled while at even strength this season, highlighted by a +112 rating as a team. Wichita's plus/minus is second only to the Allen Americans who are +160. The next closest team in the Turner Conference is Missouri at +46. Defense Locking Down- The Thunder has allowed just 16 goals in their last seven games (2.29). Wichita has moved up to 11th in the league for the season at 3.39 goals against per game. The Thunder is also fourth in the CHL with 28.32 shots allowed per game. Bennefield on a Tear- Right wing Jesse Bennefield has scored a goal in six consecutive games and is also riding an eight-game point streak. Bennefield ranks sixth in the CHL with 51 points and tied for sixth with 22 goals. Robinson Lighting the Lamp- Left wing Matt Robinson is tied for third in the CHL with 24 goals and has 23 in just 29 games played with the Thunder. Robinson has 27 points in his last 18 games. Hughes Streaking- Center Bobby Hughes is riding a five-game point streak in which he is +7 with two goals and five assists. Davis Consistent- Center Aaron Davis has 12 points in his last eight games with a +10 rating. Davis has 42 points in 38 games this year and has gone back-to-back games without a point just twice all season. Gale Staying Hot- Right wing A.J. Gale, who was the CHL's Player of the Month for December, has remained hot well into the month of January. Gale has nine points in nine games in January, and 33 points over his last 24. Galbraith on Fire- Veteran left wing Lance Galbraith is on a seven-game point streak and has 21 points in his last 18 games. Galbraith is also +15 in his last 13 contests. Defensive Partners Shine- Defensive partners Andrew Martens and Kory Scoran continue to find themselves on the CHL leaderboards. Martens is tied for seventh among blue liners with 26 points, and has 21 points in his last 25 games. Scoran is tied for 18th among defensemen with 20 points and is tied for third with nine goals. Gelinas Leading the League- Rookie goaltender Marc-Antoine Gelinas is tied for the league lead with 17 wins and is 7-2-0 over his last nine starts. During this stretch, Gelinas has a 1.99 goals against average (18 goals allowed in 543 minutes played) and a .930 save percentage (240 for 258). Gelinas ranks eighth in the league with a 2.68 goals against average for the season. Crowd Ranks Among All-Time Best- Sunday was J.P. Weigand Buy-In Night at the INTRUST Bank Arena, helping push 9,477 fans through the gates. The crowd was the largest by the Thunder this season, and ranks 18th all-time in team history. It was also the largest non-sellout crowd in team history. Roster Notes- Left wing Troy Schwab is on the 10-Day IR. Center Matt Hubbauer is on the 30-Day IR. Catch the Thunder All Season- All 66 Thunder games are broadcast on either 93.5 FM KWME or 1550 AM KKLE. You can also listen to each game on the internet at Emerson Biggin's West (located at 21st and Maize) is the Thunder's official watch party sponsor of all road games. Thunder food and drink specials will be offered throughout the season. Up Next- The Thunder host the Rapid City Rush on Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. KFH Radio presents Pay what You Weigh Night. Fans can receive tickets for one penny per pound off of their driver's license plus a 2.00 facility fee. Following Tuesday's game, the Thunder begins a 10-day road trip on Friday at Dayton. The Thunder faces the Gems again on Sunday afternoon. The trip also includes a stop at Missouri and a two-game series at Fort Wayne. For tickets to Tuesday's game, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1169.html#1337242438 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1169.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder blanked the Missouri Mavericks 4-0 at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Saturday night. Marc-Antoine Gelinas earned his third shutout of the season, stopping all 16 of the Mavericks' attempts, while four different Thunder players hit the back of the net. The Thunder led 2-0 after one period, helped by goals from Jesse Bennefield and Andrew Martens. Bennefield drove a perfect feed by Bobby Hughes from behind the net past Missouri goaltender Rob Nolan at 5:44. Martens scored from the point through traffic in front of Nolan with 61 seconds left in the period. Matt Robinson scored at 6:21 in the second to make it 3-0 Wichita. Aaron Davis forced a turnover in the offensive zone that allowed A.J. Gale to fire on Nolan from the left circle. Robinson backhanded the rebound from the right circle to the long side of the net for the goal. Davis scored shorthanded at 11:09 in the second, taking the puck deep down the right boards before cutting to the net and backhanding the puck behind Nolan. Strong team defense helped Gelinas stop six of six in the third period to complete the shutout. Wichita was 0 for 5 on the power play while Missouri was 0 for 3. Nolan took the loss, saving 21 of 25. The Thunder hosts the Laredo Bucks on Sunday evening at 5:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sun, 23 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1167.html#1337242439 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1167.html Photo Credit: Scott Thomas INDEPENDENCE, MO- The Wichita Thunder defeated the Missouri Mavericks 4-3 in a shootout at the Independence Events Center on Friday night. The Thunder outscored the Mavs 2-0 in the shootout, which lasted only four rounds. Matt Robinson earned credit for the game-winner, sniping Wichita's first attempt through Missouri goaltender Rob Nolan. After Marc-Antoine Gelinas stopped the Mavericks' first four attempts, Bobby Hughes sealed the win with a hard wrist shot past Nolan's right. The shootout followed an overtime in which the Thunder narrowly missed winning the game on several occasions. Wichita perservered through nine Missouri power plays to four of their own. The Mavericks did not have a penalty called on them after the 10:22 mark in the second, and were awarded two separate two-man advantages. The Thunder took an early 1-0 when Jesse Bennefield scored at 3:09 in the first. Bennefield skated around two Missouri defensemen, broke towards the crease, and beat Nolan with a backhander through the five-hole. Robinson made it 2-0 Wichita at 7:10. Aaron Davis took advantage of a turnover in the neutral zone and led a two-on-one rush with Robinson. Davis made a cross-crease pass to his left where Robinson shot over Nolan's right shoulder. Missouri cut Wichita's lead in half at 7:24 in the second. Ryan Jardine scored on the power play using a snapshot from the right faceoff circle. Lance Galbraith made it 3-1 Thunder at 9:06, pounding in a close-range rebound setup by Hughes. Nathan O'Nabigon again made it a one-goal game at the 12:45 mark, slipping the puck past the right of Gelinas from the slot during a five-on-three power play. Missouri tied the game at 3-3, winning a scrum in front of the net with just 1:33 left in regulation. Mike Berry was credited with the goal. Gelinas saved 25 of 28 in regulation and overtime for the win. Nolan stopped 28 of 31 in the loss. The Thunder was 0 for 4 on the power play while Missouri was 2 for 9. The Thunder hosts the Mavericks Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sat, 22 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1166.html#1337242440 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1166.html WICHITA, KS- Wichita Thunder mascot Thunderdog remains atop the roof of the Wichita Ice Center, in hopes of selling more tickets for Saturday's Pack-the-House Night versus the Missouri Mavericks. Thunderdog was caught stealing a zamboni from the INTRUST Bank Arena on Monday afternoon before escaping from authorities to the confines of the roof. The Thunder will wear special jerseys on Saturday which will be auctioned off during the game. Proceeds from the jersey auction will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Kansas. The Thunder continues to hold extended hours this week at the Wichita Ice Center, located at 505 W. Maple St. Office hours run from 8:00-6:00 through Friday and 1:00-4:00 on Saturday. Fans can receive discounted tickets to Saturday's game by calling the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL and mentioning the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Kansas and Thunderdog. From left to right, Thunderdog is joined by Amy from the Thunder front office, Lori from the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Kansas, and Kathy from B98 FM. Thunderdog taking a rooftop nap. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1165.html#1337242441 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1165.html Thunder Takes Two of Three- The Wichita Thunder took two of three in recent action and has won seven of their last 10 games. Wichita returned from the all-star break on Friday, dropping a 4-3 decision to the Texas Brahmas. The Thunder battled back from three separate one-goal deficits to tie the game before Mick Lawrence scored late in the third to provide the final margin. Matt Robinson, Jesse Bennefield, and Mike Looby scored for the Thunder. Marc-Antoine Gelinas made a season-high 35 saves on 39 attempts in the loss. Wichita bounced back with a 6-3 win versus Arizona on Saturday night. Matt Robinson scored twice in a game that the Thunder never trailed. Aaron Davis netted the Thunder's first shorthanded goal of the season and finished with three points. Lance Galbraith also had three points while Jesse Bennefield had a goal and an assist. Marc-Antoine Gelinas saved 33 of 36 in the win. The Thunder clipped the Quad City Mallards 3-2 on Monday night at the iWireless Center. Lance Galbraith scored the game-winning goal with just 67 seconds left in regulation and finished the game +3. Jesse Bennefield and Bobby Hughes were also +3 with Bennefield scoring a goal and two assists. Marty Magers saved 13 of 15 to earn the victory. Offensive Thunder- The Thunder ranks third in the league in offense, averaging 3.80 goals per game. Wichita has scored four or more goals 20 times in their last 31 contests. Bennefield Among League's Best- Jesse Bennefield scored three points in the Thunder's win at Quad City on Monday and now ranks tied for seventh in the CHL with 47 points this season. Bennefield leads the Thunder with 16 multi-point games. Robinson Lighting the Lamp- Left wing Matt Robinson is fourth in the league with 21 goals scored. Robinson had a seven-game point streak snapped on Monday and has 22 points in his last 15 contests. Robinson also scored a natural hat trick in the CHL All-Star Game on January 12th, helping the CHL All-Stars to an 11-6 win over the Rapid City Rush. Gale Still Hot in January- A.J. Gale, the CHL's Player of the Month for December, is still collecting points at a high rate. Gale had a seven-game point streak end on Monday, and has 29 points in his last 21 games. Galbraith on Fire- Veteran left wing Lance Galbraith is on a four-game point streak and has 18 points in his last 15 games. Galbraith scored a Gordie Howe Hat Trick on January 8th versus Bloomington. Defensive Partners Shine- Defensive partners Andrew Martens and Kory Scoran continue to find themselves on the CHL leaderboards. Martens is seventh among blue liners with 25 points and has 20 points in his last 22 games. Scoran is tied for 16th among defensemen with 20 points and is tied for second with nine goals. Looby Streaking- Defenseman Mike Looby is on a five-game point streak in which he has two goals and three assists. Looby is also +4 during the streak, finishing even or better in all five games. Gelinas on Track- Rookie goaltender Marc-Antoine Gelinas is 5-2-0 over his last seven starts. During this stretch, Gelinas has a 2.15 goals against average (15 goals allowed in 418 minutes played) and a .930 save percentage (199 for 214). Gelinas ranks ninth in the league with a 2.80 goals against average for the season. Penalty Kill Improvement- The Thunder's penalty kill is 38 for its last 42 (90.4%) over its last 10 games. Three Games Over- The Thunder snapped another long standing streak on Monday, moving their record three games above the .500 mark for the first time since November 5th, 2006 (4-1-1). Other streaks the Thunder has broken this season include winning four or more consecutive games for the first time since the end of the 2005-06 season, earning a win against the Missouri Mavericks who won the first 11 head-to-head meetings between the clubs, and posting more wins than total losses in-season for the first time since November 2006. Roster Notes- Left wing Troy Schwab is on the 10-Day IR. Center Matt Hubbauer is on the 30-Day IR. Last week, the Thunder acquired left wing Dustin Donaghy from the Allen Americans in exchange for future considerations. Catch the Thunder All Season- All 66 Thunder games are broadcast on either 93.5 FM KWME or 1550 AM KKLE. You can also listen to each game on the internet at Emerson Biggin's West (located at 21st and Maize) is the Thunder's official watch party sponsor of all road games. Thunder food and drink specials will be offered throughout the season. Up Next- The Thunder has a busy schedule ahead, playing four games in five nights beginning Friday night at Missouri at 7:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and Oldies 93.5 KWME, as well as worldwide at The Thunder hosts the Mavericks Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. for Pack-the-House Night, presented by Furniture on Consignment and Clear Channel Radio. The Thunder will be wearing special sweaters that will be auctioned off during the game to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Kansas. On Sunday, the Laredo Bucks make their first visit to Wichita since March 7th, 2005 for a 5:05 p.m. match. Sunday is JP Weigand Buy-In Night. Fans can stop by any participating JP Weigand agent's office to pick up a complimentary Upper Level voucher. Following the game, fans can meet their favorite Thunder players at Emerson Biggin's West, located at 21st and Maize. The Rapid City Rush visit on Tuesday, January 25th. KFH Radio presents Pay What You Weigh Night. Fans can receive Yellow and Green Level seating for just one penny per pound to the 7:05 p.m. game (2.00 facility fee not included). For tickets to the Thunder's upcoming games, call the INTRUST Bank Arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT, or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Wed, 19 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1164.html#1337242442 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1164.html Photo Credit: Elizabeth Cohrs MOLINE, IL- The Wichita Thunder beat the Quad City Mallards 3-2 at the iWireless Center on Monday night. Lance Galbraith snapped a 2-2 tie with 67 seconds left in regulation to lift Wichita to victory. Galbraith took a pass from Jesse Bennefield towards the left corner and wristed a shot to the long side of the net past the left pad of Mallards' goaltender Adam Russo. The Thunder looked to have taken the lead with just over seven minutes remaining in the third when Bennefield slipped a puck past Russo from close range, but the goal was overturned and the game remained tied. Tyler Kindle had knotted the game at 2-2 for Quad City 2:11 into the third period. Wichita took a 1-0 lead at 17:52 in the first when Andrew Martens shot from the point made it through to the net. Prior to the goal, Marty Magers made a key save with his left pad that short circuited a Mallards' three-on-one rush. Darren McMillan tied the game at 10:17 in the second, connecting from the high slot. But Jesse Bennefield helped the Thunder re-gain the lead at 12:43, pounding in a perfect backdoor pass from Daniel Tetrault. Magers saved 13 of 15 for the win. Russo took the loss, saving 43 of 45. The Thunder was 0 for 2 on the power play while Quad City was 0 for 3. The Thunder plays at Missouri on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at The Thunder hosts the Mavericks on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Tue, 18 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1163.html#1337242443 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1163.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder has partnered with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Kansas to raise funds through Pack-the-House Night this Saturday when the Missouri Mavericks visit the INTRUST Bank Arena. Wichita's loveable mascot Thunderdog is reportedly hiding out on the roof of the Thunder's office at the Wichita Ice Center to help raise money for the event. Earlier this afternoon, the 18-year old mascot was caught stealing a zamboni from the INTRUST Bank Arena where he was chased down St. Francis St. by the Wichita Police Department. The usually mild-mannered canine escaped capture on an Alefs Harley Davidson motorcycle before securing himself atop the Ice Center located at 505 W. Maple St. The Thunder will wear specialty jerseys for Saturday's contest, which will be auctioned off after the game. Proceeds from the jersey auction will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Kansas. Fans interested in helping Thunderdog and the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Kansas can purchase tickets for Pack-the-House Night 2011 by calling the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL and mentioning the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Kansas and Thunderdog. The Thunder will also hold extended hours from Tuesday through Friday from 8:00-6:00. The office will also be opened Saturday afternoon from 1:00-4:00. To see footage of Thunderdog's exploits, check the Thunder's official website at beginning Tuesday. -Thunder- Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1162.html#1337242444 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1162.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder defeated the Arizona Sundogs 6-3 at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Saturday night. Matt Robinson scored two goals while Aaron Davis and Lance Galbraith each had three points. The Thunder, who has won six of their last nine games, took three of four on their homestand heading into Monday's game at Quad City. With the Thunder keading 3-2 in the third, Robinson scored his second of the night at 7:28, slipping the puck through the five-hole of Sundogs' goaltender Doug Groenestege. Mark Kolanos trimmed the lead to 4-3 at 13:33, but Jesse Bennefield scored 1:12 later on a shot from the top of the left circle. Davis potted the Thunder's first shorthanded goal of the year at 16:21 to seal the game. Davis worked through the slot on a breakaway and beat Groenestege with a backhand move under his left pad. Robinson scored the first of the night at 9:07 in the first period, finishing off a rebound setup by A.J. Gale. Bobby Hughes made it 2-0 during a Thunder power play at the 10:47 mark. Groenestege sticked Galbraith's wrap around attempt into the right circle where Hughes buried it under the crossbar. Joey Sides scored from in front of the crease off a deflection in the right corner at 14:58 to cut Wichita's lead in half. Galbraith increased the lead to 3-1 at 3:12 in the second, rocketing a shot past the right of Groenestege from just inside the point. Jamie Vanderveeken pulled Arizona within one with a shorthanded goal at 13:24. Marc-Antoine Gelinas earned the win, saving 33 of 36. Groenestege took the loss, saving 25 of 31. Wichita was 1 for 5 on the power play and a perfect 7 for 7 on the penalty kill. The Thunder heads to Quad City on Monday to face the Mallards at 7:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at The Thunder returns home on Saturday, January 22nd when they host the Missouri Mavericks at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sun, 16 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1161.html#1337242445 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1161.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder lost 4-3 to the Texas Brahmas at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Friday night. Mick Lawrence snapped a 3-3 tie at 13:37 in the third period to provide the final margin. Wichita had several opportunities with an extra attacker in the final 1:43, but Brahmas' goaltender Wayne Savage prevented the Thunder from tying the game. Trailing 3-2 after two periods, Lance Galbraith tied the game at 6:40 in the third, winning a scrum in front of the net. It was the third time Wichita battled back to even the contest. Galbraith finished the night with a goal and an assist. Lawrence scored with 6:23 left in regulation, wristing a shot past Marc-Antoine Gelinas while leading a two-on-one rush. Texas took a 1-0 lead at 12:05 in the first period on a goal from Chad Woollard. Woollard picked up a rebound just to the left of the slot where he fired off the right post and into the net. Matt Robinson tied it at the 1:28 mark in the second. Robinson skated into the right circle and wristed the puck past the right of Brahmas' goaltender Wayne Savage. Just over a minute later, Tyler Allen batted in a power play goal to give Allen a 2-1 lead. The Thunder re-tied the game at 3:22 when Jesse Bennefield scored on a one-timer from the slot. Jason Krischuk gave Texas its third lead at 11:55. With Marc-Antoine Gelinas pinned on the crease, Krischuk shot over his left shoulder from the right halfboards. Gelinas took a tough loss, saving 35 of 39. Savage earned the win, saving 38 of 41. Wichita was 0 for 3 on the power play while Texas was 1 for 4. The Thunder hosts the Arizona Sundogs on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sat, 15 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1160.html#1337242446 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1160.