INDEPENDENCE, MO – The Kansas City Mavericks defeated Wichita 4-3 on Saturday night at Cable Dahmer Arena. Kansas City improved its strong finish, outshooting Wichita 36-22 and securing the win in front of 5,176 fans.
Kansas City opened the scoring late in the first period as Tyler Schleppe found the back of the net at 18:09, with assists from Marcus Crawford and Ryan Jones. Wichita responded early in the second period, but Casey Carreau answered at 2:19 to regain the lead. After Wichita tied the game again, Jackson Jutting scored on the power play at 19:36 to give Kansas City a 3-2 advantage heading into the third.
Wichita evened the game late in the second period, but David Cotton scored just 26 seconds into the third period, which stood as the game-winning goal. Casey Carreau led the Mavericks with a goal and two assists, while Marcus Crawford added two assists in the win and set a new franchise record for assists in a single season with 72. Dylan Wells made 19 saves on 22 shots to earn the win in net.
The Mavericks return home to open the Kelly Cup Playoffs on April 24 and 25 at Cable Dahmer Arena. Tickets are available at kcmavericks.com.
