Thunder Strike Back into the Win Column, Knock off Missouri 4-1
November 23, 2011 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Wichita Thunder News Release
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 victory 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 Wichita 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 to be called against Bourret. He caught an Ed McGrane pass and put it off the bar and 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 and keeping 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 seventh of 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 www.selectaseat.com.
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Central Hockey League Stories from November 23, 2011
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