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder announced several roster moves on Friday, led by the acquisition of left wing Dustin Donaghy from the Allen Americans in exchange for future considerations. The Thunder also placed left wing Troy Schwab on the 10-Day IR, while activating forward Ryan Hand. Donaghy (pronounced DON-uh-hee) skated in 23 games this season for Allen, scoring six goals, one assist, and adding 43 PIM. Just 21 years old, Donaghy made his professional debut during the Americans' Southern Conference championship run last spring, appearing in two playoff games. A native of Cranbrook, British Columbia, Donaghy played three seasons of Major Juniors in the WHL. The 5-foot-11, 196-pound Donaghy split the 2009-10 season with the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Spokane Chiefs, combining for 13 points and 98 PIM in 66 games. A left-handed shot, Donaghy's best statistical junior season came with Spokane in 2008-09 where he scored 10 goals, 24 points, and tallied 129 PIM. Donaghy also played two seasons of junior hockey in his home province for the BCHL's Penticton Vees. Hand has been on the 10-Day IR retroactive to his last game on December 27th, and is expected to be in the lineup tonight against Texas. Schwab, who was scratched from last Saturday's game versus Bloomington, has 27 points in 29 games played this season. The Thunder hosts the Texas Brahmas tonight at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1159.html#1337242447 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1159.html from RAPID CITY, SD- The stars were out in Rapid City on Wednesday night as a near capacity crowd of 5,009 rocked the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Arena watching their beloved Rapid City Rush (the defending CHL Champs) fall to a team of CHL All-Stars by a final score of 11-6. Bloomingtons Jason Dale took home the games Most Valuable Player honors with two goals and a CHL record-tying five assists (along with a +7 plus/minus rating). The MVP honor for the home team went to Ryan Menei who scored a pair of goals in a 25 second stretch of the second period. The Co-MVP awards featured an Apple ITouch for both players presented by Sher-Wood Hockey Inc. The CHL team showed some great passing in the early going scoring the games first goal just 3:17 into the opening period when David Rutherford (Bossier-Shreveport) showed some creativity picking the puck up with his blade and getting the shot away. Dale would clean up the rebound with Rutherford and Sebastien Thinel (Odessa) drawing the assists. Just over a minute later, the Rush would tie the score with Andrew Smale sneaking behind the defense and beating the all-stars goaltender Kyle Jones (Colorado) on the backhand. Wichitas Matt Robinson would steal the show next scoring three straight goal within a 3:55 span earning the natural hat trick in the first half of the game. The Surrey, British Columbia natives theatrics built a 4-1 lead for the CHL team. Rapid City would get one back at the 11:51 mark by Derek LeBlanc who walked in on the left circle with the puck and snapped a shot just under the crossbar for the goal making the game look like it might challenge for the highest scoring affair in CHL All-Star history with six combined goals scored in the first 11 minutes. The defense and goaltenders would answer the bell though settling things down in the final half of the opening frame. Danny Battochio finished the period with 10 saves and looked like the all-star he is when he robbed Arizonas Joey Sides around the 18-minute mark Jones finished strong as well robbing Colt King twice on point-blank looks and making several clutch stops down the stretch in the first period. The Eagles netminder finished the first 20 minutes with eight saves. In the second period, the Rush would treat Missouri goaltender Robby Nolan rudely in the first minute setting an CHL All-Star record with three goals in a 39 second time frame. Meneis two goals followed by Konrad Reeder grabbed the lead at 5-4. The previous record was set in the 2006 game with Jeff Bes scoring twice and Nolan Graham once for the Southern Conference team who lost the game to the North in a shootout, 10-9. Not to be outdone, the CHL team answered back scoring the games next three goals regaining the lead around the midway point of the period. Allen defenseman David Strathman tied the game beating Battochio at the 4:11 mark and Evansvilles Brian Bicek scored the next two with nifty moves both times that created some space and allowed him to beat the Rush goaltender. Dale had assists on all three goals giving him five points (1-4=5) in the game through two periods. Battochio, also known as the Batman showed his superhero form late in the period making an unbelievable save on Strathman that drew the fans from their seats. He later stopped Neil Trimm on a breakaway continuing his solid performance. Rapid City outshot the All-Stars 20-12 in the period and maintained a two period shot lead of 32-27. After allowing the record goal run for the Rush, Nolan settled down stopping 17 shots in the period. The CHL team expanded their lead early in the third period with Bicek netting the hat trick at the 21 second mark of the frame beating Rush goaltender Terry Dunbar who started the third replacing Battochio. Dayton goaltender Jeff Jakaitis made several spectacular saves to start the period keeping the Rush at bay and finished the period with 13 stops. With the score 8-5, Rapid City would try to mount a comeback when Brendon Hodge lit the lamp with a blast from between the circles at the 9:38 mark. The CHL All-Stars would score three times in the final 3and a half minutes putting the game away. The first came from Texas defenseman Jason Krischuk followed by Dale who grabbed hold of the MVP honors by scoring his second of the night and his seventh point. Mississippi defenseman Nathan Lutz finished off the scoring with just six seconds remaining. Other offensive stars in the game included Thinel with five helpers, and Biceks and Robinsons hat tricks. The Thunder resumes the 2010-11 season on Friday when they host the Texas Brahmas at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1157.html#1337242448 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1157.html from TEMPE, AZ (January 12, 2011) The Central Hockey League (CHL), in conjunction with the Rapid City Rush, announced today that the 2011 CHL All-Star teams jerseys from tonights CHL All-Star Game will be put up to the highest bidder in an on-line auction beginning Thursday, January 13 at 8:00 AM (MST) and will run for one week ending on Thursday, January 20 at 8:00 AM (MST). The sweaters of the 19 CHL All-Stars will be available with a minimum opening bid of 250.00. The jerseys, manufactured by OT Sports, will be autographed and game worn. The auction will be hosted through with the direct link being . -Thunder- Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1158.html#1337242449 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1158.html WICHITA, KS- Thunder fans can catch left wing Matt Robinson at the 2011 Central Hockey League All-Star Game tonight at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City, SD. The game can be viewed live on CHL-TV by visiting The game will also be streamed live on 100.3 The FOX in Rapid City. A link to the audio stream can be found at Robinson, who is making his first professional all-star appearance, has 18 goals and 19 assists this season in 31 games played. Robinson's 18 goals are tied for seventh in the CHL while his 37 total points rank 18th. Since joining the Thunder on November 12th, Robinson has scored 17 goals in just 23 contests. The Surrey, British Columbia native potted four goals and had five total points in a 7-6 win at Tulsa on December 14th. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 7:35 p.m. CST. This year's format features the defending champion Rapid City Rush against an all-star team made up of the league's 17 other teams. The Thunder resumes the 2010-11 season on Friday when they host the Texas Brahmas at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1156.html#1337242450 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1156.html Thunder Sweeps Two at Home The Wichita Thunder went 2-0-0 last week, beginning with a 6-4 win on Friday versus the Missouri Mavericks. Trailing 1-0 after one period, the Thunder exploded for five goals in the second, including two from Aaron Davis. Missouri trimmed the lead to 5-4 with a three-goal third, but Daniel Tetrault gave Wichita enough breathing room with an empty netter at 19:19. Marc-Antoine Gelinas saved 27 of 31 in the win. Andrew Martens, A.J. Gale, and Chris Greene all had multi-point games. Wichita knocked off the Bloomington Prairie Thunder 5-1 on Saturday at the INTRUST Bank Arena. The Thunder scored four times in the first, including three goals separated by just 2:22. Lance Galbraith picked up a Gordie Howe Hat Trick, scoring a goal, two assists, and a fighting major against Bloomington's Travis Granbois. Daniel Tetrault and A.J. Gale each scored and finished the night +3. Marc-Antoine Gelinas won his fourth consecutive start, saving 33 of 34. Red-Hot Offense The Thunder scored 11 goals in their two victories last weekend. Wichita has scored 80 goals in its last 18 games for an average of 4.44. The Thunder has also scored four or more goals in 14 of the 18 contests during that stretch. For the season, the Thunder ranks third in the league in offense at 3.78 goals per game. Gale Earns Player of the Month Thunder right wing A.J. Gale was named the CHL's Sher-Wood Player of the Month for December last week. Gale led the entire league with 21 points in 13 December contests, which included nine goals scored. Gale's outstanding play has carried into January where he is currently riding a five-game point streak. Gale has 12 goals and 27 points in his last 18 games. Robinson Streaking Left wing Matt Robinson is currently on a five-game point streak. Robinson has 19 points in his last 12 games and is tied for seventh in the CHL with 18 goals scored. Bennefield Among League's Best Right wing Jesse Bennefield ranks tied for 10th in the league with 41 points. Bennefield leads the Thunder with 14 multi-point games, and has not gone more than two consecutive games without a point this season. Galbraith Heating Up Right wing Lance Galbraith scored a Gordie Howe Hat Trick on Saturday versus Bloomington. Galbraith has 12 points in his last 12 games. Over his last seven contests, Galbraith is a combined +8. Multi-Point Tetrault Thunder Captain Daniel Tetrault has scored two or more points four times in the last nine games. Tetrault has four goals and 10 points during this stretch in which he is +7. Offensive Defense Defensemen Andrew Martens and Kory Scoran continue to rank on the CHL leaderboards. Martens is tied for ninth among blue liners with 22 points. Scoran is tied for 17th with 19 points and ranks tied for first with nine goals. Scoran is also tied for fifth overall with seven power play goals. Gelinas Rolling Rookie goaltender Marc-Antoine Gelinas has won four consecutive starts. Over his last five games, Gelinas has a 1.61 goals against average and a .942 save percentage. Follow Matt Robinson at the All-Star Game Left wing Matt Robinson will represent the Thunder in the 2011 CHL All-Star Game on Wednesday night. This year's format pits the defending champion Rapid City Rush against an all-star squad made up of the remaining 17 teams. The game begins at 7:35 p.m. and can be viewed live at Roster Notes Forward Ryan Hand is on the 10-Day IR. Center Matt Hubbauer is on the 30-Day IR. Left wing Troy Schwab was scratched from Saturday's game. Catch the Thunder All Season All 66 Thunder games are broadcast on either 93.5 FM KWME or 1550 AM KKLE. You can also listen to each game on the internet at Emerson Biggin's West (located at 21st and Maize) is the Thunder's official watch party sponsor of all road games. Thunder food and drink specials will be offered throughout the season. Up Next The Thunder continues its four-game home stretch this Friday when they host the Texas Brahmas at 7:05 p.m. The Arizona Sundogs visit Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. Friday is Facebook Friday, presented by Power 93.9. Fans can receive discount tickets by visiting Students can also receive 10 Yellow and Green level seating by showing their student ID, courtesy of America's Pub. Saturday is Bail Out Wichita Night, presented by The Wichita Eagle, Carrabba's, and Apprentice Personnel. Fans 18 years of age and older, who are both in attendance and register at the designated areas, will have 1.00 of their admission ticket pooled together to purchase Powerball tickets. If one of the tickets wins the Powerball Grand Prize Jackpot, everyone who was in attendance and registered will receive a cut of the winnings. For tickets to this weekend's games, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Mon, 10 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1155.html#1337242451 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1155.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder beat the Bloomington Prairie Thunder 5-1 at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Saturday night. Wichita scored four times in the first period, while Lance Galbraith earned a Gordie Howe Hat Trick with a goal, two assists, and a fight against Bloomington's Travis Granbois late in the third period. For a second straight game, the Thunder benefitted from a big period, beginning with Daniel Tetrault's score at 7:32 in the first. Tetrault walked the puck down the right boards, cut to the net, and backhanded it over the shoulder of Bloomington goaltender Marco Emond. At 13:02, Mike Looby scored a power play goal from inside the left circle after Lance Galbraith narrowly missed from in front of the crease. Galbraith eventually scored at 14:56, wrapping around the right post and backhanding the puck through Emond's five-hole. Matt Robinson snapped home Wichita's fourth goal of the period at 15:24, shooting from inside the left circle. Brad Phillips subbed for Emond after Robinson's goal. Bloomington got on the board at 15:51 in the second when Jon Booras connected on a slapshot from the top of the left circle during a Prairie Thunder power play. Late in the period, Aaron Davis directed a faceoff win to A.J. Gale who scored at 19:00 to re-extend Wichita's lead. Wichita played clean defense over the final two minutes, with Marc-Antoine Gelinas going 8 for 8. Gelinas earned the win, saving 33 of 34. Jason Goulet and Robin Richards dropped the gloves in succession on two occassions. The second set of bouts preceded Galbraith's with just over three minutes left in regulation. Wichita was 1 for 3 on the power play while Bloomington was 1 for 6. The Thunder hosts the Texas Brahmas on Friday, January 14th at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sun, 09 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1154.html#1337242452 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1154.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder defeated the Missouri Mavericks 6-4 at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Friday night. Aaron Davis scored two goals, while the Thunder survived a late rally by the Mavs to hang on for the victory. Trailing 1-0, the Thunder powered their way in front with a five-goal second period. Bobby Hughes started the attack, firing a wrist shot past the right of Mavericks' goaltender Rob Nolan. A.J. Gale ripped a one-timer from the right circle at 9:24 to make it 2-1. Gale was setup by Chris Greene who carried the puck up the slot before making the pass. At 11:13 in the second, Robin Richards capped off a series of long shots with an attempt that deflected off a Missouri defender and into the net. Davis picked up a feed from Troy Schwab and made it 4-1 Wichita at 15:23. Schwab passed from the right side of the goal line to Davis who was waiting in the slot. Davis slammed home his second of the night at 18:31, beating Nolan to the right on a cross-slot pass from Matt Robinson. Missouri scored three times in the third, including two goals just 20 seconds apart near the end of the period to pull within one. Toby Lafrance snuck a shot under the five-hole of Marc-Antoine Gelinas at 2:55 to cut the Thunder lead to 5-2. Olivier Filion trimmed the lead to 5-3 at 16:40 and was followed by Carlyle Lewis's score at 17:00 from the right circle. Wichita persevered over the final 1:42 while Missouri worked with an extra attacker. Daniel Tetrault iced the game with 41 seconds left, hitting an empty net from his own end with a bankshot off the penalty box boards. The Mavericks scored the first goal of the night at 14:55 in the first. After Gelinas used a stick save to stop a Missouri two-on-one, Derek Pallardy cashed in the rebound which had bounced off the endboard. Gelinas earned the win, saving 27 of 31. Nolan took the loss, going 23 of 28. Wichita was 0 for 2 on the power play while Missouri was 0 for 4. The Thunder hosts the Bloomington Prairie Thunder Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sat, 08 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1151.html#1337242453 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1151.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder learned Thursday that forward A.J. Gale has been named the Central Hockey League's Sher-Wood Player of the Month for December. Gale led the entire CHL with 21 points in 13 December contests. The second-year pro is tied for 24th in the league with 31 overall points in 30 games. On December 14th at Tulsa, Gale had two goals, three assists, and finished +4 in a 7-6 Thunder victory. The Nanaimo, British Columbia native rattled off a seven-game point streak from December 10th-26th in which he tallied six goals and eight assists. The 23-year old Gale made his professional debut last season for the Texas Brahmas, scoring 25 points in 58 games. Gale's 15 goals ranked fifth among CHL rookies while his 25 points tied for eighth. Gale played four years of junior hockey in his home province for the Nanaimo Clippers, scoring 77 goals and 74 assists (151 points) in 162 games. Prior to turning pro, Gale skated for St. Norbert College during the 2008-09 season, amassing 30 points in just 19 games. Gale also played two seasons at St. Cloud State University. The Thunder opens a stretch of four consecutive home games on Friday night when they host the Missouri Mavericks at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1150.html#1337242454 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1150.html WICHITA, KS- Hockey fans have the chance to strike it rich on Saturday, January 15th when the Thunder tries to Bail Out Wichita during their match versus the Arizona Sundogs. Every adult 18 years of age or older, who is in attendance and registers for the contest, will have 1.00 from their ticket pooled toward the purchase of Powerball lottery tickets. If the Thunder wins the Powerball Grand Prize Jackpot, everyone who registered receives a share of the winnings. Adults 18 years of age or older must register for the promotion at the designated areas during the game to be eligible. The 7:05 p.m. game is presented by The Wichita Eagle, Carrabba's, and Apprentice Personnel. to download and print off the registration form in advance and avoid waiting in line. The Thunder hosts the Missouri Mavericks this Friday at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1149.html#1337242455 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1149.html Thunder Takes Two of Three on Long Road Trip The Wichita Thunder earned four of six points in recent action, beginning with a 2-0 win at Quad City on Wednesday night. Marc-Antoine Gelinas made 27 saves en route to his second shutout of the season. A.J. Gale and Troy Schwab provided the goals while the Thunder's penalty kill was 4 for 4. The Thunder defeated the Rapid City Rush 4-1 on Friday night at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. Four different Thunder players scored, while Andrew Martens and Daniel Tetrault each chipped in two assists. Marc-Antoine Gelinas saved 25 of 26 to pick up the victory. Wichita scored twice on the power play in the win. The Rush beat the Thunder 7-4 on Saturday night to split the two game series. Matt Robinson scored twice, helping the Thunder battle back from an early 2-0 deficit, but Rapid City rattled off four unanswered goals over the final two periods to take the lead for good. Chris Greene and Bobby Hughes also scored. Marty Magers took the loss, saving 30 of 37. Magers was appearing for the first time since November 26th. Robinson an All-Star Left wing Matt Robinson will represent the Thunder in the CHL All-Star Game on January 12th at Rapid City. The host Rush will face an all-star squad comprised of the league's remaining 17 teams. Robinson scored two goals on Saturday and is tied for seventh in the CHL with 17 this season. Robinson has 16 goals in just 21 games with the Thunder. Bennefield Among League's Best Right wing Jesse Bennefield ranks 12th in the league with 38 points and is tied for 14th with 16 goals. Bennefield leads the Thunder with 13 multi-point games. Gale on Fire Left wing A.J. Gale has 10 goals and 24 total points in his last 16 games. Gale's 31 points are tied for 24th in the CHL. Offensive Defense Thunder defensemen Andrew Martens and Kory Scoran are among the best at their position. Martens is tied for ninth among blue liners with 20 points. Scoran is tied for 14th with 19 points and tied for first with nine goals. Scoran is also tied for third overall in the CHL with seven power play goals. Gelinas on a Roll Goaltender Marc-Antoine Gelinas had a strong week in which he was 2-1-0. In three games, Gelinas posted a 1.01 goals against average and a .959 save percentage. Penalty Kill Improvement Wichita's penalty kill has played well of late. The Thunder is 16 for its last 18 (88.9%) over the last five games. Roster Notes Forward Ryan Hand was placed on the 10-Day IR last week. Center Matt Hubbauer is on the 30-Day IR. Marty Magers and Jason Goulet were activated from the IR last week. Catch the Thunder All Season All 66 Thunder games are broadcast on either 93.5 FM KWME or 1550 AM KKLE. You can listen to each game on the internet at Emerson Biggin's West (located at 21st and Maize) is the Thunder's official watch party sponsor of all road games. Thunder food and drink specials will be offered throughout the season. Up Next The Thunder plays twice at home this week, hosting the Missouri Mavericks on Friday and the Bloomington Prairie Thunder on Saturday. Both games start at 7:05 p.m. Friday is Fans Choose Night presented by 104.5 The Fox. Saturday is Sonic Thunderdog's 18th Birthday Party and Kids Run the Show, presented by Sonic Drive-In, Kissin' 102.1, and B98 FM. The Thunder will wear special Thunderdog sweaters during Saturday's game which fans can bid on during the game. Following the game, fans can also meet their favorite players at Applebee's, located at Maple and Ridge. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sun, 02 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1148.html#1337242456 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1148.html Photo Credit: Mike Wolforth RAPID CITY, SD- The Wichita Thunder lost 7-4 to the Rapid City Rush at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center on Saturday night. Rush forward Les Reaney scored a hat trick, contributing to a run of four unanswered goals over the final two periods that allowed Rapid City to seize control of the game. Down 2-1 in the second, Matt Robinson tied the game with his second goal of the night at 10:08 in the second. A.J. Gale forced a turnover at the blue line, allowing Robinson to cut into the Rapid City defense and connect from the high slot. Les Reaney put the Rush back in front at 17:20, sneaking a loose puck near the crease under Marty Magers' right pad. Josh Beaulieu made it 4-2 Rush at 19:02, scoring under the crossbar from the left circle right after Magers had made a brilliant save to his right. Reaney scored again at 6:09 in the third and was followed by Derek Leblanc who made it 6-2 Rush just 1:20 later. The Thunder pulled back within two, getting scores from Bobby Hughes at 11:25 and Chris Greene at 15:01, but Reaney's third of the night at 17:23 in the third put the game away. Rapid City led 2-1 after the first, scoring both goals within the first 2:33 of the game. Beaulieu tipped Scott Kalinchuk's soft shot from the point over Magers' right shoulder at the 0:43 mark for the first goal of the night. Dave Grimson scored 1:50 later, punching in a rebound in front of the crease during a Rush power play. The Thunder got on the board with 1:59 left in the period when Robinson re-directed the puck behind Rush goaltender Tim Boron. Kory Scoran took a shot from the point that Boron deflected into mid air. Robinson made contact with the rebound before it came back onto the ice. Magers was 30 of 37 in the loss while Boron saved 20 of 24 for the win. Wichita was 1 for 2 on the power play. Rapid City was 2 for 6. The Thunder returns home on Friday, January 7th when they host the Missouri Mavericks. