Dickman And Stinil Spur Wichita To Comeback Win Over Grizzlies In Shootout

The Wichita Thunder came into Monday’s contest in West Valley City still smarting from a 9-3 Saturday loss to the Utah Grizzlies, a game that saw Utah put up seven goals in the second period.

Monday was a different story. The Thunder got their revenge with a 4-3 win in a shootout. Jay Dickman and Michal Stinil each scored two points, while Thunder goaltender Trevor Gorsuch made 42 saves to preserve the road victory.

It was Utah’s first Monday game this season. The first period looked similar to Saturday, as the Grizzlies took a 2-0 lead.

Cole Fonstad, who had three goals over his last two games coming into Monday, kept his streak going with a shot from the right faceoff circle just 57 seconds into the game.

Bryan Yoon increased Utah’s lead to 2-0 with a power-play goal at 7:13 on a shot from the blue line with six seconds left in the man advantage for his seventh of the season. It also happened to be Yoon's birthday.

How quickly things can change. The Thunder came out firing in the second period with two goals in the span of 18 seconds to tie the score 2-2.

Nolan Burke got things started at 17:49 after taking a stretch pass from Joe Carroll and putting a shot past Utah netminder Vinny Duplessis.

After the Grizzlies’ Aaron Aragon was called for tripping following the ensuing faceoff, Peter Bates scored eight seconds into the man advantage on a one-timer from the left circle. It was Bates’ 13^th goal of the season, and he leads Wichita in scoring with 45 points.

The game remained tied until 11:21 of the third period, when the Thunder took their first lead. Stinil created a turnover at the right boards, then found Dickman at the right circle. Dickman threaded a feed to T.J. Lloyd at the left post, and Lloyd notched his fifth of the season for a 3-2 Wichita lead.

The Grizzlies tied the game one second after Stinil finished serving a clipping penalty. Neil Shea, who has a point in all 12 home games he’s played in, sped down the right wing and scored from the same spot as Fonstad did in the first period.

The 3-3 score remained that way through regulation, marking the first time in the season series the two teams would need more than 60 minutes to decide the outcome.

Utah controlled most of the overtime period, but couldn’t get the game-winner despite a 4-1 shot advantage.

In the skills competition, Stinil scored the only goal in the bottom of round two to give the Thunder a hard-fought 4-3 victory.

Gorsuch stopped all three Grizzlies shooters to pick up his seventh victory of the season.

Wichita went 1-for-2 on the power play, while the Grizzlies were 1-for-4.

The Thunder continue their seven-game road trip with a visit to Tulsa Friday against the Oilers at the BOK Center. The Grizzlies will remain in West Valley City to host the Idaho Steelheads in a three-game series Friday, Saturday and Monday.