Thunder outlast Tulsa on road

December 14, 2010|KWCH 12 Eyewitness Sports

TULSA, Okla. — 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.

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