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1147.html#1337242457 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1147.html Photo Credit: Mike Wolforth RAPID CITY, SD- The Wichita Thunder ended the 2010 calendar year with a 4-1 win over the Rapid City Rush at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center on Friday night. Four different Thunder players accounted for the goals, while Marc-Antoine Gelinas had his third consecutive strong outing to earn the win. The Thunder used two power play goals to take a 2-0 lead after the first period. Jesse Bennefield beat Rush goaltender Danny Battochio through the five-hole at 9:06 during a Thunder two-man advantage. Daniel Tetrault ripped a slapshot from the right circle that Battochio kicked in the direction of Bennefield. Aaron Davis made it 2-0 at 15:20 during a five-on-four power play. Andrew Martens threw the puck across the crease from the left corner where Davis slammed it past Battochio's left. Wichita maintained its two-goal lead through the second with each team scoring once. Brendon Hodge backhanded a rebound past the left of Marc-Antoine Gelinas at 6:06 to cut the Thunder's lead in half. Wichita responded at 11:07 when Lance Galbraith buried a slapshot from the left halfboards over Battachio's left shoulder. A.J. Gale closed out the scoring for the night at 14:04 in the third, smacking in a cross-crease pass from Andrew Martens. Martens had taken the puck on a neutral zone turnover and led the two-on-one rush that resulted in Gale's goal. Gelinas saved 25 of 26 for the win, including a brilliant save on Scott Wray in the second. Wray was left alone with a portion of the net exposed where Gelinas leaped on top of his backhand attempt. Wichita was 2 for 7 on the power play while the Rush were 0 for 3. Battochio took the loss, saving 26 of 30. Jason Goulet picked up two fighting majors with Jay Birnie. Wichita and Rapid City battles again Saturday night at 8:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on both Oldies 93.5 KWME and Sports Radio 1550 KKLE, as well as worldwide at The Thunder returns home on Friday, January 7th when they host the Missouri Mavericks. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Fri, 31 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1146.html#1337242458 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1146.html MOLINE, IL- The Wichita Thunder shutout the Quad City Mallards 2-0 at the iWireless Center on Wednesday night. Marc-Antoine Gelinas earned his second shutout of the season, stopping all 27 of Quad City's attempts. Troy Schwab delivered a big insurance goal with 1:29 left in regulation. Jesse Bennefield battled for the puck behind the Mallards' net and gave it to Schwab who was denied on his first shot by goaltender David Brown. Schwab then retrieved his own rebound and knocked the puck past Brown's right for a 2-0 Thunder lead. Gelinas was 10 for 10 in the third and withstood two Quad City power plays. A.J. Gale scored at 7:06 in the first period to give Wichita a 1-0 lead. Matt Robinson stripped the puck at the point and skated just inside the left circle before putting a shot on Brown. Gale grabbed the rebound to Brown's left and roofed it under the crossbar with a backhand shot. Marc-Antoine Gelinas made a critical stop late in the period, sliding to his right to protect an open backdoor when Eric Slais tried to re-direct a shot from the point. The Thunder maintained its lead through the second period, with Gelinas going 6 for 6. Gelinas made another late-period stop, denying Eric Giosa of a shorthanded goal from the right circle. Prior to the game, defenseman Jason Goulet was activated from the 30-Day IR, while Ryan Hand was placed on the 10-Day IR. The Thunder heads to Rapid City for a two-game series beginning Friday at 8:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on both Oldies 93.5 KWME and Sports Radio 1550 KKLE, as well as worldwide at The Thunder returns home on Friday, January 7th when they host the Missouri Mavericks. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Thu, 30 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1143.html#1337242459 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1143.html WICHITA, KS- The Central Hockey League announced Wednesday that Wichita Thunder left wing Matt Robinson has been selected to the 2011 CHL All-Star Team as a reserve. Robinson has 15 goals and 16 assists through 26 games played with a +4 rating and eight penalty minutes. The Surrey, British Columbia native has been most impressive since joining Wichita through a November 8th trade with Laredo. Robinson has scored 14 of his goals in just 18 games in a Thunder sweater. Robinson's 15 goals rank tied for sixth in the CHL while his 31 points are tied for 15th. On December 14th at Tulsa, the 25-year old became the first Thunder player since March of 2006 to score four goals in a game. The five-point performance sparked a personal four-game goal scoring streak. The fifth-year professional potted 31 goals in the ECHL last season, splitting time with Johnstown and Stockton. The 2011 Central Hockey League All-Star Game is January 12th at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City, SD. This year's format pits the defending champion Rapid City Rush against a team of CHL All-Stars. All-Star Team co-coaches Dwight Mullins (Allen) and Scott Hillman (Missouri) selected the reserves in conjunction with the CHL Hockey Operations Department. 2011 CHL All-Star Starters F - David Rutherford, Bossier-Shreveport F - Sebastien Thinel, Odessa F - Neil Trimm, Laredo D - Darcy Campbell, Rio Grande Valley D - Nathan Lutz, Mississippi G - Kyle Jones, Colorado 2011 CHL All-Star Reserves F - Matt Robinson, Wichita F - Brian Bicek, Evansville F - Jason Dale, Bloomington D - Frankie DeAngelis, Fort Wayne D - Derek Eastman, Tulsa G - Jeff Jakaitis, Dayton D - Jason Krischuk, Texas F - Mike McLean, Quad City G - Rob Nolan, Missouri F - Joey Sides, Arizona D - David Strathman, Allen The Thunder battles the Quad City Mallards tonight in Moline, IL at 7:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at Wichita next plays at home on Friday, January 8th when they host the Missouri Mavericks at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Wed, 29 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1142.html#1337242460 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1142.html Thunder Takes One of Three The Wichita Thunder went went 1-2-0 during the holiday weekend. Wichita was edged 6-5 by the Tulsa Oilers on Christmas evening at the BOK Center. The Thunder battled back from three different two-goal deficits to tie the game at 5-5 in the third, but Chad Costello scored on the power play at 11:22 for the game-winner. A.J. Gale scored two goals with an assist, while Matt Robinson, Jesse Bennefield, and Bobby Hughes also had multi-point games. Wichita bounced back Sunday at home with a 7-4 win over the Missouri Mavericks. The Thunder overcame a 3-1 deficit heading into the third period, highlighted by two goals from Jesse Bennefield. Bennefield scored the game-winner at 12:06 and added another goal on a penalty shot at 16:31. Four defensemen scored for Wichita, including Daniel Tetrault, Andrew Martens, Kory Scoran, and Travis Wight. Marc-Antoine Gelinas saved 15 of 19 for the win. The Mavericks shutout the Thunder 2-0 on Monday night at the INTRUST Bank Arena. Mavs' goaltender Rob Nolan worked a 31-save shutout. Wichita outshot Missouri 31 to 21, but goals from Mike Berry and Bill Vandermeer proved enough for the Mavericks. Marc-Antoine Gelinas took the tough loss, saving 19 of 21. Offensive Thunder Wichita ranks fourth in the CHL in offense at 3.70 goals per game. Wichita has scored at least four goals in 15 of 27 games, and five or more in eight of them. Bennefield Among League's Best Jesse Bennefield is seventh in the league in scoring with 36 points in 27 games played. Bennefield is also tied for sixth with 15 goals. Robinson Lighting the Lamp Matt Robinson is tied for sixth in the CHL with 15 goals. The left winger has potted 14 of them in just 18 games since joining the Thunder. Robinson scored 31 goals last season in the ECHL between Johnstown and Stockton. Offense on Defense Defensive partners Kory Scoran and Andrew Martens are among the best at their position in the CHL. Scoran is tied for seventh among blue liners with 18 points, and tied for first with nine goals. Scoran's seven power play goals are also tied for first in the entire league. Martens is tied for ninth among defensemen with 17 points and tied for seventh with six goals. Gale on Fire Second-year forward A.J. Gale had a seven-game point streak snapped on Monday night. Gale has 21 points in his last 13 contests. Long Stretch The Thunder is enduring one of its toughest stretches of games this season. Dating back to last Saturday at Tulsa, the Thunder will play six games in eight days by the end of this weekend. The final three games are on the road. Magers Activated Goaltender Marty Magers has been activated from Goaltender IR. Magers is 3-2-0 with a 3.18 goals against average and .891 save percentage. Magers last played on November 26th at Colorado. Rookie goaltender Peter Delmas was recalled by the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs. Roster Notes Center Matt Hubbauer and defenseman Jason Goulet are on the 30-Day IR. Up Next The Thunder plays their inaugural game against Quad City on Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. Wichita then heads to Rapid City for a two-game series at Rapid City on Friday and Saturday. Both games begin at 7:05 p.m. The Thunder next plays at home on Friday, January 7th when they host the Missouri Mavericks at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Tue, 28 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1141.html#1337242461 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1141.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder lost 2-0 to the Missouri Mavericks at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Monday night. Mavericks' goaltender Rob Nolan worked a 31-save shutout, including 12 in the final period to earn the win. Missouri broke a scoreless tie 1:09 into the second period. Mike Berry stayed with a rebound to the right of Marc-Antoine Gelinas and scored just outside of the crease. Bill Vandermeer connected from the high slot at 11:16 to make it 2-0. Marc-Antoine Gelinas saved 19 of 21 in the loss. Wichita was 0 for 4 on the power play while Missouri was 0 for 2. Longtime lineseman Dennis Mercer worked in his 500th career CHL game and was honored by the team prior to the opening faceoff. The Thunder plays at Quad City on Wednesday for their inaugural game against the Mallards at 7:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at Wichita returns home on Friday, January 7th when they host the Mavericks at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Mon, 27 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1140.html#1337242462 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1140.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder defeated the Missouri Mavericks 7-4 at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Sunday evening. Trailing 3-1 heading into the third period, the Thunder erupted for six goals in the final frame to pull out the win. Jesse Bennefield finished the night with two goals and three points, including the Thunder's first penalty shot goal of the season. Andrew Martens pulled Wichita within 3-2 just 65 seconds into the third, taking a pass off the boards from Bennefield and then shooting the puck over the right shoulder of Mavericks' goaltender Rob Nolan. Travis Wight tied the game at 5:04, using a wrap-around move from the left post. Missouri regained the lead when Nathan O'Nabigon's scored 27 seconds after Wight, but Wichita rattled off four unanswered goals to close out the contest. Kory Scoran knotted the game at 4-4 with a shot from the point at 7:39. Bennefield swatted in A.J. Gale's cross-crease pass at 12:06 to make it 5-4 Thunder. After getting slashed on a breakaway at 16:31, Bennefield was awarded a penalty shot and beat Nolan with a forehand deke that saw the puck narrowly cross the goal line. Aaron Davis made it 7-4, scoring on an empty net with 1:12 left in the game. Marc-Antoine Gelinas saved 15 of 19 to earn the win. Nolan took the loss, saving 28 of 34. Wichita grabbed a 1-0 lead at 10:39 in the first on a goal from Daniel Tetrault. Matt Robinson won a board battle down the left wing and chipped the puck to Tetrault who crashed the slot and beat Nolan over his left shoulder. Bill Vandermeer tied the game at 12:19, re-directing Jared Lavender's shot from the point. Missouri made it 2-1 when Nick Sirota scored in front of the crease at 16:51. Sirota took a last-second pass from the left circle from Derek Pallardy. The Mavericks went up 3-1 in the second on a goal from Simon Watson at 13:37. Wichita was 2 for 6 on the power play while Missouri went 1 for 3. The Thunder outshot the Mavericks 22 to 2 in the third period. The win snapped Missouri's five-game winning streak. The Thunder and Mavericks square off again on Monday at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sun, 26 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1139.html#1337242463 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1139.html TULSA, OK- The Wichita Thunder lost 6-5 to the Tulsa Oilers at the BOK Center on Saturday night. Chad Costello's power play goal at 11:22 in the third period broke a 5-5 tie that stood for the remainder of the game. A.J. Gale had scored at 8:40 in the third from the left faceoff circle to tie the game. The teams combined for seven goals in the second period, beginning with Aaron Davis's score at 1:25. Davis shot from between the left corner and Tulsa's net, slicing the puck over the left shoulder of Tulsa netminder Ian Keserich. Tulsa took a 3-1 lead 11 seconds later when Anthony Battaglia crashed into Marc-Antoine Gelinas, allowing the puck to slide over the goal line. Lance Galbraith helped Wichita pull within one for a second time in the period at 4:10, winning a battle in front of the net with help from A.J. Gale. The Oilers took a 4-2 advantage at 16:08 on a power play goal from Sean Erickson. Tulsa collapsed on the net, setting up Erickson for a high shot from the slot that was buried under the right corner. Wichita then scored twice within 31 seconds to tie the game. Jesse Bennefield jammed the puck past the left of Keserich at 16:46 after getting a perfect backdoor pass from Bobby Hughes to finish an odd-man rush. Matt Robinson made it 4-4 at 17:17, squeezing a shot inside the right post from the edge of the left faceoff circle. Harrison Reed drove in a loose puck to the left of Gelinas with seven seconds left in the period to give the Oilers a 5-4 lead. Jack Combs scored the first goal of the night, banging home a backdoor pass to finish a two-on-one play at 4:11 in the opening period. Evan Kotsopoulos made it 2-0 Tulsa, scoring just under the left side of the crossbar at 8:59 after skating by the Thunder defense. The Thunder outshot the Oilers 52 to 24. The 52 shots on goal were a new season high. Gelinas took the loss, saving 18 of 24. Keserich earned the win, stopping 47 of 52. Wichita was 1 for 2 on the power play. The Oilers were 2 for 3. The Thunder hosts the Missouri Mavericks on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sat, 25 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1138.html#1337242464 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1138.html Thunder Wins One, Drops Two The Wichita Thunder went 1-2-0 last week, beginning with a 7-6 win at Tulsa on Tuesday night. Matt Robinson led the offense, becoming the first Thunder player since March 19th, 2006 to score four goals in a game. Robinson finished with five points and was +4. A.J. Gale had two goals and three assists, while also finishing +4. Marc-Antoine Gelinas earned the win, saving 20 of 26. The Oilers beat the Thunder 5-3 on Friday at the INTRUST Bank Arena. The Thunder rallied from a 3-1 deficit to tie the game late in the third, backed by goals from Lance Galbraith and Matt Robinson. Tulsa took advantage of a late power play with Chad Costello netting the game winner at 16:49. Costello scored on an empty net in the final seconds to seal the win. Marc-Antoine Gelinas took the loss, saving 26 of 30. Wichita suffered a 5-4 road loss on Saturday to the Bloomington Prairie Thunder. Goals from Bobby Hughes, Daniel Tetrault, Jesse Bennefield, and Matt Robinson helped the Thunder build a 4-2 lead midway through the third period, but Bloomington rallied for three straight scores in the final 11-plus minutes to steal the game. Robinson was denied by goaltender Marco Emond on a penalty shot with 1:04 left in regulation. Tetrault had three points. Peter Delmas took the loss, stopping 27 of 32. Lamplighter Robinson Left wing Matt Robinson is tied for fourth in the CHL with 14 goals scored. In just 15 games since joining the Thunder, Robinson has lit the lamp 13 times, including a four-goal performance at Tulsa on December 14th. Gale Streaking Second-year right wing A.J. Gale is on a five-game point streak with four goals and six assists. Gale had five points on December 14th at Tulsa and has 17 total points in his last 10 contests. Bennefield Among League's Best Right wing Jesse Bennefield ranks ninth in the league in scoring with 31 points. Thunder Roaring on Offense The Thunder's offense has risen to third in the league, averaging 3.67 goals per game. Since a 5-0 loss at Mississippi on December 4th, the Thunder has scored 23 goals in their last five games. Wichita has scored four or more goals 13 times this season. Multi-Point Thunder Thunder skaters have combined for 52 multi-point games this season. Jesse Bennefield leads the team with 10 multi-point games, while Matt Robinson is first with three multi-goal efforts. Wichita had 51 total multi-point games all of last season. Rookie Kaunisto Impressive Defenseman Steven Kaunisto is second in the CHL among both rookies and blue liners with a plus/minus rating of +12. Disciplined Thunder Wichita is averaging just 18.63 PIM per game, fifth fewest in the CHL. Roster Notes Center Matt Hubbauer and defenseman Jason Goulet are on the 30-Day IR. Marty Magers is on Goaltender IR. Catch the Thunder All Season All 66 Thunder games are broadcast on either 93.5 FM KWME or 1550 AM KKLE. You can listen to each game on the internet at Emerson Biggin's West (located at 21st and Maize) is the Thunder's official watch party sponsor of all road games. Thunder food and drink specials will be offered throughout the season. Up Next The Thunder heads to Tulsa for a Christmas Evening game on Saturday at 7:35 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at The Thunder hosts the Missouri Mavericks on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. Sunday is Ugly Sweater Night at the INTRUST Bank Arena. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Tue, 21 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1136.html#1337242465 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1136.html BLOOMINGTON, IL- The Wichita Thunder lost 5-4 to the Bloomington Prairie Thunder at the US Cellular Coliseum on Saturday night. Wichita led 4-2 in the third, but Bloomington rallied for three unanswered goals to win the game. Jason Deleurme scored his second of the night at 8:49 to pull Bloomington within one, backhanding the puck under the crossbar with Peter Delmas committed to the left side of the crease. Brett Holmberg tied the game at 12:47, jamming the puck off the back of Delmas' right pad and into the net. Jason Dale scored the game-winner, shooting from between the right corner and left post at 13:34. Matt Robinson was awarded a penalty shot with 1:04 left in regulation after Bloomington was called for a delay of game, but Bloomington goaltender Marco Emond made the stop. Wichita used a three-goal attack in the second period to take a 3-2 lead. Trailing 1-0, and right after a Wichita power play had expired, Bobby Hughes scored on a rebound to tie the game 1:54 into the period. After Bloomington went ahead on Kerry Ellis-Toddington's two-man advantage goal at 11:07, Daniel Tetrault re-tied the game with a slapshot from the right circle at 14:14. Robinson setup the score, gaining the offensive zone one-on-two before making a drop pass to Tetrault. Wichita took the lead at 18:15 on a goal from Jesse Bennefield. Just after another Thunder power play had expired, AJ Gale carried the puck down the right boards and broke towards the crease before shooting on Emond. Bennefield scored on the ensuing scramble in front of the net. Robinson scored at 6:20 in the third on a Wichita power play to make it 4-2 Thunder. Jason Deleurme scored the first goal of the night at 2:53 in the first period. Deleurme snuck a second rebound past the left side of Delmas on an open puck left at the edge of the crease. Delmas was 27 of 32 in the loss. Emond earned the win, saving 37 of 41. Wichita was 1 for 7 on the power play while Bloomington was 2 for 5. The Thunder plays at Tulsa on Christmas Day at 7:35 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at The Thunder returns home on Sunday, December 26th when they host the Missouri Mavericks. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sun, 19 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1135.html#1337242466 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1135.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder lost 5-3 to the Tulsa Oilers at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Friday night. Tulsa's Chad Costello broke a 3-3 tie with a power play goal at 16:49 in the third period and then sealed the game for the Oilers with an empty net goal with 2.5 seconds left on the clock. The pair of goals spoiled Wichita's third period comeback in which they recovered from a 3-1 deficit to tie the game. Lance Galbraith pulled the Thunder within 3-2 at 5:23, re-directing Chris Greene's shot from the high slot. Matt Robinson tied the game 1:25 later, burying a rebound to the left of Oilers' goaltender Ian Keserich. Andrew Martens extended his pointstreak to six consecutive games with a slapshot score just 2:33 into the game. Martens picked up a feed from Troy Schwab and scored from the left circle on a puck that came straight down after hitting the bottom of the crossbar. Michel Beausolei tied the game on a wraparound with 13 seconds left on the clock in the opening period. Tulsa went in front 2-1 at 3:33 in the third when Evan Kotsopoulos drove in a rebound to the right of Gelinas from the left hashmark. Marc-Antoine Gelinas took the loss, saving 26 of 30. Keserich earned the win, stopping 33 of 36. Wichita was 0 for 3 on the power play while Tulsa was 1 for 7. The Thunder travels to Bloomington, IL Saturday night to face the Prairie Thunder at 7:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Oldies 93.5 KWME and Sports Radio 1550 KKLE, as well as worldwide at The Thunder returns home on Sunday, December 26th when they host the Missouri Mavericks. