By WJBC Staff
DUBUQUE, Iowa – Bloomington made three separate moves on Monday’s trade deadline and all three pieces the Thunder acquired played a key role in a 2-1 overtime win over Dubuque at the Mystique Ice Center on Friday night.
Walker Duehr (Minnesota State Mankato) scored the game-winner on the power-play, his first goal in a Thunder uniform,Christiano Versich (Colorado College) set up both goals, and Logan Halladay stopped 20 shots to pick up his first win since returning to Bloomington.
After Quinn Preston took a penalty with just 2:24 left in overtime, the Thunder (19-23-5, 43 pts) immediately made the Fighting Saints (29-12-7, 65 pts) pay. Off the ensuing faceoff, Versich got a feed from defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk (University of Wisconsin), skated the puck to the high slot and fed Duehr in the left circle. In his second game in a Thunder uniform, Duehr unleashed a one-time blast from the circle that beat Dubuque goaltender Jaxon Castor to give the Thunder their fourth overtime win of the season.
Although Dubuque took the first-period lead in the season series finale, Bloomington battled back and tied the game only a handful of minutes later. It was Verisch who set up the tying goal, battling to keep the puck in the offensive zone before feeding Ethan Somoza in the slot. Somoza whipped the pass past Castor to knot the score at one with 4 minutes, 44 seconds left in the opening period.
Both goaltenders settled in from there in a game that featured just 38 combined shots on goal, the lowest combined shot total in a game for the Thunder this season. Halladay, a Merrimack College commit, bested Castor in his second game back after being reacquired on Monday.
One of Halladay’s best saves of the night came moments before the Thunder won the game. Dubuque had a two-on-one rush into the Thunder zone, but Halladay stopped Preston point blank on a one-timer to keep the game going. Preston got whistled for a penalty just moments after being denied to send the Thunder to the fateful power play.
The Thunder return home on Saturday to take on the Madison Capitols for Youth Jersey Giveaway Night. Tickets start as low as $10, and the first 500 kids 12-and-younger will receive a Thunder jersey. Jerseys will be placed at all entrances to the Coliseum. Faceoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
