Kory Scoran

The Wichita Thunder finalized its opening night roster on Thursday after releasing goaltender Mark Sibbald. The Thunder now has 19 players on its active roster heading into their 2010-11 season opener Friday at Tulsa.  Central Hockey League teams with 19 players must designate a healthy scratch each night. Head Coach Kevin McClelland also selected his on-ice leadership, announcing defenseman Daniel Tetrault as team captain and forwards Lance Galbraith and Matt Huabbauer as alternates.

The Wichita Thunder lost 5-3 to the Allen Americans at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Saturday night. Nino Musitelli broke a 3-3 tie with 1:57 remaining in the third period. Colton Yellow Horn sealed the game for Allen with an empty net goal with two seconds left. Allen took a 1-0 lead at 2:07 in the first period when Nino Musitelli snuck a rebound from Dave Bonk past Ian Keserich. Wichita tied the game at 3:24 on a goal from Chris Greene. Greene buried a backdoor pass from A.J. Gale beyond the left of Americans' goaltender Chris Whitley.

The Wichita Thunder lost 4-2 to the Tulsa Oilers at the BOK Center on Saturday night. Chris Greene helped the Thunder grab a first period lead, scoring shorthanded at 11:06. Greene grabbed a loose puck at the Wichita blue line, worked up the ice, and faked out Oilers' goaltender Ian Keserich with a shot under his left pad. Tulsa ran off three straight goals in the third to take a 3-1 advantage, including two scores separated by just 50 seconds. After Marty Magers made a great kick save on a shot from Jack Combs, Combs snuck his own rebound past Magers' left to tie the game at 2:22.

The Wichita Thunder lost 5-0 to the Missouri Mavericks in Game Two of the Opening Round at the Independence Events Center on Friday night. The best-of-five series is now tied 1-1 heading into Game Three on Saturday night. Brandon Coccimiglio scored a natural hat trick in the third, with all three goals coming on the power play, while Rob Nolan pitched his second shutout of the season against the Thunder, going 30 of 30. Leading 2-0 in the third, Coccimiglio scored at 5:57 on a close-range shot past Marc-Antoine Gelinas.  The Mavericks went up 4-0 at 12:35 when Coccimiglio re-directed Blake Forsyth's shot from the left point past Gelinas' right.  Coccimiglio completed the hat trick with 13.5 seconds left in the game, sneaking a loose puck under Gelinas' left pad. Missouri took their first lead of the series when Ryan Jardine scored on a breakaway at 6:04 in the first.  Jardine sped past the Thunder defense and used a forehand-backhand-forehand move to beat Gelinas to his right.

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 Wichita Thunder lost 7-4 to the Rapid City Rush at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center on Friday night. Rush forward Les Reaney scored a hat trick, contributing to a run of four unanswered goals over the final two periods that allowed Rapid City to seize control of the game. Down 2-1 in the second, Matt Robinson tied the game with his second goal of the night at 10:08 in the second. A.J. Gale forced a turnover at the blue line, allowing Robinson to cut into the Rapid City defense and connect from the high slot.

The Wichita Thunder defeated the Missouri Mavericks 7-4 at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Sunday evening. Trailing 3-1 heading into the third period, the Thunder erupted for six goals in the final frame to pull out the win. Jesse Bennefield finished the night with two goals and three points, including the Thunder's first penalty shot goal of the season. Andrew Martens pulled Wichita within 3-2 just 65 seconds into the third, taking a pass off the boards from Bennefield and then shooting the puck over the right shoulder of Mavericks' goaltender Rob Nolan.

The Wichita Thunder whitewashed the Tulsa Oilers 8-0 at the BOK Center on Sunday afternoon. Chris Moran scored the first two goals of his professional career while 21-year old goaltender Marc-Antoine Gelinas completed a 23-save shutout in his Thunder debut.  The eight goals were the most by the Thunder since December 8th, 2006. For a second straight game, the Thunder built a two-goal lead in the first period.  At 2:55, Chris Schwab knocked a second rebound past the right of Oilers' goaltender Tyler Sims for the early Thunder advantage.