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sat, 18 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1134.html#1337242467 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1134.html WICHITA, KS- Wichita Thunder players paid a holiday visit to children at Wesley Medical Center on Tuesday afternoon. The team delivered teddy bears and spent time with children throughout the hospital who cannot be at home for the holidays this year. 795 bears were collected during the team's annual Teddy Bear Toss last Saturday versus Tulsa. Thunder players plan on delivering the rest of the bears during another hospital visit next week. The Thunder plays host to the Tulsa Oilers tonight at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Fri, 17 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1133.html#1337242468 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1133.html Hey Thunder fans, don't miss out on our great holiday ticket packages, available through December 30th! These make great gifts for your favorite Thunder fan! 2010 Thunder Holiday Packs*10 Blue Level Vouchers-119 (savings of 81!) *20 Blue Level Vouchers-209 (savings of 191!) *10 Yellow Level Vouchers-99 (savings of 71!) *20Yellow Level Vouchers-179 (savings of 161!) Vouchers are good for any Thunder game at the INTRUST Bank Arena during the 2010-11 regular season, and can be redeemed at the arena box office. *A 2 facility fee will be assessed for each voucher redeemed Only a limited number of Holiday Packs are available. Order yours today by calling the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL! Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1132.html#1337242469 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1132.html TULSA, OK- The Wichita Thunder defeated the Tulsa Oilers 7-6 at the BOK Center on Tuesday night. Matt Robinson became the first Thunder player since March of 2006 to score four goals in a game, helping Wichita snap Tulsa's six-game winning streak. Tied at 5-5 in the third period, Robinson notched the Thunder's first hat trick since December of last year with a drive past Oilers' goaltender Ian Keserich at 5:52. Robinson scored his fourth of the game at 9:50, shooting into an open left side of the net while Keserich was committed to his right. The Oilers made it 7-6 on a goal from Harrison Reed at 13:55, but Wichita's defense withstood over a minute of extra attacker time to preserve the win. Chad Costello netted the first goal of the night at 7:13 in the first. With a delayed penalty on the Thunder, Costello shot the puck off Marc-Antoine Gelinas' back which then rolled into the net. After the Thunder went ahead 2-1, Jack Combs tied the game with seven seconds left in the period, using a shot from the right circle on a Tulsa power play. Tom Fritsche re-directed Marty Standish's shot over Gelinas' left shouler 2:24 into the second to give Tulsa a 3-2 lead. The Thunder then scored three unanswered goals to take a 5-3 advantage, beginning with Matt Robinson's game-tying goal at 7:46. Robinson took a pass from behind the net from Aaron Davis and buried a shot from the slot. Robinson struck again at 10:05, this time on the power play, taking a cross-slot feed from Kory Scoran and firing past the right of Keserich. Tulsa pulled within one at 13:22 when Combs scored his second of the night. Evan Kotsopoulos knotted the game yet again at 17:18, potting a shorthanded goal from the right wing boards. Wichita was 1 for 5 on the power play as well as the two delayed penalty goals. Tulsa was 1 for 3 with a delayed penalty goal as well. Gelinas went 20 of 26 for the win. Keserich took the loss, saving 39 of 46. Jason Duda was the last Thunder player to score four goals in a game, also doing it against Tulsa, on March 19th, 2006 at the Kansas Coliesum. Marc Belanger had Wichita's last hat trick on December 12th, 2009 at Rapid City. The Thunder hosts the Oilers on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the INTRUST Bank Arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1131.html#1337242470 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1131.html Thunder Splits Weekend in Wichita The Wichita Thunder split two home games last weekend, beginning with a 5-1 victory over the Fort Wayne Komets on Friday night. Bobby Hughes' four points paced the Thunder's offense while Marc-Antoine Gelinas saved 24 of 25 for the win. Troy Schwab had three assists in the game. Daniel Tetrault scored the 100th goal of his professional career. Wichita went 5 for 5 on penalty kill chances. The Thunder lost 7-4 to the Tulsa Oilers on Saturday night. After taking a 2-1 lead in the second, the Oilers rallied for three unanswered goals and never trailed again. A.J. Gale, Robin Richards, Troy Schwab, and Kory Scoran scored for the Thunder, with Gale and Scoran each adding an assist. The loss snapped the Thunder's 10-game streak of collecting at least one point at home. IBA Advantage The Thunder is tied for first in the CHL with eight wins and 18 points at home this season. From October 29th-December 10th, the Thunder collected at least one point in 10 consecutive home games. Power Play Clicking Wichita's power play unit is 19 for 81 (23.5%) in its last 15 games and ranks sixth best in the league at 19.1% for the season. The Thunder has scored at least one power play goal in 10 of its last 11 games. Thunder on the Offensive The Thunder ranks fourth in the CHL with 3.52 goals for per game. The Thunder has scored 74 goals in 21 games this season after scoring 128 all of last year. Limiting Chances The Thunder is averaging just 29.00 shots against per game, fourth fewest in the league. Bennefield Among League's Best Right wing Jesse Bennefield leads the Thunder with 29 points in 21 games. Bennefield is also tied for fifth overall in the CHL in points and tied for 10th among Three Star Leaders. Powerful Scoran Defenseman Kory Scoran is tied for the league lead with six power play goals. Scoran's eight total goals are also tied for first among blue liners. Guarding the Crease Rookie goaltender Marc-Antoine Gelinas is sixth in the CHL with a 2.42 goals against average. The 21-year old has allowed three or fewer goals in eight of his nine starts in a Thunder sweater. Rookie Kaunisto Impressive Defenseman Steven Kaunisto leads all CHL rookies and is tied for first among CHL defensemen in plus/minus with a +10 rating. Disciplined Thunder The Thunder is averaging just 18.43 PIM per game, sixth fewest in the league. Northern Parity Wichita is tied for sixth place in the Turner Conference with 22 points (10-9-2). Just seven points separate the top eight teams in the conference. In contrast, a 15-point gap exists between the first and eighth teams in the Berry Conference. Roster Notes Center Matt Hubbauer and defenseman Jason Goulet are on the 30-Day IR. Marty Magers is on Goaltender IR. Catch the Thunder All Season All 66 Thunder games are broadcast on either 93.5 FM KWME or 1550 AM KKLE. You can listen to each game on the internet at Emerson Biggin's West (located at 21st and Maize) is the Thunder's official watch party sponsor of all road games. Thunder food and drink specials will be offered throughout the season. Up Next The Thunder heads to Tulsa on Tuesday for a 7:05 p.m. game at the BOK Center. The Oilers return to the INTRUST Bank Arena on Friday at 7:05 p.m. Students can receive 10 Yellow or Green level seating with the presentation of a student i.d., courtesy of America's Pub. Power 93.9 FM is also hosting facebook Friday. Fans can save on Friday's game by visiting The week concludes Saturday when the Thunder makes their inaugural trip to the U.S. Cellular Arena to face the Bloomington Prairie Thunder at 7:05 p.m. The week's action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at For tickets to Friday's game, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Tue, 14 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1130.html#1337242471 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1130.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder lost 7-4 to the Tulsa Oilers at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Saturday night. With the score tied at 2-2 in the second, Harrison Reed put the Oilers in front with a power play goal at 7:06, driving in a slot rebound to the right of Peter Delmas. Jack Combs made it 4-2 Tulsa with another power play goal at 8:37. Troy Schwab narrowed the gap to 4-3, beating Oilers' goaltender Ian Keserich from close range at 10:15. The Oilers padded their lead in the third, scoring three times. Michel Beausolei was the beneficiary of a bouncing puck from behind the Thunder goal line that trickled past Marc-Antoine Gelinas at 3:14. Derek Hulak finished off a two-on-one play with help from Gary Steffes at 12:05 to make it 6-3. Robin Richards pulled the Thunder back within one, scoring on a backhand shot that snuck behind Keserich at 15:58, but Evan Kotsoplous iced the game with a shorthanded, empty net goal with just over 48 seconds left on the clock. The teams battled to a 2-2 tie after the first period. Marty Standish poked in a second rebound past the right of Peter Delmas at 1:58 for the first goal of the game. A.J. Gale lofted a power play shot over the left shoulder of Keserich from the near hashmark at 4:24 to tie the game. Kory Scoran gave Wichita a 2-1 lead at 7:38, firing a long shot from the left side of the blue line that bounced low past Keserich. Tom Dignard re-tied the game with a power play goal at 14:59. Wichita was 1 for 7 on the power play while the Oilers went 3 for 5. Gelinas subbed for Delmas following Combs' goal in the second period. Wichita's 10-game home point streak came to and end. Wichita outshot the Oilers 37 to 27. Fans threw 795 teddy bears onto the ice following Gale's first period goal for the Thunder's annual Teddy Bear Toss. All bears will be donated to charity. The Thunder heads to Tulsa for a 7:05 p.m. match on Tuesday night. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at Wichita next plays at home on Friday, December 17th for a third straight game against the Oilers. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sun, 12 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1129.html#1337242472 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1129.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder beat the Fort Wayne Komets 5-1 at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Friday night. Bobby Hughes led the offense with two goals and two assists, while Daniel Tetrault scored the 100th goal of his professional career. The Thunder broke the game open with a three-goal second period. Leading 2-0, Hughes roofed a loose puck under the crossbar from between the hashmarks at 5:32. Tetrault deliverd a power play goal at 6:56 from the right side of the blue line for the milestone score. A.J. Gale made it 5-0 at 11:35, rifling a shot from the top of the right circle, chasing Komets' goaltender Nick Boucher from the game. Wichita jumped out to an early 2-0 lead during a highly-entertaining first period. Jesse Bennefield supplied the first goal of the night at 3:12, punching in a rebound to the left of Boucher. Hughes made it 2-0 with a wrist shot that Boucher clipped, but couldn't stop at 14:05. Following Hughes' goal, three fights took place in the span of 13 game seconds. Lance Galbraith, Robin Richards, and Ryan Hand all dropped the gloves in succession against Kaleigh Schrock, Olivier Legault, and Craig Cescon respectively. Chris Francis scored Fort Wayne's lone goal at 5:34 in the third. Marc-Antoined Gelinas picked up the win, saving 24 of 25. Wichita was 2 for 5 on the power play while Fort Wayne was 0 for 5. It was the fifth time in six games the Thunder scored five or more goals. Wichita has now collected at least one point at home in 10 straight games. Troy Schwab had three assists in the win. The Thunder hosts the Tulsa Oilers on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sat, 11 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1128.html#1337242473 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1128.html WICHITA, KS- Fans can meet their favorite Thunder players this Saturday at the Penalty Box, located at 7006 W. MacArthur Rd. The postgame party follows the Thunder's 7:05 p.m. match against the Tulsa Oilers and is just one of many promotions taking place this weekend. Friday is Ladies Night, presented by B-Tan Tanning Company, AMTRAK, and Channel 963. Several vendors geared toward women will be on hand in the INTRUST Bank Arena concourse, including B-Tan Tanning Company, Great Clips, Heritage College, Jacque, Inc., Mary Kay, Needles and Notions, and Scentsy Candles. The action begins at 7:05 p.m. when the Thunder hosts three-time defending IHL champion Fort Wayne. The Thunder's annual Teddy Bear Toss is on Saturday, courtesy of Bank of the West and KFDI. Fans are encouraged to throw their teddy bears onto the ice following the Thunder's first goal against Tulsa. All bears will be donated to charity. For tickets to this weekend's games, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Thu, 09 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1125.html#1337242474 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1125.html Thunder Takes Two of Three The Wichita Thunder earned two wins in three games last week while facing a bevy of tough opponents. The Thunder started the week with an 8-3 win versus defending champion Rapid City on Wednesday. Andrew Martens and Matt Robinson each scored a pair of goals. Robinson, Aaron Davis, and Jesse Bennefield all finished with four points. Troy Schwab had a goal and two assists. Marc-Antoine Gelinas saved 33 of 36 for the win. Wichita went 5 for 5 on penalty kill chances. The Thunder scored five second period goals, four in a span of 5:55, en route to an exciting 5-4 win versus conference-leading Colorado on Friday. The Eagles built a 3-1 lead midway through the second before A.J. Gale's goal on a two-man advantage sparked the Thunder's rally. Kory Scoran, Aaron Davis, and Jesse Bennefield all scored by the end of the frame to put Wichita in front. Marc-Antoine Gelinas saved eight of eight in the third period and 30 of 34 overall to earn the win. Scoran finished with two goals and three points. Wichita was 3 for 7 on the power play and ran their streak to eight consecutive games with at least one power play goal. Wichita's three-game winning streak came to an end Saturday when the Thunder lost 5-0 to the Mississippi RiverKings at the DeSoto Civic Center. Matt Summers scored a natural hat trick over the second and third periods, while Alexander Perchuskiy notched a 27-save shutout. It was the first time this season the Thunder had been shutout. Robin Richards picked up two fighting majors in the contest. Mac Closing in on 200 Wichita Thunder Head Coach Kevin McClelland is four wins shy of 200 in his professional coaching career. McClelland has an all-time record of 196-115-28 (.619) as a bench boss and has guided teams to the CHL playoffs each of the last four years. Home Cooking The Thunder is 7-2-2 this season at the INTRUST Bank Arena. After dropping their first two home contests, the Thunder has earned at least one point in nine straight home games. Wichita's seven wins and 16 points at home are both tied for second most in the CHL. Power Play Improvement Prior to Saturday, the Thunder had scored at least one power play goal in eight consecutive games in which they were 12 for 42 (28.6%). After a slow start to the season, Wichita's power play unit is 16 for 69 (23.2%) in its last 13 games and has risen to eighth overall in the league at 18.4%. Thunder on the Offensive Even after suffering a shutout at Mississippi on Saturday, the Thunder's offense ranks fifth in the league at 3.42 goals per game. From November 26th-December 3rd, the Thunder scored five or more goals in four straight games for the first time since March of 2005. Defense Limiting Chances The Thunder defense ranks fourth in the league, averaging just 29.32 shots allowed per game. Scoran Heating Up Thunder defenseman Kory Scoran ranks second in the league among blue liners with seven goals. Scoran's six power play goals are tied for first overall in the CHL. Bennefield and Davis Among Leagues Best Jesse Bennefield, who was recently named the Thunder's Old Chicago Player of the Month for November, is tied for sixth in the CHL with 26 points. Aaron Davis' 23 points are tied for 12th. Guarding the Crease Rookie goaltender Marc-Antoine Gelinas ranks sixth in the league with a 2.48 goals against average. Gelinas is 6-1-1 in eight games with the Thunder and has allowed three or fewer goals in seven of them. Kaunisto Impressive Rookie defenseman Steven Kaunisto is tied for the CHL lead among rookies in plus/minus at +9. Kaunisto's rating is also tied for second among CHL defesnemen. Roster Notes Center Matt Hubbauer and defenseman Jason Goulet are on the 30-Day IR. Marty Magers is on Goaltender IR. Andrew Martens was scratched from Saturday's game at Mississippi due to illness. Catch the Thunder All Season All 66 Thunder games are broadcast on either 93.5 FM KWME or 1550 AM KKLE. You can listen to each game on the internet at Emerson Biggin's West (located at 21st and Maize) is the Thunder's official watch party sponsor of all road games. Thunder food and drink specials will be offered throughout the season. Up Next The Thunder plays two games at home this week beginning with a Friday match versus three-time defending IHL champion Fort Wayne. The Tulsa Oilers vist the INTRUST Bank Arena on Saturday. Both games begin at 7:05 p.m. Friday is Ladies Night presented by B-Tan Tanning Company, Amtrak, and Channel 963. Saturday is the Thunder's annual Teddy Bear Toss, presented by Bank of the West and KFDI. Fans are encouraged to throw their teddy bears onto the ice after the Thunder scores their first goal. All bears will be donated to charity. Following Saturday's game, fans can meet their favorite Thunder players at the Penalty Box, located at 7006 W. MacArthur. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1124.html#1337242475 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1124.html SOUTHAVEN, MS- The Wichita Thunder lost 5-0 to the Mississippi RiverKings at the DeSoto Civic Center on Saturday night. RiverKings' winger Matt Summers scored a natural hat trick, while goaltender Alexander Pechurskiy worked a 27-save shutout. It was the first time this season the Thunder has been shutout. Leading 1-0, Summers scored a pair of second period goals separated by 1:50 that helped Mississippi carve out a 3-0 lead. Summers knocked in a backdoor pass from Lutz at 12:33 to convert a RiverKings' power play. At 14:13, Summers roofed a shot to the long side of the net that cleared over the left shoulder of Peter Delmas. Summers finished the hat trick in the third period, scoring from the slot at 12:26. R.G. Flath made it 5-0 RiverKings with a high snapshot at 16:35. Wichita had several quality scoring chances in the first two periods, outshooting Mississippi in both, but were continually denied by Pechurskiy. Patrik Levesque scored the first goal of the night at 1:33 in the first period. Levesque raced down the left side of the slot and tapped in a backdoor pass from the right corner from Nathan Lutz. Delmas took the loss, saving 18 of 23. Wichita was 0 for 7 on the power play while Mississippi was 1 for 4. Robin Richards had two fighting majors. Jesse Bennefield also had a fighting major for Wichita. The Thunder hosts the Fort Wayne Komets on December 10th at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sun, 05 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1123.html#1337242476 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1123.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder defeated the Colorado Eagles 5-4 at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Friday night. A string of four unanswered goals in a span of 5:55 highlighted a second period that saw Wichita overcome a 3-1 deficit. Down 1-0, Kory Scoran connected on a power play goal 38 seconds into the frame. Scoran battled for a loose puck just outside of the crease, beating Eagles' goaltender Andrew Penner to tie the game. Colorado took a 3-1 lead on scores from Aaron Schneekloth at 3:59 and Kip Workman at 7:31. Both came on battles in front of the Thunder crease. Braden Desmet took a boarding penalty at the 8:09 mark in the second that eventually led to the ejection of Eagles' Head Coach Chris Stewart and a full two minutes of five-on-three power play for the Thunder. At 9:00, A.J. Gale cleaned up his own rebound, beating Penner to his right and pull the Thunder within one. Scoran tied the game with his second goal of the night at 13:07, shooting from the bottom of the left faceoff circle. Jesse Bennefield gave the Thunder a 4-3 lead at 13:58, skating around a Colorado defender before cutting to the far side of the crease and beating Penner to his left. Bennefield set up a backdoor pass that was buried by Aaron Davis at 14:55 for Wichita's fourth consecutive goal. Schneekloth scored his second of the game at 15:48 during Colorado's first power play to cut the lead to 5-4. Wichita stepped up defensively in the third, blanking the Eagles on eight shots and turning aside a power play to preserve the win. The Eagles led after a high-flying, but low-scoring first period on a goal from Brett Thurston at 14:53. After Gelinas played the puck off the near half boards, Thurston grabbed it and shot into the vacated Thunder net. The teams battled throughout the first without taking a single penalty. Marc-Antoine Gelinas earned the win, saving 30 of 34. Penner took the loss, stopping 27 of 32. Wichita finished the game 3 for 7 on the power play and has scored a power play goal in eight straight games. The win extended the Thunder's streak to nine straight home games with at least one point. It was also the first time since March of 2005 that the Thunder scored five or more goals in four consecutive games. The start of the game was delayed 25 minutes. The Thunder travels to Mississippi on Saturday for a 7:05 p.m. match against the RiverKings. All the action can be heard locally on Oldies 93.5 KWME and Sports Radio 1550 KKLE, as well as worldwide at The Thunder returns home on December 10th when they host the Fort Wayne Komets at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sat, 04 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1122.html#1337242477 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1122.