Gavin Best Nets First Pro Goal in Win on Friday
Published on March 13, 2026 under ECHL (ECHL)
Wichita Thunder News Release
RAPID CITY, SD - Gavin Best scored his first goal as a pro with less than four minutes to go in regulation and Wichita held off Rapid City for a 3-2 victory on Friday night at The Monument.
Jay Dickman and Tanner Palocsik led the way with two points apiece. Roddy Ross claimed the win, stopping 36 shots.
Brett Davis opened the scoring six minutes into the game. He redirected a shot from the wall for his 14th of the year to make it 1-0.
Early in the second, Wichita tied it on the man advantage after Ryan Finnegan drew a penalty to Xavier Bernard. Dickman parked himself right in front of the blue paint and tipped home a point shot from Palocsik for his 19th of the season.
Maurizio Colella re-gained the lead for the Rush at 11:39. Jaden Shields walked off the left wall and unloaded a shot. The puck clanked off of Colella's skate and slipped through Ross to make it 2-1.
Palocsik answered just two minutes into the third. Matt Crasa made a great play in the left corner. Crasa found Palocsik cutting down the right seam and he fired it past Connor Murphy to tie it at two.
Best recorded the game-winner at 16:11 to make it 3-2. Peter Bates made a great play in the defensive zone and started an odd man chance the other way. Dickman fed it into the slot for Best and he beat Murphy with a backhand across the crease.
Rapid City pulled Murphy in the late stages of the frame, but Wichita held on for the win.
The Thunder snaps their three-game winless skid and have earned three points in the first two games of the week against the Rush.
Best collected his first goal as a pro and first-game winner since signing with the Thunder. Dickman has five points in his last two games and points in four-straight. Bates has four helpers this week. Stinil has points in back-to-back games. Palocsik has three points since joining Wichita and points in three-straight. Ross claims his first win since February 15 and has seen 30 or more shots in three-straight starts.
Wichita went 1-for-5 on the man advantage. Rapid City was 1-for-3 on the man advantage.
The two teams close their three-game series tomorrow night. Opening faceoff is set for 8:05 p.m. CST.
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