The Missouri Mavericks pulled off their biggest comeback victory of the season on Friday night at Silverstein Eye Centers Arena and won 5-4 in overtime against the Wichita Thunder. The Mavericks trailed 4-0, but rallied for the win and improved their record to 13-15-5 on the season.
The Mavericks pulled even in the “Visit Independence, Visit Wichita” Cup at two games apiece with the win.
Click here for tonight’s box score.
When the Mavericks and Thunder last met on December 23, the Mavericks earned their first shutout of the season in a 4-0 triumph. Tonight, however, the Thunder struck early in the first period and kept the Mavericks from repeating the feat. Wichita’s marker came moments after the Mavericks had killed off the first penalty of the game. David Friedmann put a shot on goal off the rush and Mavericks goalie Eamon McAdam kicked it away. The rebound laid up in front of the net, though, and Vincent Arseneau was there to jab it home for his seventh goal of the season at 6:20. Jamie Doornbosch converted a 2-on-1 with Ryan Tesink at 14:04 to double Wichita’s lead.
A two-goal Thunder outburst 14 seconds apart put the Mavericks into a four-goal hole early in the second. Macoy Erkamps netted his first of the season on the power play at 2:47 which made it 3-0, and Brandon Carlson followed with a point shot for his first of the season. The Mavericks chipped away at the lead with Carter Verhaeghe’s first of the season at 5:11 of the second. He maneuvered into the slot and beat Drew Owsley with a wrist shot under the cross bar.
The Mavericks peppered the net with quality chances on three consecutive power plays, but Owsley turned in several sparkling saves to keep the Thunder ahead by three. Persistence paid off for the Mavericks, though, as Zach Tolkinen blistered a slap shot from the blue line past Owsley with 12 seconds left in the period. It was Tolkinen’s third goal of the season, and first with the Mavericks, after a trade earlier in the week brought him over from Manchester.
Kevin Tansey was named an ECHL All-Star earlier this week and the rookie defenseman celebrated with a goal in his first game since the announcement. The rookie defenseman out of Clarkson University gunned a slap shot past Owsley for a power play goal 4:44 into the third period and pulled the Mavericks within one. It was Tansey’s third goal of the season. Missouri seized momentum after that goal and built up a 10-1 shot advantage for the period by the time it was 10 minutes old.
As time wound down in the game, the Mavericks got the clutch goal they had been looking for. Verhaeghe shook loose in the slot and let a wrister fly. Owsley made the initial save but Darren Nowick found the puck amidst heavy traffic and punched home the tying score with 3:10 to play.
In the extra session Verhaeghe nearly ended it with a breakaway in the first minute, but Owsley turned him away. McAdam stopped both a breakaway and a 2-on-1 of his own to keep the Thunder from a sudden-death win. Missouri finally prevailed with Dan Correale capping a breathtaking overtime with his fourth of the season at 2:27 of the frame.
McAdam netted his third win of the season with 24 saves on the night. The Mavericks ended the night 1-for-5 on the power play and 2-for-3 on the penalty kill.
Mark your calendar! The Mavericks return home on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 7:05 p.m. to face the Wichita Thunder in the “Visit Independence, Visit Wichita” Cup.