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder defeated the Rapid City Rush 8-3 at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Wednesday night. Andrew Martens and Matt Robinson each scored twice, while the Thunder scored five or more goals for a third consecutive game for the first time since December of 2008. The eight goals were the most in a single-game by the Thunder at the INTRUST Bank Arena. Already leading 2-1, the Thunder seized control of the game with a three-goal second period. Robinson battled a Rapid City defender one-on-one before taking a shot on goaltender Danny Battochio that created a rebound to the left of the crease. Robinson stayed with the play and slipped the loose puck behind Battochio at 6:18 to give Wichita a 3-1 advantage. Shortly after being released from the penalty box, Robin Richards scored from the left hashmark at 9:15 following a drop pass from Robinson. Martens connected on a one-timer from the right side of the slot at 17:21 to make it 5-1. The power play tally came against substitute goaltender Jimmy Spratt and followed a perfect pass from the left corner by Troy Schwab. The Thunder stretched its run to seven unanswered goals with a three-score third period that put the game away. Schwab raced with the puck down the right wing boards before cutting to the net and beating Spratt glove side at 9:18. Robinson picked up his second goal of the night at 9:39, ripping a shot from the left circle just under the top-left corner of the net. Fighting heavy pressure from behind, Aaron Davis scored the Thunder's eighth goal at 12:39 using a one-handed shot that snuck the puck past Spratt's left pad. The Rush added goals from Les Reaney and Vladimir Hartinger inside the final two minutes of regulation to pull within 8-3. Wichita scored the first goal of the night at 8:40 in the first. Martens' shot from the point was deflected by a Rush defender past Battochio's left skate. Rapid City tied the game at 9:31 on a goal from Scott Wray, but the Thunder regained the lead at 15:02 on Kory Scoran's power play goal. Marc-Antoine Gelinas earned the win, saving 33 of 36. Battochio absorbed the loss, saving 12 of 16. Wichita was 2 for 4 on the power play and has scored a power play goal in seven straight games. The Thunder has also collected at least one point in eight straight home contests. The Rush was 0 for 5 on the power play. The win also snapped a 10-game head-to-head losing streak against the Rush. The Thunder hosts the Colorado Eagles on Friday at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1120.html#1337242478 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1120.html Thunder Finishes Week Strong The Wichita Thunder went 1-1-1 last week, beginning with a 3-2 loss versus Mississippi on Wednesday that culminated in a 15-round shootout. Jesse Bennefield scored both Thunder goals while Marc-Antoine Gelinas was 23 of 25 in regulation and overtime. Both Aaron Davis and Bobby Hughes scored game-saving goals during the 15-round marathon before Louis Dumont netted the eventual game-winner for the RiverKings. Wichita fell 7-5 to the Colorado Eagles at the Budweiser Events Center on Friday. Wichita trailed by three goals on three different occasions, twice pulling within one. Colorado scored five power play goals in the win. Aaron Davis, Matt Robinson, and AJ Gale combined for three goals and were a collective +9. Mike Looby scored two points for Wichita. The Thunder bounced back against the Eagles with a 5-3 win at home on Saturday. Five different players accounted for Wichita's goals, while Marc-Antoine Gelinas saved 24 of 27 to earn the win. Jesse Bennefield and Travis Wight each contributed two points. Bennefield, Wight, Troy Schwab, and Bobby Hughes each finished +3. The win snapped a 10-game head-to-head losing streak against the Eagles. Tetrault Returns Thunder Captain Daniel Tetrault returned to action on Friday after missing seven games due to an injury. Tetrault had an assist and finished +2 in two games over the weekend. Robinson Scoring Left wing Matt Robinson has five goals and eight total points in seven games since joining the Thunder earlier this month. Robinson scored 31 goals in the ECHL last season between Johnstown and Stockton. Davis Staying Steady Center Aaron Davis has 11 points in his last 10 games and has at least one point in 11 of 16 games this season. Gelinas Strong Goaltender Marc-Antoine Gelinas is 4-1-1 with marks of 1.98 and .931 in six games since joining the Thunder. Gelinas has allowed three or fewer goals in all six of his starts and ranks third in the league with a 2.23 goals against average. Roster Notes Jason Goulet has been scratched the last five games with an injury. Center Matt Hubbauer and goaltender Peter Delmas are currently on the 10-Day IR. The Thunder signed enforcer Robin Richards last Wednesday. Richards led the CHL in fighting majors in 2007-08 while playing for the Tulsa Oilers. Hard-Working Thunder The Thunder continues to play consistent and disciplined defense. Wichita is averaging only 18.0 PIM per game, sixth fewest in the league. Wichita's 29.0 shots allowed per game are the fifth fewest. Up Next The Thunder is back in action Wednesday when they host the Rapid City Rush at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday is Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers Buy-In Night. Fans can stop by any Freddy's location in Wichita, Derby, or El Dorado to pick up complimentary upper level vouchers for the game with no purchase necessary! The Eagles return to Wichita on Friday, December 3rd at 7:05 p.m. Dignity Memorial and T-95 present Guaranteed Fight Night and Ozzy Osbourne's Birthday Bash. If there is no fighting major, everyone in attendance can receive a ticket to the December 10th game versus Fort Wayne for just 2. The week concludes Saturday with a road game at Mississippi. The 7:05 p.m. match can be heard locally on Oldies 93.5 KWME and Sports Radio 1550 KKLE as well as worldwide at For tickets to Wednesday and Friday's games, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Tue, 30 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1119.html#1337242479 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1119.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder defeated the Colorado Eagles 5-3 at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Saturday night. The win snapped the Thunder's five-game losing streak, as well as a 10-game head-to-head losing streak against the Eagles. Five different Thunder players scored in the win. Leading 3-1 heading into the final period, Bobby Hughes scored Wichita's third unanswered goal using a soft backhand shot to beat Eagles' goaltender Andrew Penner at 9:20. Colorado rallied for scores from Adam Hogg at 9:45 and Brett Thurston at 16:31 to pull within one, but Troy Schwab's breakaway goal at 18:18 finished the scoring for the night. Schwab raced after a long pass from Travis Wight that originated from the Thunder defensive zone and beat Penner with a wrister from the slot. After the Eagles tied the game at 1-1 on Kevin Ulanski's power play goal at 1:41 in the second, Wichita potted consecutive goals to take a 3-1 lead. Jesse Bennefield picked up Daniel Tetrault's headlong pass in the heart of the slot and beat Penner with a wristshot to his right at the 10:01 mark. Just over four minutes later, Matt Robinson grabbed an open puck above the right circle and ripped it under the crossbar for a power play goal. Wichita took a 1-0 lead at 6:27 in the first period on a goal from Chris Greene. Greene hit the back of the net with a shot behind Penner, who was caught in front of the crease after playing the puck. Marc-Antoine Gelinas earned the win, saving 24 of 27. Penner took the loss, saving 25 of 30. The victory was the Thunder's first against Penner who entered the contest 5-0-0 with lifetime marks of 1.29 and .944 against Wichita. The Thunder collected a point for a seventh consecutive home game. Each team was 1 for 3 on the power play. The Thunder hosts the Rapid City Rush on Wednesday, December 1st at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sun, 28 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1118.html#1337242480 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1118.html LOVELAND, CO- The Wichita Thunder lost 7-5 to the Colorado Eagles at the Budweiser Event Center on Friday night. Wichita faced three separate deficits of three goals and twice were able to pull within one, but Adam Hogg's empty net goal with 53 seconds left in regulation sealed the game. Down 5-2 heading into the third, Kory Scoran scored on a long line drive shot from the left point that sailed over the left shoulder of Eagles' goaltender Kyle Jones. After Kevin Ulanski scored his third goal of the game at 6:43 in the third, Aaron Davis redirected Steven Kaunisto's shot from the point past Jones at 10:25. Mike Looby completed a two-on-one chance set up by Jesse Bennefield at 15:21 to pull the Thunder within one. The Eagles powered their way to an early lead, scoring three times in the first period. Ulanski redirected Jason Beatty's shot from the point past the right of Marty Magers at 3:56. During a Colorado power play, Ulanski scored on a second rebound left near the right hash mark at 13:03 to make it 2-0. Hogg scored on an Eagles' two-man advantage at 15:08, tipping in a rebound from Braden Desmit. The Thunder climbed back into the game in the second, scoring twice within 2:25. A.J. Gale punched in a backdoor pass from Matt Robinson at 7:30 to get Wichita on the board. At 9:55, Robinson beat Eagles' Jones over the left shoulder with a snapshot from the edge of the left circle. Colorado re-extended its lead after Kory Scoran was charged with a five-minute major for boarding at 13:49. Kyle Peto connected on slapshot from the point at 15:44 while Matt Glasser beat Magers with a wristshot at 17:56 for the Eagles' second goal on the continuous power play. Robin Richards and Ryan Hand each picked up fighting majors at the end of the second period. Magers was 31 of 37 in the loss. Jones saved 32 of 37 in the win. Wichita was 2 for 6 on the power play while Colorado had five power play goals during five opportunities. Prior to the game, Wichita activated Daniel Tetrault from the 10-Day IR and waived Chris Moran. The Thunder returns home tomorrow night when they host the Eagles at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sat, 27 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1117.html#1337242481 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1117.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder lost 3-2 in a shootout to the Mississippi RiverKings at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Wednesday night. Louis Dumont beat Marc-Antoine Gelinas with a wrist shot in the shootout's 15th round to give Mississippi a 4-3 lead. RiverKings' goaltender Alexandre Pechurskiy then stopped Troy Schwab to finish the win. Twice, the Thunder scored when down to its final chance to extend the shootout. In the fifth round, Bobby Hughes tied it at 2-2 with a wrist shot past Pechurskiy. Aaron Davis delivered a similar clutch goal in round seven. Jesse Bennefield scored a pair of goals over the first two periods, helping Wichita build a 2-0 lead. With the Thunder on a power play in the first, Schwab made an outlet pass from center ice that Bennefield picked up along the right side of the RiverKings' blue line. Bennefield worked towards the net before ripping a low slapshot from the right circle that found its way under the pads of Pechurskiy at 8:18. At 4:49 in the second, Bennefield buried a perfect centering pass from Schwab to make it 2-0 Wichita. The RiverKings rattled off consecutive power play goals from Nathan Lutz at 10:15 and Matt Summers at 17:01 to tie the game. Lutz scored on a re-directed shot from the point that squeezed over the shoulder of Gelinas. Summers game-tying goal came on a rebound at the top of the crease. Gelinas was 24 of 26 in regulation and overtime in the loss. Pechurskiy earned the win, saving 28 of 30. The Thunder was 1 for 6 on the power play while Mississippi was 2 for 6. The Thunder plays at Colorado on Friday at 8:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at The Thunder hosts the Eagles on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Thu, 25 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1116.html#1337242482 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1116.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder holds its annual Toys for Tots promotion on Saturday, November 27th when they face the Colorado Eagles at 7:05 p.m. This year's event is presented by A-OK Pawn, Carrabba's, and T-95. Fans can receive buy-one, get-one-for-2 tickets by donating a new or unwrapped toy. The Thunder office will be closed on Friday and Saturday. Wichita hosts the Mississippi RiverKings tonight at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Wed, 24 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1114.html#1337242483 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1114.html Thunder Drops Two on Road The Wichita Thunder suffered two road losses last week, beginning with a 6-2 setback on Thursday against the Odessa Jackalopes. The Thunder trailed just 3-2 heading into the third, but Odessa scored three times in the final period to close out the game. Troy Schwab and Lance Galbraith had the Wichita goals. Peter Delmas took the loss, saving 22 of 28. Wichita took just four penalty minutes in the contest. Wichita lost 4-1 to the Allen Americans on Friday night in Allen, TX. Allen outscored the Thunder 3-1 in the first period and iced the game with an empty net goal late in the third. Kory Scoran accounted for Wichita's lone goal. Marc-Antoine Gelinas was strong in net, saving 31 of 34 in the loss. Team Defense The Thunder is second in the CHL in fewest shots against per game at 28.7. Wichita is also fifth in the league on the penalty kill at 85.2. The Thunder has also shown great discipline this season, averaging just 18.2 PIM per game, fourth fewest in the league. Taking Chances The Thunder has outshot its opponent in 10 of 13 games this year with a total margin of 403 to 373. Gelinas Emerging 21-year old goaltender Marc-Antoine Gelinas ranks fourth in the league with a 2.17 goals against average in six games while posting a .924 save percentage. Gelinas had a personal four-game winning streak snapped on Friday in a tough loss at Allen. The true rookie has allowed three or fewer goals in all four of his starts in a Thunder sweater and owns one of only seven shutouts in the entire CHL this season. League Leaders Jesse Bennefield is tied for 11th in the CHL with 17 points. Steven Kaunisto ranks third in plus/minus at +11. Jason Goulet is tied for third with six fighting majors. Marc-Antoine Gelinas is fourth in goals against average at 2.17. League Parity The Thunder enters the week tied for seventh place in the Turner Conference with 13 points. The top eight teams in the former CHL North are separated by just six points. Wichita has its first chance against Conference-leader Colorado this weekend with a home-and-home series Friday and Saturday. Injury Update Defenseman Jason Goulet has been scratched each of the last two games with an injury and is out indefinitely. Defenseman Daniel Tetrault and center Matt Hubbauer are on the 10-Day IR. Up Next The Thunder plays three games in four nights this week. Wichita returns home Wednesday to host the Mississippi RiverKings at 7:05 p.m. The first 5,000 fans into the INTRUST Bank Arena receive a Hockey Bingo card with great prizes awarded throughout the night for specific bingo combinations. Students can also receive 10 Yellow and Green level seating by showing their student ID, courtesy of America's Pub. The Thunder plays at Colorado on Friday with an 8:05 p.m. start. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at The week concludes when the Eagles make their first visit to Wichita on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. A-OK Pawn, Carrabba's, and T-95 present Toys for Tots. Fans can receive buy-one, get-one-for-2 tickets in the Blue, Yellow, and Green levels by bringing a new or unwrapped toy to the Thunder office at 505 W. Maple St. For tickets to this week's games, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1110.html#1337242484 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1110.html ALLEN, TX- The Wichita Thunder lost 4-1 to the Allen Americans at the Allen Event Center on Friday night. Allen utilized three goals in the first to build a lead that the Thunder could not overcome. Colton Yellow opened the scoring with a power play goal at 11:05 in the first period. Bruce Graham passed to Yellow Horn who was a few steps in front of the blue line and connected past Marc-Antoine Gelinas for the early lead. An open Graham collected a loose puck just to the left of Gelinas at 13:22 and scored on a high backhander. Later in the first, Steven Kaunisto pulled the Thunder within one, driving in a rebound on a power play at 16:57. Matt Robinson's initial shot was denied by Americans' goaltender Chris Whitley before Kaunisto finished the play from the low slot. Allen re-extended its lead 1:22 later when Judd Blackwater scored on a wrist shot from the left hash mark following an outlet pass from Graham. In the final minutes of the second period, Andrew Martens took Wichita's first penalty shot of the season. Martens was stopped by Whitley who smothered the puck with his right pad as it approached the goal line. David Strathman sealed the game with an empty net goal at 18:49 in the third. Gelinas was strong again for the Thunder, saving 32 of 35 in his first Thunder loss. Whitley earned the win saving 27 of 28. Each team was 1 for 6 on the power play. The Thunder hosts the Mississippi RiverKings on Wednesday, November 24th at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sat, 20 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1109.html#1337242485 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1109.html ODESSA, TX- The Wichita Thunder lost 6-2 to the Odessa Jackalopes at the Ector County Coliseum on Thursday night. Leading 3-2, Odessa scored three times in the third period to take control of the game. Mike Ramsay scored twice in the period, including a goal 11 seconds into the frame to give Odessa a 4-2 advantage. After Sebastien Thinel scored his second of the night at 12:07, Ramsay found the back of the net again at 13:25 for the game's final goal. The teams traded goals during a fast-paced second. Lance Galbraith crashed towards the right side of Jackalopes' goaltender Joel Martin and tied the game at 4:00, helped by a rebound created by Chris Moran. The Jackalopes regained the lead at 11:23 when referee Geoff Miller ruled Jeff Pierce's shot had crossed the goal line. Pierce hit the crossbar where the puck bounced straight down and then out of the crease. 43 seconds later, Sebastien Thinel ripped a shot over Peter Delmas's right shoulder to convert a two-on-one opporunity to make it 3-1. Troy Schwab scored on the power play at 16:17 in the second to bring Wichita back within one. Schwab took a soft shot from the right circle that trickled under Martin's pads thanks to heavy traffic in front of the net led by Ryan Hand. The Jackalopes took a 1-0 lead 2:19 into the game when Darryl Bootland knocked in a rebound from David Brown. Delmas was 22 of 28 in the loss. Martin saved 30 of 32 in the win. Wichita was 1 for 5 on the power play while going 2 for 2 on the penalty kill. The six goals allowed by the Thunder were a season-high. Wichita plays at Allen tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at The Thunder returns home on Wednesday, November 24th when they host the Mississippi RiverKings at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Fri, 19 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1108.html#1337242486 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1108.html Thunder Splits Weekend The Wichita Thunder went 1-0-1 last weekend, beginning with an exciting 3-2 win versus Missouri on Friday night. Tied at 2-2 in the third, Aaron Davis supplied the game-winning goal with just 1:41 left in regulation. Marc-Antoine Gelinas was strong in net, saving 32 of 34 to earn his fourth consecutive win. A.J. Gale and newcomer Matt Robinson also had scores for the Thunder. The victory was the Thunder's sixth in a row. Wichita fell 3-2 in a shootout at home to the Bloomington Prairie Thunder on Saturday night. 20-year old netminder Peter Delmas saved 33 of 35 in regulation and overtime, and then four of five in the shootout while taking the tough loss. Matt Robinson potted two more goals, both coming in the second period in a span of 44 seconds. Close Calls Nine of the Thunder's 10 games this season have been decided by either one or two goals (six one-goal, three two-goal). Two of the three two-goal contests included an empty netter. Steady Defense The Thunder is tied for fourth in the CHL in goals against per game at 2.73. Wichita's 28.2 shots against per game ranks second. The Thunder has allowed three or fewer goals in seven of 10 games this season. Wichita has yielded more than 30 shots in just two games. Goaltenders Shining Marc-Antoine Gelinas is third in the CHL with a 2.00 goals against average and tied for fifth with a .927 save percentage. Marty Magers ranks seventh at 2.48. Rookie Peter Delmas saved 33 of 35 in his Thunder debut last Saturday during a shootout loss versus Bloomington. The trio has appeared in eight total games for Wichita, allowing three or fewer goals in all of them. Bennefield Staying Hot Right wing Jesse Bennefield is tied for seventh in the CHL with 16 points. Bennefield is riding an eight-game point streak (5 G, 9 A). Point Producers Aaron Davis and Bobby Hughes each have three-game point streaks. Davis has eight points in his last six contests, while Hughes has eight points in his last eight. Troy Schwab had a six-game streak snapped on Saturday. Kaunisto Among League Leaders Defenseman Steven Kaunisto is tied for second in the league with a +12 rating. Kaunisto has finished in the 'minus' in just one game this year. Roster Notes Center Matt Hubbauer and defenseman Daniel Tetrault are on the 10-Day IR. Up Next The Thunder plays two on the road this week. Wichita heads to Odessa for the first time in three seasons on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. Friday, the Thunder visits the Allen Americans at 7:30 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at Wichita is back at home on Wednesday, November 24th when they host the Mississippi RiverKings. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Tue, 16 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1107.html#1337242487 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1107.