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Thunder Ends Home Skid with Win vs. Eagles

Wichita, KS (Jan. 20th) - Ralph Cuddemi scored a pair of goals and Shane Starrett stopped 32 shots en route to a 3-1 win against Colorado on Saturday night at INTRUST Bank Arena. Cuddemi takes over the team-lead with his 14th and 15th markers of the year. Shaquille Merasty recorded his first pro goal while Lane Bauer added a pair of assists. Wichita got on the board first just seven minutes into the game. Merasty took a feed from Chad Butcher and fired a wrist shot past Joe Cannata's glove to make it 1-0. Jake Marchment tied the game at 6:51 of the second period as he found a rebound near the crease and beat Starrett. With 12 seconds remaining, Cuddemi skated into the zone, came around the net and wrapped it just inside the right post to re-gain the lead. In the third, Cuddemi added his second of the game at the five-minute mark to increase the lead to 3-1. He caught a long-lead pass from Bauer, almost got tripped from behind and put a one-handed backhand through Cannata. The Eagles pulled him with four minutes to go in regulation in an attempt to get back in the game. Wichita missed an empty-net twice, but held on for the victory. The win snaps a four-game home losing skid and stops the Eagles' win streak at eight. Cuddemi collected his second two-goal output of the season. Bauer netted his 20th and 21st assists of the season and his second two-assist game of the year. Starrett collected his first pro assist and grabbed his 13th win. Wichita went 0-for-1 on the power play. Colorado was 0-for-4 on the man advantage.

Shane Starrett All-Star Highlights

Starrett, Cuddemi Powers Wichita Past Allen

Wichita, KS (Dec. 30th) - In another physical contest between Wichita and Allen, the Thunder scored three unanswered goals and knocked off the Americans by the final of 3-1 on Saturday night at INTRUST Bank Arena. The two teams combined for 78 penalty minutes. It was the second time this season the two teams eclipsed 70-combined penalty minutes. Ralph Cuddemi finished with two goals and an assist and Shane Starrett earned his ninth win of the year, stopping 40 shots. Allen grabbed a 1-0 lead just past the midway mark of the opening period. Marcus Basara put a backhand through Shane Starrett from the slot during an odd-man rush. Wichita tied the game at 3:44 of the second. Guillaume Lepine fired a shot to the right of the net and Cuddemi pounced on a rebound to make it a 1-1 game. Etienne Boutet gave Wichita the lead for good with just over a minute to go in the second. He unloaded a shot from the left point that caught a shin pad on the way through the slot and got past Jeremy Brodeur to make it 2-1. The physical play continued into the third as Bryan Moore and Evan Polei were both sent to the dressing rooms. Allen pulled Brodeur with 1:45 left for an extra attacker. Cuddemi got to a loose puck in the neutral zone and fired it into the empty net to make it 3-1. Cuddemi recorded his second multi-goal game of the season. Kevin Dufour had an assist, giving him points in all three games since coming to Wichita (4a). Starrett grabbed his first win since December 16th. Wichita went 0-for-4 on the power play. Allen was 0-for-2 on the man advantage.

Game Day Preview: December 6th vs. Kansas City

Thunder Reaches 10 Wins with 4-2 Victory in KC

Independence, MO (Nov. 11th) - Wichita became the first team in the ECHL to reach 10 wins on Saturday night, holding on for a 4-2 victory against Kansas City at Silverstein Eye Centers Arena. Mark MacMillan led the way with three points (1g, 2a) and Joel Rumpel earned his fourth win of the season, making 26 saves. Greg Chase continued to stay red hot, getting Wichita on the board first. During a delayed penalty against the Mavericks, MacMillan took the puck behind the net, centered a pass between two defensemen and Chase pounced on it to make it 1-0. Matt Robertson tied the game with 1:30 remaining in the frame. He put home a rebound after Hunter Smith's shot from in-close was stopped by Joel Rumpel's leg pad. Jeremy Beaudry scored his second power play goal against the Mavericks in the second period, giving Wichita a 2-1 lead. He switched up top with Doornbosch and fired a one-timer off a defenseman past Mason McDonald. Travis Ewanyk found the net at 17 minutes of the frame after catching a feed from Travis Brown near the left post. Kansas City cut the lead back to one off a face-off win with Robertson recording his second of the night to make it 3-2. Late in the contest, Kansas City pulled McDonald and had two offensive zone draws with a chance to tie it. Wichita was stingy down the stretch and MacMillan tacked on the exclamation point with an empty-netter to make it 4-2. Chase has points in all five games since joining Wichita, four goals in his last three games and goals in three-straight. MacMillan netted his third-straight multi-point outing. Ewanyk finished with a goal and an assist. Head Coach Malcolm Cameron moved into seventh place all-time in games coached (638). Wichita went 1-for-4 on the power play and has a goal on the man advantage in three-straight. Kansas City was 0-for-3 on the power play.

