Thunder Crushes Eagles
Published on January 3, 2009 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Wichita Thunder News Release
WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder defeated the Colorado Eagles 7-2 at the Kansas Coliseum on Saturday night. Troy Ofukany scored Wichita's fourth hat trick of the year, and finished the night +4 with five points to lead the offense.
Wichita fell behind the Eagles for a second straight night when Erik Adams scored a power play goal on a rebound at 10:23 in the first period. Jason Duda tied it at 13:44, also off of a rebound.
Ofukany scored the first of his three goals at 3:00 in the second, tipping in a shot from Jordan Hack. The Eagles tied the game a second time at 5:15 on a goal from Adam Hogg.
Wichita then took control of the game, scoring five unanswered goals through the third period. At 7:06 in the second Matt Byrnes scored on the backdoor of Colorado goaltender Morgan Cey to give Wichita their final lead of the night at 3-2. Duda followed with his second goal, roofing a loose puck under the crossbar at 7:38. It was the fastest two goals scored by the Thunder this season.
Ofukany scored again at 13:13 and 19:23 in the second to complete his hat trick. Joel Hanson scored on the power play on a rebound at 4:24 in the third to give Wichita a 7-2 lead.
Hanson finished the game with a goal and two assists, while Curtiss Patrick kicked in three assists as well. Patrick, Hanson, and Bryan Nathe each finished the game +3. Duda and Jordan Hack each had two assists. Stan Yanchishyn, Connor MacDonald, and Jonathan Bernier each notched fighting majors.
Tim Boron earned the win, saving 25 of 27 shots. Wichita went 2 for 7 on the power play, while the Eagles went 1 for 6. The Thunder outshot Colorado 37 to 27.
Wichita concludes their homestand on Tuesday when they host the defending champion Arizona Sundogs. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Wichita is hosting "Pay What You Weight Night", where fans can receive upper level tickets at a rate of one penny per one pound. For tickets, call the Thunder at (316) 264-GOAL.
Central Hockey League Stories from January 3, 2009
- Beynon's Winner Gives Scorps Victory - New Mexico Scorpions
- Sundogs Nip Mudbugs 3-1 - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
- Rocky Mountain rolls past Amarillo, 4-1 - Amarillo Gorillas
- Kinnunen records hat trick - Fort Worth Brahmas
- Bucks Slip To Second With 4-1 Loss - Laredo Bucks
- IceRays beat Jackalopes 2-1 in shootout - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Nelson's Game Winner Beats OKC Again - Mississippi RiverKings
- Thunder Crushes Eagles - Wichita Thunder
- Jacks Fall 2-1 In Shootout to Corpus - Odessa Jackalopes
- Sundogs Continue Defensive Effort, Top Mudbugs 3-1 for Fourth-Straight Win - Arizona Sundogs
- Thunder Explodes in 7-2 Win; Ofukany Scores Hat Trick - Colorado Eagles
- Rush Top Oilers In First Meeting - Rapid City Rush
- Rage Begin '09 on a Winning Note - Rocky Mountain Rage
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