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder lost 3-2 in a shootout to the Bloomington Prairie Thunder at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Saturday night. John Snowden scored the shootout's lone goal, shooting past the left of Peter Delmas on Bloomington's first attempt. Bloomington goaltender Brad Phillips, who subbed for an injured Marco Emond early in the first period, stopped all five shots as well as 30 of 32 in regulation and overtime for the win. Delmas was also strong in his Thunder debut, stopping 33 of 35 in regulation and overtime. Bloomington took a 1-0 lead at 11:54 in the first on a goal from Anthony Ciraulo. Brent Holmberg skated through the left faceoff circle and made a last-second pass to Ciraulo who scored to the left of Delmas. Matt Robinson potted two goals in a span of 44 seconds to give Wichita a 2-1 lead in the second. Jesse Bennefield made a backhand pass across the low-slot where Robinson scored over Phillips' right shoulder at 8:17 to make it 1-1. Robinson's second came from the opposite side of the crease after Bennefield worked the puck around the right post before making another perfect pass. Wichita's 40 shots were a new season-high. The Thunder was 1 for 5 on the power play while going 5 for 5 on the penalty kill. The Thunder plays at Odessa on Thursday, November 18th. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at The thunder returns home on Wednesday, November 24th when they host the Mississippi RiverKings. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sun, 14 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1106.html#1337242488 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1106.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder won their sixth consecutive game with a 3-2 win over the Missouri Mavericks at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Friday night. Aaron Davis snapped a 2-2 tie with 1:41 left in regulation to provide the decisive goal. Jesse Bennefield lofted a high shot off the glass that created a rebound to the left of Mavericks' goaltender Gerry Festa. Davis took the rebound and backhanded it past Festa's right skate. A.J. Gale gave Wichita its first lead of the night just 27 seconds into the second frame. Gale received a pass from Bobby Hughes and scored deep in the slot to make it 2-1. Missouri evened the game at the 7:41 mark on a goal from Walker Wintoneak. Wintoneak reached for his own rebound and shot it past the right of Marc-Antoine Gelinas. Newcomer Matt Robinson scored in his Thunder debut, tying the game at 1-1 at 13:19 in the first period. Robinson carried the puck from his own end into the right faceoff circle of the offensive zone before ripping a shot over Festa's right shoulder. Simon Watson gave Missouri a 1-0 lead with a power play goal 2:20 into the game. Gelinas saved 32 of 34 to earn the win, including a series of big saves in the latter part of the second. Festa saved 16 of 19 in the loss. Wichita was 0 for 2 on the power play while Missouri was 1 for 3. Wichita hosts the Bloomington Prairie Thunder on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sat, 13 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1104.html#1337242489 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1104.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder signed goaltender Peter Delmas to a five-game contract on Tuesday. Delmas (pronounced DELL-mah) appeared in two AHL games this season with the Hamilton Bulldogs, saving 56 of a combined 60 shots (.933). On October 29th, the Bedford, Nova Scotia native earned his first professional victory, saving 32 of 33 versus Toronto. Delmas also appeared in two games at the Major Junior level this season for the QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads. Delmas is a former second round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2008. In four-plus seasons in the QMJHL, the 20-year old netminder was 69-66-5 with a 3.27 goals against average and an .890 save percentage. The 6-foot-2, 188-pound Delmas proved durable in his junior career, appearing in at least 34 games in each of his four full seasons. Delmas is being assigned by Hamilton. The Thunder also waived forward Chris Falloon. The Thunder hosts the Missouri Mavericks on Friday at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Wed, 10 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1102.html#1337242490 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1102.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder has acquired left wing Matt Robinson from the Laredo Bucks in exchange for future considerations. Robinson appeared in eight games this season for the Bucks, scoring one goal and five asssits. The fifth-year professional ranked 13th in the ECHL last year with 31 goals, while totaling 64 points in 63 games between Stockton and Johnstown. The South Surrey, British Columbia native has 75 goals and 150 points in 202 career professional games with a +29 rating. Robinson spent the first four years of his career at the ECHL level, beginning with a 21-goal campaign as a rookie for the Alaska Aces in 2006-07. The 6-foot-1, 186-pound Robinson returned to Alaska the following year and scored another 19 goals with 18 assists in 58 games. The 25-year old left wing played three seasons of juniors, including two at the Major Junior level in the WHL from 2004-2006. Robinson scored 79 goals and 150 total points in 174 career junior games. The Thunder hosts the Missouri Mavericks on Friday at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1101.html#1337242491 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1101.html Thunder Win Streak Hits Five The Wichita Thunder went 2-0-0 last weekend beginning with a 4-2 win versus Arizona on Friday. A three-goal third period helped the Thunder take control of the game, highlighted by goals from Kory Scoran, Lance Galbraith, and Chris Falloon. A.J. Gale gave Wichita an early 1-0 lead in the first. Marc-Antoine Gelinas improved to 2-0-0 with the Thunder, saving 25 of 27. Arizona's Doug Groenestege took the loss who came into Friday with a 12-0-0 lifetime record against the Thunder. The win marked the Thunder's first four-game winning streak since the end of the 2005-06 season. The Thunder made it five straight wins on Saturday, winning a dramatic 4-3 contest in overtime at Missouri. Jesse Bennefield tied the game at 3-3 with 16.3 seconds left in regulation, while Andrew Martens knocked in the game-winner as time expired in the bonus frame. Martens and Bennefield each had three points. Marty Magers was 23 of 26 in the win. It was the Thunder's first win against the Mavericks who entered Saturday 11-0-0 all-time against Wichita. Offense Ranking High The Thunder is fifth in the CHL in goals for per game at 3.56. Team Defense The Thunder continues to lead the CHL in fewest shots against per game at 26.67. Wichtia is also fourth in the league in fewest goals against per game at 2.78. Dynamic Duo The Thunder has received strong goaltending from its current pair of Marty Magers and Marc-Antoine Gelinas who are a combined 5-1-0 in a Wichita sweater. Gelinas is fourth in the league with a 2.01 goals against average while Magers is eighth at 2.48. Both tenders have save percentages well over .900. Rookie Pacing League Rookie defenseman Steven Kaunisto leads the league in plus/minus at +11. Kaunisto and Chris Moran are also tied for fourth among rookies with six points. Bennefield Dominating Right wing Jesse Bennefield ranks tied for fifth in the league in both goals (6) and points (13). Bennefield also leads the league with 50 total shots on goal. Heavyweight Goulet Defenseman Jason Goulet ranks second in the league with six fighting majors. Thunder Streaks Jesse Bennefield is riding a six-game point streak with a total of 11 points (5 G, 6 A). Troy Schwab has collected a point in five straight games. Young stars Chris Moran and A.J. Gale had five-game point streaks snapped on Saturday at Missouri. Up Next The Thunder plays two at home this weekend, hosting the Mavericks on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. Channel 963 presents the Thunder's first annual College Fair. High School students are encouraged to attend the event which will feature a variety of colleges from the Wichita and surrounding state areas. The Thunder plays its inaugural game versus the Bloomington Prairie Thunder on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. ATT Real Yellow Pages, Freddy's Frozen Custard Steakburgers, and Classic Hits 103.7 KEYN present Salute to Service Night. Special game-worn camoflauge sweaters will be auctioned off following the game. Fans can meet their favorite players following the game at Applebee's located at Maple and Ridge. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Mon, 08 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1100.html#1337242492 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1100.html INDEPENDENCE, MO- The Wichita Thunder stunned the Missouri Mavericks with a 4-3 overtime win at the Independence Events Center on Saturday Night. The Thunder tied the game with 16.3 seconds left in regulation and won with less than four seconds left in overtime to capture their fifth consecutive victory and first ever against the Mavericks. At 5-4-0, the Thunder's win percentage is over .500 for the first time since March 7th, 2007. The Thunder also has more wins than total losses mid-season for the first time since November 16th, 2006. With an extra attacker in the closing minute of the game, Lance Galbraith made a backdoor pass from behind Missouri's net to Jesse Bennefield, who buried the puck to tie the game. In the final seconds of the overtime period, Troy Schwab carried the puck down the right wing boards before making a last second pass to Andrew Martens who crashed the net and forced the puck past Mavericks' goaltender Rob Nolan for the win. Missouri seized control of the game in the third with two goals, erasing a 2-1 Thunder lead. Mike Berry tied it at 2-2 just 27 seconds in with a power play goal. Nick Sirota made it 3-2 at 10:48 with a low shot to the left of Marty Magers. With the Thunder trailing 1-0 in the first, Mike Looby tied the game with a power play goal at 12:46. Looby worked down the right side of the offensive zone before taking a feed from Aaron Davis that he used to beat Nolan from point-blank range. The Thunder used a five-on-three power play goal from Martens at 17:01 to take their first lead of the game. With the Thunder collpasing on the Mavericks' net, Martens ripped a shot from the top of the right circle that deflected off of Nolan before crossing the goal line. Magers earned the win, his third in a row, saving 23 of 26 in regulation and overtime. Nolan took the loss saving 26 of 30. Wichita was 2 for 7 on the power play while Missouri was 1 for 3. The Thunder returns home Friday to host the Mavericks at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sun, 07 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1099.html#1337242493 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1099.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder won their fourth consecutive game, beating the Arizona Sundogs 4-2 at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Friday night. The Thunder used a three-goal third period to win their fourth straight game for the first time since the end of the 2005-06 season while also earning their first win against Sundogs' goaltender Doug Groenestege who entered Friday with a 12-0-0 record versus Wichita. Kory Scoran snapped a 1-1 tie at 9:22 on a five-on-three power play, ripping a shot from the point that Groenestege deflected but could not stop from reaching the back of the net. Just over a minute later, Lance Galbraith used a crafty wrap around move from the left post to give the Thunder a 3-1 advantage. After Tyler Butler's goal at 12:06 narrowed the score to 3-2, Chris Falloon re-extended Wichita's lead by banging in a loose rebound to Groenestege's left. Falloon had a goal waved off on a similar play in the second period. Wichita took a 1-0 lead at the 7:25 mark in the first. Chris Greene passed from the blue line to the slot where Troy Schwab made a last-second feed to A.J. Gale on the left side of the crease. Gale finished the goal with a low shot past Groenestege's glove side. Jason Williams tied the game at 7:42 in the second with a wrist shot from inside the right circle that deflected off of Marc-Antoine Gelinas and into the net. Marc-Antoine Gelinas earned his second consecutive win, saving 25 of 27. Groenestege stopped 33 of 37 in the loss. Each team was 1 for 7 on the power play. Jason Goulet and Lance Galbraith each had fighting majors. Greene had three assists and finished +3. The Thunder plays at Missouri tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at The Thunder returns home Friday November 12th when they host the Mavericks. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sat, 06 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1098.html#1337242494 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1098.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder made twoplayer movesThursday morning, signing defenseman Mike Looby and releasing goaltender Ian Keserich. Looby (pronounced LOO-bee) scored nine goals and29 total points for the Laredo Bucks last season. As a true rookie, the Brampton, Ontario native was also a member of the Bucks' 2006 President's Cup championship team. The 6-foot, 197-pound Looby has 99 points in 258 career games and attended training camp with the ECHL's Gwinnett Gladiators last month. Looby enters his sixth season of professional hockey and fifth in the CHL. Keserich, one of two remaining players from last year's team, was 0-3-0 with a 4.03 goals against average and an .840 save percentage. There's some other teams out there in need of goaltending right now, said Thunder Head Coach Kevin McClelland. I'm all about helping these guys find jobs, and with three good goaltenders on our team, I felt this move gives Ian a fair chance to continue his career. The Thunder also placed defenseman and team captain Daniel Tetrault on the 10-Day IR. The Thunder hosts the Arizona Sundogs Friday night at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Fri, 05 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1097.html#1337242495 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1097.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder has suffered the loss of former defenseman Connor MacDonald, whose life was taken in a traffic accident last weekend. MacDonad was struck by a vehicle early Sunday morning in Florida's Volusia County where he had been studying motorcycle mechanics. MacDonald was originally from the Canadien province of Prince Edward Island. This is a very sad moment for everyone who had the chance to know Connor, said Thunder General Manager Joel Lomurno. Connor was a hard worker and quality human being both on and off the ice. The Thunder family extends its condolences to Connor's family. A gritty defenseman, MacDonald played four seasons of professional hockey, including two for the Thunder from 2008-2009 and passes at the age of 25. -Thunder- Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1096.html#1337242496 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1096.html WICHITA, KS- Wichita Thunder defenseman Steven Kaunisto has been named the Oakley CHL Player of the Week. Kaunisto (pronounced kuh-NEESE-toh) scored a goal and assisted on three others in three games last weekend in which the Thunder was 3-0-0. The 24-year old blue liner was also a staggering +10, including a +5 finish on Sunday during the Thunder's 8-0 shutout at Tulsa. A native of Sault Ste. Marie, MI, Kaunisto has five points in five games this season and currently leads the CHL in plus/minus. Kaunisto played four seasons of college hockey at Lake Superior State University from 2006-2010, scoring 59 points in 154 games. During his sophomore and junior seasons with the Lakers, Kaunisto was a teammate of current Thunder forward Troy Schwab. The Thunder hosts the Arizona Sundogs on Friday at 7:05 p.m. The first 1,000 fans through the gates receive a free keychain schedule, courtesy of Hajoca. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Wed, 03 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1095.html#1337242497 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1095.html Thunder Sweeps Six-Point Weekend The Wichita Thunder went 3-0-0 last weekend beginning with a 4-3 win versus Rio Grande Valley on Friday. After falling in an early 2-0 hole, the Thunder rattled off four unanswered goals to take control of the game. Troy Schwab scored twice while Bobby Hughes collected two assists. Marty Magers starred in net, saving 27 of 30 to secure the Thunder's first win of the season. The Thunder used a quick start of their own in a 4-2 win versus Tulsa on Saturday night. A.J. Gale and Steven Kaunisto both scored in the opening period. The Oilers scored single goals in the second and third periods to tie the game, but Chris Falloon gave Wichita a permanent lead with 11:54 left in regulation. Aaron Davis tacked on an empty net goal at 19:51 to seal the game. Magers stopped 26 of 28 to earn the win. It was the first time since January 23rd and 24th of 2009 the Thunder had won consecutive home games. Wichita punctuated the weekend with an 8-0 shutout at Tulsa on Sunday afternoon. Seven different Thunder players scored, including Chris Moran who potted the first two goals of his professional career. Rookie netminder Marc-Antoine Gelinas worked a 27-save shutout in his Thunder debut and third overall professional game. Steven Kaunisto had a goal and two assists and finished +5. Aaron Davis enjoyed a four-point game while finishing +4. Eight other Thunder skaters were +3. Chris Falloon, Jesse Bennefield, Troy Schwab, and Kory Scoran each had three points. Offensive Thunder Prior to last weekend, the Thunder had not scored 16 goals in a three-game stretch since February 25th-March 1st of 2006 when they scored 17. The last time the Thunder scored 16 goals within a three-night stretch was January 27th-29th of that same year. The Thunder's eight goals on Sunday were the most in a single game for Wichita since December 8th, 2006. Strong Defense The Thunder leads the CHL in shots against per game at 26.7. Wichita is averaging just 2.86 goals against per game which ranks seventh. Covering the Pipes Wichita's defense has been complemented by strong goaltending. The Thunder features two goaltenders who rank in the top-10 in goals against average. Marc-Antoine Gelinas is sixth at 2.01 with a record of 2-1-0 and a .917 save percentage. Marty Magers is 2-1-0 with lines of 2.36 (8th) and .917. Gelinas played in two games for the Odessa Jackalopes earlier this season and became the first Thunder goaltender to post a shutout in his Wichita debut since Jamie Vandespyker on October 22nd, 2004. Rookie Kaunisto Standing Out Rookie defenseman Steven Kaunisto had a goal and three assists in three games last weekend while finishing +10. The Sault Ste. Marie, MI native currently leads the CHL in +/-. Other Youth Producing In addition to the success of Gelinas and Kaunisto, several other young players are providing plenty of offense. Chris Moran, who notched the first goals of his pro career on Sunday, ranks third among CHL rookies with five points. Second-year forwards Troy Schwab and A.J. Gale have combined for five goals and 11 points in 12 total games played. 22-year old Bobby Hughes has seven points in seven games. Linemates Staying Steady Veteran forwards Aaron Davis and Jesse Bennefield continue to pace the Thunder offense. Each has nine points. Bennefield leads the team with five goals. Falloon Star Left wing Chris Falloon is tied for third place among CHL three star leaders. Falloon has three goals and three assists in seven games. Going for Four On Friday versus Arizona, the Thunder will try for their first four-game winning streak since a seven-game run that included the final five games of 2005-06 and the first two games of 2006-07. The Thunder has had seven different three-game winning streaks since. Roster Notes Center Matt Huabbauer is on the 10-Day IR. Left wing Brent Cullaton is on the Suspended List. Follow the Thunder All Season Long You can catch all 66 Thunder regular season games on the air at either 93.5 FM KWME or 1550 AM KKLE. Live streaming of each game is available at All road games will also be shown via CHL-TV at Emerson Biggins West, located at 21st and Maize. Up Next The Thunder returns to action Friday at 7:05 p.m. when they host the Arizona Sundogs. The first 1,000 fans through the gates receive the Thunder's first ever keychain schedule, courtesy of Hajoca. Wichita visits Missouri on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. For tickets to Friday's contest, call the INTRUST Bank Arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Tue, 02 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1093.html#1337242498 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1093.html TULSA, OK- The Wichita Thunder whitewashed the Tulsa Oilers 8-0 at the BOK Center on Sunday afternoon. Chris Moran scored the first two goals of his professional career while 21-year old goaltender Marc-Antoine Gelinas completed a 27-save shutout in his Thunder debut. The eight goals were the most by the Thunder since December 8th, 2006. For a second straight game, the Thunder built a two-goal lead in the first period. At 2:55, Chris Schwab knocked a second rebound past the right of Oilers' goaltender Tyler Sims for the early Thunder advantage. The opportunity came after both A.J. Gale and Bobby Hughes had taken shots from close range. Just over a minute later, Chris Falloon slipped another puck past Sims' right to make it 2-0 at the 4:04 mark. In the closing minutes of the first period, and with Tulsa threatening on a power play, Gelinas made a spectacular save against Tulsa's Jack Combs to keep the Oilers off the board. Combs ripped a shot towards an open left side of the net when Gelinas, who was positioned on the right side of the crease, dove in the opposite direction to smother the puck. The Thunder broke the game open for good with a six-goal second period, highlighted by a pair of scores from Moran. After Aaron Davis gave Wichita a 3-0 lead at 2:02, Moran netted the first of his career at 3:29 later. Moran also potted Wichita's final goal of the game at 15:28 in the second, outhustling an Oilers' defender to a loose puck. In between Moran's goals, Kory Scoran, A.J. Gale, and Jesse Bennefield all found the back of the net. The shutout was the first by the Thunder since February 21st, 2010. Wichita outshot Tulsa 28 to 27 for the game. Wichita was 1 for 5 on the power play (Scoran) and 3 for 3 in penalty kill chances. Wichita returns home on Friday when they host the Arizona Sundogs at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1092.html#1337242499 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1092.