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Thunder take 1-0 advantage in CHL playoffs with Rio Grande

March 30, 2012|KWCH 12 Eyewitness Sports

WICHITA, Kan. — RG Flath recorded his first post-season hat trick and Thomas Beauregard added three assists to pace Wichita past Rio Grande Valley, 4-2. Wichita leads the best-of-seven-series 1-0 with Game two taking place on Sunday afternoon.

Rio Grande Valley struck first with a power play goal at 13:45 of the first period. Chris Greene was called for tripping and the Bees capitalized as Mike Wilson's blast was tipped by Brandon Campos past Adam Russo to make it 1-0. Wichita seemed to have the upper-hand, outshooting the Bees 10-1 at one point and delivered a multitude of hits along the boards.

Alex Bourret (1) scored off a one-timer from the slot two minutes into the second period to erase the 1-0 deficit. Wichita took the lead with 15:58 left in the second off a power play goal in front of the net by Flath (1). At 14:23, Flath scored his second of the game after Beauregard stole the puck behind the Rio Grande net and found Flath just in front of the crease to make it 3-1. Mike Wilson cut the lead to one after he found a rebound at the left circle and scored to make it 3-2.

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The only goal of the third period came at 2:12 when Alex Bourret created a turn-over, skated down on a two-on-one shorthanded break and fed it over to Flath for his third of the night. The Thunder clamped down from there and took Game One with a 4-2 victory.

Flath, who came into the game with two goals during the post-season, notched his second-career professional hat trick with his first coming 10 days ago in the Thunder's Governor's Cup clinching win against Texas on March 20th. Flath, Beauregard (3a) and Bourret (1g, 2a) combined for nine points with the only other point on the night awarded to Daniel Tetrault. Wichita improves its post-season record to 46-48 all-time and is now 11-8 in the first game of a playoff series.

Wichita and Rio Grande Valley will have a day off before getting back after it in Game two on Sunday in the first-ever meeting between the two franchises in the post-season.

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