The Wichita Thunder lost 5-0 to the Missouri Mavericks in Game Two of the Opening Round at the Independence Events Center on Friday night. The best-of-five series is now tied 1-1 heading into Game Three on Saturday night. Brandon Coccimiglio scored a natural hat trick in the third, with all three goals coming on the power play, while Rob Nolan pitched his second shutout of the season against the Thunder, going 30 of 30. Leading 2-0 in the third, Coccimiglio scored at 5:57 on a close-range shot past Marc-Antoine Gelinas.  The Mavericks went up 4-0 at 12:35 when Coccimiglio re-directed Blake Forsyth's shot from the left point past Gelinas' right.  Coccimiglio completed the hat trick with 13.5 seconds left in the game, sneaking a loose puck under Gelinas' left pad. Missouri took their first lead of the series when Ryan Jardine scored on a breakaway at 6:04 in the first.  Jardine sped past the Thunder defense and used a forehand-backhand-forehand move to beat Gelinas to his right.

The Wichita Thunder lost 4-2 to the Tulsa Oilers at the BOK Center on Saturday night. Chris Greene helped the Thunder grab a first period lead, scoring shorthanded at 11:06. Greene grabbed a loose puck at the Wichita blue line, worked up the ice, and faked out Oilers' goaltender Ian Keserich with a shot under his left pad. Tulsa ran off three straight goals in the third to take a 3-1 advantage, including two scores separated by just 50 seconds. After Marty Magers made a great kick save on a shot from Jack Combs, Combs snuck his own rebound past Magers' left to tie the game at 2:22.

The Wichita Thunder lost 7-4 to the Rapid City Rush at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center on Friday night. Rush forward Les Reaney scored a hat trick, contributing to a run of four unanswered goals over the final two periods that allowed Rapid City to seize control of the game. Down 2-1 in the second, Matt Robinson tied the game with his second goal of the night at 10:08 in the second. A.J. Gale forced a turnover at the blue line, allowing Robinson to cut into the Rapid City defense and connect from the high slot.

The Wichita Thunder defeated the Missouri Mavericks 7-4 at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Sunday evening. Trailing 3-1 heading into the third period, the Thunder erupted for six goals in the final frame to pull out the win. Jesse Bennefield finished the night with two goals and three points, including the Thunder's first penalty shot goal of the season. Andrew Martens pulled Wichita within 3-2 just 65 seconds into the third, taking a pass off the boards from Bennefield and then shooting the puck over the right shoulder of Mavericks' goaltender Rob Nolan.

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 Wichita Thunder whitewashed the Tulsa Oilers 8-0 at the BOK Center on Sunday afternoon. Chris Moran scored the first two goals of his professional career while 21-year old goaltender Marc-Antoine Gelinas completed a 23-save shutout in his Thunder debut.  The eight goals were the most by the Thunder since December 8th, 2006. For a second straight game, the Thunder built a two-goal lead in the first period.  At 2:55, Chris Schwab knocked a second rebound past the right of Oilers' goaltender Tyler Sims for the early Thunder advantage.

The Wichita Thunder lost 5-3 to the Allen Americans at the INTRUST Bank Arena on Saturday night. Nino Musitelli broke a 3-3 tie with 1:57 remaining in the third period. Colton Yellow Horn sealed the game for Allen with an empty net goal with two seconds left. Allen took a 1-0 lead at 2:07 in the first period when Nino Musitelli snuck a rebound from Dave Bonk past Ian Keserich. Wichita tied the game at 3:24 on a goal from Chris Greene. Greene buried a backdoor pass from A.J. Gale beyond the left of Americans' goaltender Chris Whitley.

The Wichita Thunder finalized its opening night roster on Thursday after releasing goaltender Mark Sibbald. The Thunder now has 19 players on its active roster heading into their 2010-11 season opener Friday at Tulsa.  Central Hockey League teams with 19 players must designate a healthy scratch each night. Head Coach Kevin McClelland also selected his on-ice leadership, announcing defenseman Daniel Tetrault as team captain and forwards Lance Galbraith and Matt Huabbauer as alternates.