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder defeated the Tulsa Oilers 4-2 at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Saturday night. Chris Falloon broke a 2-2 tie at the 8:06 mark in the third period. Daniel Tetrault's shot from just outside the crease created a rebound at the bottom of the slot that Falloon banged in for the eventual game-winner. Aaron Davis put the game away with an empty net goal with just under nine seconds left in the game. The Oilers slowly overcame an early 2-0 deficit that the Thunder built in the first period. Gordon Bell trimmed Wichita's lead to 2-1 with a shorthanded goal at 13:32 in the second. Bell finished off an Oilers' odd-man rush that started with a loose puck along their own blue line. Michel Beausolei knocked in a loose puck past the left of Marty Magers at 6:05 in the third to tie the game. A.J. Gale gave the Thunder a 1-0 lead at 7:48 in the first. Troy Schwab battled for a loose puck behind Tulsa's net, setting up Gale's close-range backhander over the shoulder of Oilers' goaltender Tyler Sims. Steven Kaunisto made it 2-0 at 11:20 in the first on a long shot above the right faceoff circle. Kaunisto finished the night with two points and is +5 over the last two games. Magers piloted the win, Wichita's second straight, saving 26 of 28. Magers is 53 of 50 over the last two games. Sims absorbed the loss, saving 14 of 17. The Thunder was 0 for 4 on the power play while going 6 for 6 in penalty kill chances. The Thunder plays at Tulsa on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally at 1550 KKLE and 93.5 KWME, and worldwide at The Thunder returns home on Friday, November 5th when they host the Arizona Sundogs. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sun, 31 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1090.html#1337242500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1090.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder earned their first win of the season, defeating the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees 4-3 at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Friday night. The Thunder rattled off four unanswered goals, all at even strength, to overcome an early 2-0 deficit. After Bobby Hughes' blocked pass trickled into the slot, Troy Schwab buried the deserted puck over the shoulder of Bees' goaltender Dan Rosen at 13:31 in the first to make it 2-1. Jesse Bennefield tied the game just 14 seconds into the second period. Bennefield collected a loose puck off the end boards before wrapping around the right post and forcing the puck past Rosen. The Thunder took its first lead of the night 1:35 when Schwab again scored from the slot on a pass from Hughes. Later in the period, a Rio Grande Valley turnover allowed Chris Moran to chip the puck from the blue line to the the crease where Lance Galbraith used a backhander to make it 4-3 Thunder at the 9:50 mark. The Thunder defense limited the Bees to eight shots in the third period and staved an extra attacker situation in the final 38 seconds. The Bees took an early 2-0 lead behind a pair of goals from former Thunder winger Tomas Klempa. Sustained offensive pressure early in the game helped Klempa score on a loose puck to the left of Marty Magers at 2:37 in the first period. Klempa later scored on a snapshot from the right hash mark at 6:45 during a five-on-three Killer Bees' power play. Magers earned the win, saving 27 of 30. Rosen saved 33 of 37 in the loss. Wichita was 0 for 5 on the power play while going 4 for 5 in penalty kill chances. Wichita has outshot its opponent in all five games this season The Thunder hosts the Tulsa Oilers on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sat, 30 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1088.html#1337242501 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1088.html The Wichita Thunder is holding a costume contest during their game on Saturday, October 30th versus Tulsa. Come dress as your favorite movie character, superhero, or even a Thunder player! Prizes will be awarded in various categories and all youth participants receive a free goody bag at the door. Kids can also enjoy special Halloween poster board coloring at the Fan Reltaions table. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1087.html#1337242502 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1087.html WICHITA, KS- Wichita Thunder defenseman Daniel Tetrault recently spoke with fans in the Central Hockey League's first player chat of 2010-11. Fans can learn about 'Testsy's' favorite meal, most embarrassing hockey moment, and more. The entire chat can be found at Tetrault returns to the Thunder this season after two all-star years with the IHL's Port Huron IceHawks. The 11-year veteran starred for the Thunder from 2005-2008 and is one goal shy of 100 for his career. The Thunder is back in action Friday when they host the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Wed, 27 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1086.html#1337242503 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1086.html Thunder Edged Twice The Wichita Thunder lost a pair of tight battles last weekend, beginning with a 2-1 setback against the Missouri Mavericks on Friday at the Independence Events Center. Marty Magers made his Thunder debut, saving 24 of 26 in the loss. Gerry Festa stopped 35 of 36 to earn the win for Missouri. Steven Kaunisto accounted for the Thunder's lone goal. Kaunisto, Troy Schwab, and Chris Moran were all playing in their first game for the Thunder as well. A.J. Gale, Jason Goulet, and Ryan Hand all had fighting majors. The Thunder lost 5-3 to the Allen Americans at the INTRUST Bank Arena the following night. Nino Musitelli scored the go-ahead goal with under two minutes left in regulation before Colton Yellow Horn's empty netter with two seconds left put the game away. Jesse Bennefield scored two power play goals, helping the Thunder snap an 0 for 16 streak on the man advantage. Wichita's penalty kill unit silenced all four of Allen's power plays. The Thunder outshot the Americans 34 to 28. Ian Keserich took the loss, saving 23 of 27. Bennefield, Davis Leading Offense Linemates Jesse Bennefield and Aaron Davis each have four points in four games to lead the Thunder. Thunder Generating, Limiting Opportunities The Thunder has outshot their opponent in each of their first four contests, and currently ranks fourth in the CHL with 33.3 shots for per game. Defensively, Wichita leads the league in fewest shots against per game at 25.5 and has not allowed more than 28 shots in any game. The last time the Thunder outshot its opponents in four consecutive games since February 16th-22nd of 2006. Rough and Tumble Thunder Wichita ranks tied for third in the CHL with six fighting majors. Ryan Hand and Jason Goulet rank fourth and fifth respectively in penalty minutes among CHL defensemen. Former Teammates While there are only two players left from last years club, a number of current Thunder players have been teammates in recent history. Marty Magers and Aaron Davis played together last season in Tulsa. Magers was also a teammate of Brent Cullaton with the Rocky Mountain Rage in 2008-09. Kory Scoran, Travis Wight, and Lance Galbraith all won an ECHL championship with Idaho in 2006-07 under former Thunder Head Coach Derek Laxdall. Newcomer Troy Schwab was a college teammate of both Scoran and Steven Kaunisto at Lake Superior State University. Davis and Ian Keserich played together under Kevin McClelland in 2007-08 with Mississippi. Daniel Tetrault and Chris Greene are reunited after playing for the Thunder in 2007-08. Jason Goulet and Ryan Hand were members of the original Rapid City Rush team in 2008-09. Roster Notes Center Matt Hubbauer and rookie defenseman Peter Stevens are currently on the 10-Day IR. Left wing Brent Cullaton is on the suspended list. Follow the Thunder All Season Long You can catch all 66 Thunder regular season games on the air at either 93.5 FM KWME or 1550 AM KKLE. Live streaming of each game is available at All road games will also be shown via CHL-TV at Emerson Biggins West, located at 21st and Maize. Up Next The Thunder plays three games in three nights this weekend. Rio Grande Valley visits Wichita on Friday, followed by Tulsa on Saturday. Both games begin at 7:05 p.m. The first 5,000 fans through the door to each game receive a free Thunder magnet schedule, courtesy of Great Clips, Green Lantern Car Wash, O'Reilly Auto Parts, and KFDI. Saturday is America's Pub Student ID Night with 10 Yellow and Green Level seating available by presenting a student ID. Fans 21 or older can use Saturday's ticket stub for free cover at America's Pub located in Old Town. Saturday is also Operation Holiday where fans can bring a canned food item and receive discounted tickets to a future game. Wichita finishes the weekend with a road match at Tulsa on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. For tickets to this weekend's game, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Tue, 26 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1085.html#1337242504 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1085.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder lost 5-3 to the Allen Americans at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Saturday night. Nino Musitelli broke a 3-3 tie with 1:57 remaining in the third period. Colton Yellow Horn sealed the game for Allen with an empty net goal with two seconds left. Allen took a 1-0 lead at 2:07 in the first period when Nino Musitelli snuck a rebound from Dave Bonk past Ian Keserich. Wichita tied the game at 3:24 on a goal from Chris Greene. Greene buried a backdoor pass from A.J. Gale beyond the left of Americans' goaltender Chris Whitley. At 9:44, Jesse Bennefield finished off a bouncing puck that snuck behind Whitley following Kory Scoran's slapshot from the blue line. In the second period, Allen center Bruce Graham scored twice in a span of 2:09 to give Allen a 3-2 lead, but Wichita tied the game with under a minute left on another power play goal from Bennefield. This time Daniel Tetrault faked a slapshot during a five-on-three before passing to Bennefield who beat Whitley over his left shoulder. Keserich saved 23 of 27 in the loss. Whitley earned the win, saving 31 of 34. Wichita finished the night 2 for 7 on the power play while going 4 for 4 on the penalty kill. The Thunder outshot the Americans 35 to 28 and have outshot their opponents in every game this season. The Thunder returns hosts Rio Grande Valley on Friday at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sun, 24 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1084.html#1337242505 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1084.html INDEPENDENCE, MO- The Wichita Thunder lost 2-1 to the Missouri Mavericks at the Independence Events Center on Friday night. The Thunder outshot the opposition for a third time in as many games this season, but went 0 for 8 on the power play in the one-goal loss. Despite a number of quality scoring chances created by the Thunder offense, Missouri scored the first goal of the night at 14:44 in the first period. Oilivier Fillion delivered a shorthanded goal to the left of Marty Magers on an odd-man rush created by Toby Lafrance. Magers made his Thunder debut on Saturday. Shortly after the goal, the teams hooked up in a pair of fights. Heavyweights Jason Goulet and Carlyle Lewis dropped the gloves at 15:52, while Ryan Hand and Derek Knowles squared off after the next faceoff. Using momentum from the scrums, Wichita tied the game at 17:32 when rookie defenseman Steven Kaunisto scored on a snap shot from the inner edge of the right faceoff circle. The Mavericks regained the lead with just over 33 seconds left in the second period. Just as the first penalty on a Missouri five-on-three power play had expired, Mike Berry tapped in a loose puck on Magers' backdoor to make it 2-1. The goal followed a number of successful clears by the Thunder while they were at a two-man disadvantage. Wichita created more quality chances in the third, but Mavericks' goaltender Gerry Festa saved 11 of 11 to hang on for the win. The Thunder had an extra attacker on the ice for the final 1:20. Wichita outshot Missouri 36 to 26 for the game. Festa saved 35 of 36 in the win. Magers was strong as well, saving 24 of 26 and not allowing an even strength goal. The Mavericks are now 11-0-0 all-time against the Thunder. Missouri was 1 for 6 in power play chances. The Thunder hosts the Allen Americans Saturday night at the INTRUST Bank Arena at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sat, 23 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1081.html#1337242506 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1081.html INDEPENDENCE, MO- The Wichita Thunder lost 2-1 to the Missouri Mavericks at the Independence Events Center on Friday night. The Thunder outshot the opposition for a third time in as many games this season, but went 0 for 8 on the power play in the one-goal loss. Despite a number of quality scoring chances created by the Thunder offense, Missouri scored the first goal of the night at 14:44 in the first period. Oilivier Fillion delivered a shorthanded goal to the left of Marty Magers on an odd-man rush created by Toby Lafrance. Magers made his Thunder debut on Saturday. Shortly after the goal, the teams hooked up in a pair of fights. Heavyweights Jason Goulet and Carlyle Lewis dropped the gloves at 15:52, while Ryan Hand and Derek Knowles squared off after the next faceoff. Using momentum from the scrums, Wichita tied the game at 17:32 when rookie defenseman Steven Kaunisto scored on a snap shot from the inner edge of the right faceoff circle. The Mavericks regained the lead with just over 33 seconds left in the second period. Just as the first penalty on a Missouri five-on-three power play had expired, Mike Berry tapped in a loose puck on Magers' backdoor to make it 2-1. The goal followed a number of successful clears by the Thunder while they were at a two-man disadvantage. Wichita created more quality chances in the third, but Mavericks' goaltender Gerry Festa saved 11 of 11 to hang on for the win. The Thunder had an extra attacker on the ice for the final 1:20. Wichita outshot Missouri 36 to 26 for the game. Festa saved 35 of 36 in the win. Magers was strong as well, saving 24 of 26 and not allowing an even strength goal. The Mavericks are now 11-0-0 all-time against the Thunder. Missouri was 1 for 6 in power play chances. The Thunder hosts the Allen Americans Saturday night at the INTRUST Bank Arena at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sat, 23 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1083.html#1337242507 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1083.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder made several additions Wednesday, signing forwards Chris Moran and Troy Schwab, and defenseman Steven Kaunisto. A left wing, Moran joins the Thunder after a stellar four-year career at Niagara University. The Buffalo, NY native scored nine goals and 33 assists in 36 games as a senior in 2009-10. The 23-year old Moran is tied for first in Purple Eagles' history with 146 games played and ranks fourth with 141 points. The true rookie played three seasons of juniors, including a 100-point campaign for the OPJHL's Buffalo Lightning in 2004-05 where he became the first American-born player to win Junior 'A' Player of the Year honors. Schwab heads into his second professional season, and is coming off a strong rookie campaign with the ECHL's Johnstown Chiefs. The centerman scored 18 goals and led the Chiefs with 35 assists in 67 games. A native of Kindersly, Saskatchewan, Schwab was a four-year star at Lake Superior State University from 2005-2009, serving as team captain during his junior and senior seasons. The 25-year old Schwab scored 216 points in 166 games at the junior level with the SJHL's Kindersly Klippers, and earned league MVP honors in 2005. Kaunisto (pronounced kuh-NISS-toh) is a defenseman who played in four ECHL games with the Reading Royals at the end of last season, scoring two points and finishing +2. The 24-year old Kaunisto played four years of college hockey at Lake Superior State University where he scored 59 points in 154 career games and served as team captain during his senior season. Kaunisto was a teammate of Troy Schwab for three years at LSSU. The Sault Ste. Marie, MI native played two seasons of juniors, and helped the NAHL's Soo Indians to a third-place finish at the 2005 Junior 'A' Nationals. The Thunder released defenseman Jason Woll who played in both games over the weekend against Tulsa. Woll was one of three players from last year's club who made the Thunder's opening night roster. Wichita also placed center Matt Hubbauer on the 10-Day IR and left wing Brent Cullaton on the Suspended List. The Thunder travels to Independence this weekend to take on the Missouri Mavericks. Wichita returns home on Saturday night when they host the Allen Americans. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Thu, 21 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1080.html#1337242508 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1080.html Thunder Swept by Oilers on Opening Weekend The Wichita Thunder dropped two games to the Tulsa Oilers to begin the 2010-11 season. Wichita lost 4-3 to Tulsa at the BOK Center on Friday night. Jesse Bennefield and Chris Falloon helped Wichita jump out to an early 2-0 lead, but Tulsa's Harrison Reed scored a pair of goals later in the opening period to tie the game. Bobby Hughes put the Thunder back in front just 39 seconds into the second period, but a key shorthanded goal from Michel Beausolei re-tied the game at 9:46. Tulsa went ahead at 18:35 on a power play goal from Chad Costello. Ian Keserich stopped 17 of 21 in the loss. The Oilers won 4-1 the following night at the INTRUST Bank Arena. Aaron Davis tied the game for Wichita with 52 seconds left in the first, but Tulsa rallied for three unanswered goals in the third to take control of the game. Gary Steffes scored twice while Trevor Cann saved 35 of 36 for the win. Keserich saved 23 of 27 in the loss. Duda Honored The Thunder retired jersey number '11' in honor of Assistant Coach Jason Duda prior to Saturday's home opener versus Tulsa. Duda is the Thunder's all-time leader in games played, goals, assists, and points and ranks third or better in each of those categories in Central Hockey League history. Duda joins Ron Handy (9), Rob Weingartner (35), and Bobby Desjardins (35) as the only players in the Thunder's 19-year history to have their numbers retired. Limiting Chances The Thunder defense limited Tulsa's opportunities over the weekend, allowing 21 and 27 shots respectively. The Thunder's 24.0 shots allowed per game are currently the second fewest in the CHL. Davis Thrives Against Former 'Mates Aaron Davis was the Thunder's offensive star last weekend. The former Oiler had a goal and two assists in three games against his former team. Roster Notes Rookie defenseman Peter Stevens is currently on the 10-Day IR. Catch the Thunder All Season All 66 Thunder games are broadcast on either 93.5 FM KWME or 1550 AM KKLE. You can listen to each game on the internet at Emerson Biggin's West (located at 21st and Maize) is the Thunder's official watch party sponsor of all road games. Thunder food and drink specials will be offered throughout the season. Up Next The Thunder plays the Missouri Mavericks on Friday at the Independence Event Center at 7:05 p.m. Wichita returns home on Saturday to host the defending Southern Conference champion Allen Americans at 7:05 p.m. The first 5,000 fans through the door receive a 2010-11 Thunder poster schedule, courtesy of Kansas One Call, EMC Insurance Companies, 360 Wichita, ATT Real Yellow Pages, and 107.3 The Brew. Saturday is also Wichita State University Night. The Thunder will sport commemorative WSU jerseys that will be auctioned off at the end of the night. Fans can receive discount tickets for Saturday by wearing their Shocker gear. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or by visiting the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Tue, 19 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1078.html#1337242509 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1078.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder lost 4-1 to the Tulsa Oilers at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Saturday night. Tulsa scored three unanswered goals in the third to break a 1-1 tie and sweep the season-opening, home-and-home series from the Thunder. Gordon Bell scored on a long shot from just in front of the right point at 3:49 that deflected off Ian Keserich's chest and into the net to give Tulsa a 2-1 lead. Following a rush of Thunder offensive pressure, in which Trevor Cann made several key stops, Jack Combs scored on a breakaway at 7:49 to make it 3-1. Gary Steffes re-directed Jason Weeks' power play shot for a goal at 16:36 to put the game away. Cann saved 35 of 36 for the win, while Keserich stopped 23 of 27 in the loss. The Thunder outshot Tulsa for a second straight game 36 to 27, and outshot them in all three periods. Tulsa scored the first goal of the night at 2:16 in the first period when Steffes tossed a shot from the left hash mark past a screened Ian Keserich. With just over 52 seconds left in the period, Aaron Davis tipped a bouncing puck past Oilers' goaltender Trevor Cann to tie the game. Travis Wight's shot following a faceoff set up the rebound for Davis, who was positioned at the top of the crease. Keserich saved all 11 shots to face him in the second period where neither team scored. Wichita was 0 for 2 on the power play. Tulsa was 1 for 5. Prior to the game, the Thunder retired Jason Duda's number '11'. Duda is only the fourth player in the Thunder's 19-year history to receive the honor. The Thunder heads to Missouri on Friday to face the Mavericks. All the action can be heard locally on Sports Radio 1550 KKLE and worldwide at Wichita hosts the Allen Americans on Saturday, October 23rd at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sun, 17 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1077.html#1337242510 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1077.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunderlost 4-3 to the Tulsa Oilers in their 2010 season opener at the BOK Center on Friday night. With the Thunder leading 3-2 in the second, Tulsa stole the game's momentum at the 9:46 mark when Michel Beausolei scored on a two-man Thunder advantage with a long shot from the right point. The Oilers used a two-man advantage of their own later in the period to take their first lead. Jack Combs made a wide-open backdoor pass to Chad Costello, who converted the feed into the eventual game-winning goal at 18:35. The Oilers shut down four Wichita power plays in the third while stopping 1:10 worth of empty net time to hold on for the win. Wichita was 1 for 8 on the power play for the game. Jesse Bennefield led the Thunder to an early 2-0 lead in the first. At 5:59, Bennefield took a circle-to-circle pass from Chris Falloon and wristed a shot from the left wing past the glove of Oilers' goaltender Trevor Cann. Bennefield struck again at 10:22, this time taking a shot from the left half-wall that deflected off an Oilers' defender and into the net. Tulsa's Harrison Reed wiped away the early lead with a pair of goals coming at 11:10 and 18:37. The latter score came on the power play. Bobby Hughes scored on a close-range backhander on a rebound from Matt Hubbauer 39 seconds into the second period to put the Thunder back in front at 3-2. The goal came on a power play that carried over from the end of the first. Ian Keserich suffered the loss, saving 17 of 21. Trevor Cann earned the win saving 24 of 27, including a perfect third period in which he was 11 for 11. Tulsa was 2 for 5 on the power play. Ryan Hand picked up a fighting major, dropping the gloves with Chris Cloud in the second period. The Thunder hosts its 2010 home opener on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. when they Oilers visit the INTRUST Bank Arena. A ceremony retiring Jason Duda's number '11' will take place before the game. