Anson Thornton secured his first career ECHL shutout by stopping 43 shots to lead the Idaho Steelheads past the Wichita Thunder 2-0 on Wednesday morning at INTRUST Bank Arena.
Coming off a 12-day break since their last game, the Steelheads found themselves pinned in the opening frame as the Thunder dictated the pace. Wichita outshot Idaho 17-4 and earned a pair of power plays during the dominant stretch. Thornton stood tall against the early onslaught, turning away all 17 shots to keep his side level through the first stanza.
Idaho capitalized on the momentum shift in the middle period, outshooting the hosts 11-9. Just over 15 minutes into the frame, Mason Nevers advanced into the offensive zone and unleashed a wrist shot from the high circle that squeezed past a pair of Wichita defenders and goaltender Connor Hasley, breaking the deadlock for a 1-0 advantage.
The Thunder mounted another heavy offensive push in the third period as they chased an equalizer, holding a 15-6 advantage in shots on goal. With under two minutes remaining in regulation, Wichita benched Hasley in favor of an extra attacker.
Instead of finding the tying goal, the Thunder conceded when Nick Portz maneuvered past multiple defenders to slide the puck into the empty net, extending the lead to 2-0 with seconds remaining. Thornton preserved the clean sheet through the final frantic minute to complete the 43-save shutout.
At the other end of the ice, Wichita netminder Connor Hasley turned aside 20 of 21 shots in a strong effort despite taking the loss.
Following the midweek contest, the two teams will return to the ice to continue their three-game series.
- First Star: Anson Thornton (IDH) — 43 saves, win
- Second Star: Mason Nevers (IDH) — 1 goal, +1 rating, 2 shots
- Third Star: Connor Hasley (WIC) — 20 saves
The Idaho Steelheads continue their three-game set against the Wichita Thunder on Friday, with puck drop set for 6:05 p.m. MT from Wichita.