Thunder Acquires ECHL All-Star From Reading

Wichita, KS (Aug. 3rd) - The Wichita Thunder, ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Edmonton Oilers, AHL's Bakersfield Condors and powered by Toyota, announced today that the team has acquired forward Justin Crandall from the Reading Royals for the rights to defenseman Nolan Zajac. Crandall has also been signed to a contract for the 2017-18 season. "I really enjoyed my time in Reading and can't thank my coaches and teammates enough for a great year," said Crandall. "However I am extremely excited to get a fresh start and join the Thunder this year. I've heard nothing but great things about the organization and Coach Cameron. From the players already signed it looks like we should have a really strong team and I'm looking forward to meeting everyone and getting the season started!" Crandall, 25, comes to the Air Capital after playing the last two seasons for the Royals. The Lakeville, Minnesota native finished second on the team in scoring with 58 points (22g, 36a). He represented Reading at the 2017 CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic and was selected as an alternate captain. In his first two years as a pro, Crandall has recorded at least 50 points, netting 55 (17g, 38a) during his rookie campaign in 2015-16. Overall, he has 116 points (40g, 76a) in 124 ECHL games. "Justin is a dynamic offensive threat and has a very high hockey IQ," commented Head Coach Malcolm Cameron. "With the players we have signed and expect to get from our affiliate, he will fit in nicely." Prior to turning pro, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound forward played a four-year career at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. During the 2013-14 season, he tied for the team-lead in goals scored (14), tied for second in scoring (27), led the team in shooting percentage (18.4%), power play goals (6), plus/minus (+8) and was selected to the WCHA/NCHC All-Academic Team. He served as an alternate captain during his senior season in 2014-15. Overall, he collected 79 points (40g, 39a) in 145 career games for the Bulldogs. Crandall becomes the 10th player announced this offseason and joins Matt DeBlouw, Dyson Stevenson, Jeremy Beaudry, Travis Ewanyk, Etienne Boutet, Justin Hamonic, Istvan Sofron, Louick Marcotte and Marc-Olivier Crevier-Morin on the roster.

Wichita at Greenville, March 8th 2017

Greenville, SC (March 8th) - Greenville scored two unanswered goals in a four-minute span to get past Wichita on Wednesday morning by the final of 3-2 at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Blake Tatchell notched his 10th of the season and Ryan Tesink added his fourth of the year. Wichita grabbed the first lead of the game as Tesink crashed the net and put home a rebound off the right leg of Jeff Malcolm to make it 1-0. Ahti Oksanen recorded the only goal of the second at 4:49 as he came across the slot and beat Owsley for his 19th of the season. Early in the third, Tatchell re-gained the lead for the visitors as he worked through traffic at the top of the right circle and buried a wrist shot past Malcolm. The Swamp Rabbits answered right back, scoring three minutes later as Joe Houk recorded his 15th of the year to tie the game at two. Troy Donnay gave Greenville the lead four minutes later as his seeing-eye wrist shot got over Owsley's shoulder to make it 3-2. Wichita had two late face-offs in the offensive zone with Owsley at the bench. Malcolm held the fort and time ran out on the Thunder. Tatchell has 12 points (5g, 7a) in his last 12 games. Gabriel Gagne added an assist and has points in three-straight (1g, 2a). Owsley takes the loss, stopping 28 of 31 shots. Malcolm claimed the win, stopping 35 of 37 shots he faced. Wichita went 1-for-4 on the power play and has power play goals in three-straight. Greenville was 0-for-4 on the man advantage.

Tulsa at Wichita, March 4th 2017

Wichita, KS (March 4th) - Gabriel Gagne scored in regulation and tallied the game-winner in a shootout to help propel Wichita to 3-2 shootout victory over Tulsa on Saturday night at INTRUST Bank Arena. Drew Owsley earned his sixth win of the year and Matt DeBlouw recorded his 13th goal of the season. Gagne scored the only goal of the first period that came during a major power play. Danick Paquette was assessed a five-minute major for fighting after a post-whistle scrum brought everyone on the ice next to Drew Owsley's net. He fired a one-timer past Colin Stevens for his sixth of the season to give Wichita a 1-0 lead. Tulsa tied the game early in the third as Dylan Hubbs put a home a feed from Tyson Wilson just 53 seconds in. At 16:04, DeBlouw cut through the slot and fired a backhand past Stevens to make it 2-1. The Oilers answered a minute later as Dennis Brown fired a shot from the line through traffic and tied the game at two. Both teams had chances late, but overtime was needed. In overtime, Tulsa was credited with six shots and was awarded a power play when Maxime St-Cyr was sent to the box for four minutes as he clipped Hubbs in the face near the net. The Oilers missed the net several times and Wichita escaped to the shootout. Gagne scored in the bottom of round one and Owsley stopped Garrett Ladd, Eric Drapluk and Shawn Bates to claim the 3-2 shootout win. Wichita snapped a seven-game winless streak and scored its first power play goal in the last nine games. Louick Marcotte added an assist and has points in three-straight (2g, 3a). Tatchell added an assist and has 11 points in his last 10 games (4g, 7a). Owsley was named the game's number one star, stopping 39 of 41 shots. Stevens suffers his second shutout loss of the year, stopping 31 of 33 shots he faced. Wichita went 1-for-2 on the power play. Tulsa was 1-for-6 on the man advantage.