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sat, 16 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1076.html#1337242511 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1076.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder introduced their 2010-11 radio partnership with Johnson Enterprises, Inc. on Thursday. For the first time in over 10 years, fans can listen to every Thunder regular season and postseason contest live on the radio. Oldies 93.5 FM KWME will carry at least 22 games while every contest will be featured on 1550 AM KKLE. Additional games on 93.5 FM will be announced in the future. Each broadcast opens with a 20-minute pre-game show featuring interviews with Thunder players and Head Coach Kevin McClelland. Out-of-town Thunder fans can catch the action streamed live on the internet at A current broadcast schedule can be found here: Earlier this week, the Central Hockey League also announced a new partnership with NeuLion, Inc. to bring fans another year of CHL-TV. Full-season, partial-season, single-team, and single-game packages are all available for purchase. For more information on CHL-TV and NeuLion, Inc. visit While the Thunder is on the road, fans can meet at Emerson Biggin's West (located at 21st and Maize), the team's official watch party sponsor. Various Thunder food specials and raffle prizes will be available for each game. The 19th season of Wichita Thunder hockey begins Friday at 7:05 p.m. when the Thunder faces longtime rival Tulsa at the BOK Center. All the action can be heard live on 1550 KKLE and worldwide at The Thunder plays its 2010 home opener on Saturday when the Oilers visit the INTRUST Bank Arena at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Thu, 14 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1072.html#1337242512 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1072.html Thunder Splits in Preseason The Wichita Thunder opened their exhibition schedule with a 7-6 win over the Tulsa Oilers at the Wichita Ice Center on Friday. Five Thunder players had multi-point nights. Jesse Bennefield had two goals and an assist while Chris Falloon had a goal and two assists. Bobby Hughes and Brent Cullaton each had a goal and an assist. Matt Hubbauer had three assists. Mark Sibbald earned the win for the Thunder, saving eight of 11 in relief of Ian Keserich. The Thunder dropped an 8-3 decision to the Oilers the following night at the Oilers' Ice Center. Tulsa's Michel Beausolei scored a hat trick to lead their offense. Wichita received scores from Ryan Driscoll, Chris Greene, and Shane Foster. Marty Magers absorbed the loss in net, stopping 10 of 16 shots. McClelland Era Begins Friday Four-time Stanley Cup Champion and former Central Hockey League Coach of the Year Kevin McClelland begins his tenure as the 12th Head Coach in Thunder history on Friday when Wichita opens the 2010-11 season at Tulsa. McClelland enters his sixth season as a professional Head Coach with an impressive 187-107-26 (.625) record. McClelland has reached the CHL playoffs each of the last four seasons and was named the league's Coach of the Year in 2007. Thunder to Honor Legend Jason Duda, the Thunder's all-time leader in every major offensive category, will be honored prior to Saturday's home opener versus Tulsa. Duda served as Head Coach most of last season after a back injury forced him out of action in late-October. Duda officially retired in April when he was introduced as Kevin McClelland's Assistant Coach. Duda is the franchise leader in games played (730), goals (337), assists (533), points (870), hat tricks (11), overtime goals (7), shootout goals (21), playoff games (66), playoff assists (47), and playoff points (72). Festivities will culminate with the retirement of Duda's signature number '11'. New Faces As of Wednesday, the Thunder has only three players remaining from last year's squad. They are Bobby Hughes, Ian Keserich, and Jason Woll. Conference Realignment The Central Hockey League underwent significant realignment this summer, including the addition of five new teams. The Thunder now plays in the Turner Conference (formerly the CHL's Northern Conference) along with returning CHL foes Colorado, Missouri, and Rapid City. The Turner Conference also includes new league members Bloomington, Dayton, Evansville, Fort Wayne, and Quad City. The conference honors IHL icon Joe Turner whom the league's championship trophy was named for. The remaining teams compete in the Berry Conference (formerly the CHL's Southern Conference), honoring CHL Commissioner Emeritus Tom Berry. Rivalry Renewed Although the Thunder and Oilers are in different conferences for the first time in their respective 19-year histories, the two rivals are scheduled to play 11 times this season, including a home-and-home series opening weekend. Milestone Watch Several Thunder players are in reach of significant career milestones, some of which could be attained this weekend. Jesse Bennefield is one assist shy of 200. Brent Cullaton is 14 goals away from 300. Chris Falloon needs 18 points for 100. Matt Hubbauer is seven goals away from 100 and 20 assists away from 100. Kory Scoran needs 11 assists for 100. Daniel Tetrault is one goal short from 100. Rookies Ryan Driscoll and Peter Stevens will make their professional debuts this season. Up Next Following Friday's season opener, the Thunder play their first home game of the season Saturday, October 16th versus Tulsa at the INTRUST Bank Arena. A pre-game celebration of Jason Duda's career will take place prior to the 7:05 p.m. opening faceoff. Following the game, fans can meet Thunder players and coaches at Emerson Biggin's West, located at 21st and Maize. For tickets, call the INTRUST Bank Arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Wed, 13 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1070.html#1337242513 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1070.html TULSA, OK- The Wichita Thunder lost 8-3 to the Tulsa Oilers in their preseason finale at the Oilers' Ice Center on Saturday night. Tulsa utilized a five-goal second period to take control of the game. Matt Robertson broke a 2-2 tie at 3:02 in the second that gave the Oilers a permanent lead. Just nine seconds after Robertson's tiebreaker, Michel Beausolei potted two straight goals that were only 22 seconds apart themselves. Chad Costello scored consecutive goals at 4:40 and 12:25 to open a 7-2 advantage, with the latter goal coming shorthanded. Beausolei finished the night with a hat trick. Ryan Driscoll, Chris Greene, and Shane Foster accounted for the Thunder scores while Brad Bonello contributed two assists. Marty Magers started in net for the Thunder, saving 10 of 16 during the game's first 31:26. Mark Sibbald worked the final 28:34, stopping 16 of 18. Trevor Cann earned the win for the Oilers, saving 11 of 13 through the first 32:25. Sylvain Michaud stopped 10 of 11 in relief of Cann. Tulsa outshot the Thunder 34 to 24 in the game. Each team had one power play goal. The Thunder now prepares for their regular season opener Friday at Tulsa where Kevin McClelland will make his official debut as Thunder Head Coach. The Thunder's first home game is on Saturday, October 16th at the INTRUST Bank Arena at 7:05 p.m. A pre-game ceremony celebrating the career of Assistant Coach Jason Duda will take place prior to the opening faceoff. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sun, 10 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1069.html#1337242514 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1069.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder outslugged the Tulsa Oilers 7-6 in their preseason opener at the Wichita Ice Center on Friday night. Five Thunder players had multi-point games, including Jesse Bennefield who netted two goals and an assist. Bennefield earned credit for the eventual game-winning goal, hitting an empty net from the left point at 19:04 in the third period. The score gave the Thunder a 7-5 lead, but the Oilers pulled within 7-6 on a close-range shot from Matt Larke with just over 11 seconds left in regulation. Wichita recovered defensively and closed out the win, highlighted by Lance Galbraith's aggressive block of an attempted outlet pass. Rusty Masters gave Tulsa a 1-0 lead just over three minutes into the game. Masters snuck a rebound in front of the crease past Thunder goaltender Ian Keserich. Peter Stevens tied the game at 9:13 when he tipped in a rebound past Oilers' netminder Sylvain Michaud. Wichita took its first lead of the night excatly three minutes later on Bobby Hughes' shot from the slot. The Oilers tied the game at the 14:37 mark in the first, but the Thunder regained the lead 21 seconds into the second period on Bennefield's first goal of the night. The teams traded goals twice more until the Thunder snagged the lead for good at 3:29 in the third when Chris Falloon took advantage of a breakaway and fired a shot from the right hash mark that beat new Tulsa goaltender Tyler Sims to his left. Falloon also had two assists in addition to the goal, while Hughes and Brent Cullaton each scored a goal and an assist. Matt Hubbauer chipped in three assists for the Thunder. Keserich stopped 18 of 21 before giving way to Mark Sibbald at 10:16 in the second period who saved eight of 11 to earn the win. Michaud saved 17 of 21. Sims, who also took over at 10:16 in the second, saved 15 of 17 and took the loss. Ryan Hand and Jason Goulet each picked up fighting majors. The Thunder outshot Tulsa 39-32 for the game. Wichita did not score seven goals in a game at any point in 2009-10. The Thunder takes on the Oilers for an exhibition match tomorrow night at the Oilers Ice Center. The Thunder opens the 2010-11 season on Friday, October 15th at Tulsa and plays their first home game of the year the following night at the INTRUST Bank Arena at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the arena box office at (316) 755-SEAT or visit the Thunder's official website at -Thunder- Sat, 09 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1068.html#1337242515 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1068.html The Wichita Thunder will host their annual golf tournament at Sand Creek Station Golf Course on Saturday, October 2nd. The tournament is set for a 1:00 pm shot gun start time. Golfers have the opportunity to interact with former and current Thunder players with the option to putt and drive with Thunder players on certain holes. Prizes for raffle tickets will be awarded, and range from two Thunder season tickets to two roundtrip flights to Las Vegas and much more. The grand prize will be golf for four at Flint Hills National. Raffle tickets will be 5 each of five for 20. Teams and singles are welcome. Cost is 400 per four man team or 100 for singles. Entry fee includes: range balls, green fee, cart, dinner, one raffle ticket and two drink tickets. Refreshment carts will be on hand throughout the tournament with beers for only 2. Sand Creek Station Golf Course is an 18-hole, municipal, links-style course preserving the honored history of Scottish golf-bordering railways. The course is one of the most highly acclaimed in Kansas; in 2007 Golfweek Magazine ranked Sand Creek Station as the second-best public course in the state. Golf Digest ranked Sand Creek Station among 2006's best new public courses in America in its January 2008 issue. To register, submit an entry form located below to the Wichita Thunder office at 505 W. Maple, Suite 100 or call 264-GOAL (4625). Please make checks payable to Wichita Thunder and mail to: Wichita Thunder Attn: Joel Lomurno 505 W. Maple, Suite 100 Wichita, KS 67213 The Annual Wichita Thunder Golf Tournament is brought to you courtesy of: Sand Creek Station Golf Course, Associated Imaging Services, Lampton Welding Supply, Liquid Sun, and Sonic Drive-Ins. Fri, 24 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1047.html#1337242516 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1047.html The Wichita Thunder organization is proud to announce the new additions to the 2010-11 Lampton Lightning Girls Dance and Promotional team. Dance TeamMichelle C. Brandy H.Brianna B.Emily L.Lacie W.Mallory C.Meegan D.Megan W.Milisa C. PromoErin R.Briana M.Brooke H.Carrie G.Casandra F.Crystal L.Dana M.Dorothy T.Jennifer M.Maniphap V.Paris M.Renee P.Tori D.Zannie H.Congratulations ladies on making the squad and thank you to all who tried out! The Wichita Thunder and the Lightning Girls send out their thanks to America's Pub for hosting the dance and promotional team tryouts. The Thunder open the 2010-11 season at home against the Tulsa Oilers on Saturday, October 16th. Season tickets are available for purchase in full, half, and quarter season packages. Call 264-GOAL (4625) to order your Wichita Thunder season tickets. Sun, 08 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1048.html#1337242517 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1048.html The Wichita Thunder unveiled the new look to the Thunder Website Monday morning. Our hope is to make it more attractive and user friendly with the changes we've made, saidthe Thunder staff. We felt now wasthe right time to make these changesto provide a newlook and feel for a new era of Thunder hockey. Some key changes and additions made to the Thunder website includes: a drop down function on the main menu, the addition of news article images, a slide show featuring the tagline See it. Feel it. The Dawn of a New Era. for the upcoming season, a new background, and coming soon a shopping cart function to buy Thunder merchandise directly from the Thunder website. These are just a few of the changes that have been made for the new look of the website. The Thunder will make a few more changes before the new look is complete, including the addition of the shopping cart function. On the changes still to come the Thunder said, We will continue to make changes and evolve the website to enhanceour fans experience. The Thunder opens the 2010-11 season on Friday, October 15th at Tulsa. Wichita's home opener takes place the following night at the INTRUST Bank Arena at 7:05 p.m. Season tickets are on sale now. For more information, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1045.html#1337242518 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1045.html Lampton Lightning Girl, Crystal Lathrop has been participating on the Dance and Promotional teamfor three seasons of Thunder hockey. Now, Lathrop takes on a new challengeas she becomes the youngestCo-Chair in the 21 year history of the Cattleman's Ball that benefits the American Cancer Society. Lathrop was part of a featured article in this months addition of Splurge! Magazine. Read more at Visit Splurg! at Visit the Cattleman's Ball at The Cattleman's Ball is set to take place on July 24that the Old Cowtown Museum from 5pm-midnight. Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1034.html#1337242519 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article1034.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder introduced four-time Stanley Cup champion and former Central Hockey League Coach of the Year Kevin McClelland as the 12th Head Coach in franchise history at a Monday press conference. A former fourth round draft pick of the Hartford Whalers in 1980, McClelland spent 12 seasons playing in the NHL, most notably for the Edmonton Oilers' dynasty during the mid-1980's. The Oshawa, Ontario native helped the Oilers win four Stanly Cups in a five-year span from 1984-1988. A gritty right winger, McClelland totaled 1,672 PIM in 588 career NHL games while chipping in 180 points. We are thrilled to be able to hire someone as high-caliber as Kevin, said Thunder General Manager Joel T. Lomurno. He is the complete package when it comes to coaching. He is a great recruiter, he is a proven winner, he is a personable, yet no-nonsense, and he is highly respected both by his players and his peers. McClelland spent five years as an Assistant Coach for the AHL's St. John's Maple Leafs before earning his first job as a professional Head Coach with the Memphis RiverKings in 2005-06. After a 22-37-5 campaign in his first year behind the bench, McClelland restored the RiverKings' franchise back to prominence the following season, leading Memphis to a 39-19-6 record that earned him CHL Coach of the Year honors. After guiding the RiverKings to another postseason appearance in 2007-08, McClelland accepted Head Coaching duties for the Colorado Eagles. During his two seasons in Loveland, McClelland compiled a league-best record of 87-30-11 that included a division title, two postseason appearances, and a trip to the 2009 President's Cup Finals. In total, McClelland has reached the CHL playoffs in four consecutive years. I want to thank Horn Chen for understanding and helping us do whatever it took to ensure that Kevin was the next coach of the Wichita Thunder, said Lomurno. The Thunder begins the 2010-2011 season in mid-October. All 32 of the Thunder's home games will be played at the INTRUST Bank Arena. Season ticket deposits are being accepted now. For more information, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. -Thunder- Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article971.html#1337242520 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article971.html BY KOLLEN LONGThe Wichita EagleIf the Wichita Thunder faithful weren't already enamored with new coach Kevin McClelland based solely on his impressive resume, they will surely be won over by the description of how he expects his team to play. The style would seemingly please the diehards, those who remember the glory days under the legendary Doug Shedden, and also the new, casual fan attracted by the team's fancy downtown home, Intrust Bank Arena. You want a team that can play any type of game, McClelland said. If someone wants to get nasty or goofy with us, we'll be equipped to play those games. But games are won or lost on the scoreboard. So we want a team that's really creative offensively I like guys to ad lib and use their skills and sound defensively.... Article continued at: Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article970.html#1337242521 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article970.html BY KOLLEN LONG The Wichita EagleIn a move expected to excite a frustrated fan base, the Wichita Thunder has hired Kevin McClelland as its new coach, two sources close to the team confirmed today. A news conference to introduce McClelland as coach has been tentatively scheduled for Monday at Intrust Bank Arena, a source said.... Article continued at: Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article968.html#1337242522 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article968.html WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder announced its All-Kansas Coliseum Team prior to the building's final game on Saturday night. The six-player squad is composed of forwards Jason Duda, Travis Clayton, and Tom Roulston, defensemen Sean O'Reilly and Brad Knelson, and goaltender Bobby Desjardins. Duda is in his 14th consecutive season with the Thunder and is the franchise's all-time leader in games played (730), goals (337), assists (533), and points (870), records that were all broken last season. Duda also ranks second all-time in CHL history in games played, and third in goals, assists, and points. Born in Sexsmith, Alberta, Duda produced one of the Coliseum's most memorable moments when he scored in overtime in Game Four of the 1997 CHL Quarterfinals to eliminate rival Oklahoma City. Earlier this season, Duda took over as Head Coach of the Thunder. Clayton spent 11 seasons in Wichita, and still ranks second in Thunder history in games played, goals, assists, and points. Last season, the Paradise Hill, Saskatchewan native broke the CHL's record for games played and is currently second in CHL history in goals, assists, and points. Roulston was a member of the Thunder's second championship team, scoring 30 points in 23 games down the stretch of 1995. Roulston added 24 more points in just 11 playoff contests helping the Thunder capture back-to-back league titles. Drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the third round in 1977, Roulston spent five seasons in the NHL, appearing in 195 games for the Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native was also a member of the original Central Hockey League, playing two seasons for the Wichita Wind from 1980-1982. O'Reilly spent five seasons in a Thunder sweater from 1997-2002, averaging over 185 penalty minutes per season, and twice finishing with more than 200. The London, Ontario native's 926 PIM rank fourth in Thunder history, while his 169 points are first among Thunder blue liners. Nicknamed The Junkyard Dog, O'Reilly helped the Thunder to three consecutive playoff berths from 1998-2000. Knelson (pronounced kuh-NELL-son) played three seasons for the Wichita Wind from 1980-1983, teaming with Roulston to help the Wind reach the playoffs in both 1981 and 1982. Drafted by the Boston Bruins in the third round in 1978, Knelson averaged 24 points and 163 penalty minutes per season during his time in Wichita. The native of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan also played two seasons in the AHL. Desjardins manned the crease during the Thunder's first two seasons, winning the CHL's inaugural Rookie of the Year award in 1993, and helping the Thunder win their first championship the following season. Born in Verdun, Quebec, Desjardins went 38-12-5 during the 1993-94 season and won the CHL's Bill Levins Most Valuable Player award before posting an 8-2 mark in the postseason. To this day, Desjardins still ranks first in Thunder history in wins, minutes played, and saves. He is also one of only three players to have his number (#35) retired by the Thunder. The Thunder leaves the Coliseum with a composite record of 337-224-52 (.600) record in the regular season and playoffs. The Thunder's first game was played on November 4th, 1992 when Wichita defeated the Fort Worth Fire 6-4. The Thunder clinched its second championship on April 18th, 1995 at the Coliseum, beating the San Antonio Iguanas 9-4 in Game Six of the CHL Finals. Wichita's first game at the INTRUST Bank Arena is Saturday, January 23rd versus the Tulsa Oilers. For tickets, call the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL. -Thunder- Sun, 10 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article895.html#1337242523 http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/article895.html