The Tahoe Knight Monsters faced the Wichita Thunder in game thirty-eight of the season as they looked to bounce back after a tough loss in their previous meeting. Tahoe, the ECHL affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights, sat in third place in the division with a record of 21-13-3. The Knight Monsters were eager to get back in the win column and regain momentum as they continued their push in the standings. Wichita, the ECHL affiliate of the San Jose Sharks, entered the matchup sitting sixth in the division with a 14-14-6 record. The Thunder were coming off a victory over Tahoe and were looking to build on that momentum as they tried to climb the standings. With both teams familiar with each other after their recent matchup, this game sets the stage for another competitive showdown.
The Tahoe Knight Monsters were looking to bounce back after a tough loss in the previous game, one that snapped their recent winning streak. With the defeat, Tahoe had begun to slide in the standings, falling further away from first place. The pressure was on as the Knight Monsters found themselves at risk of dropping into fourth place, making this matchup a crucial opportunity to regain momentum. On the other side, the Wichita Thunder were aiming for back-to-back wins and their fifteenth victory of the season. Their previous win could have served as the spark they needed to turn their season around, and this game would be an important benchmark to see if that momentum was real. A strong performance would signal that Wichita may finally be finding its stride as the season progresses.
#39 Cameron Whitehead got the start in net for the Tahoe Knight Monsters. It was his eighteenth game played this season for Tahoe. #31 Roddy Ross got the start in net for the Wichita Thunder. It was his twentieth game played this season for Wichita.
Seven minutes into the game, C.J. Valerian of the Tahoe Knight Monsters received a five-minute penalty for fighting. At the same time, John Gormley of the Wichita Thunder received a five-minute penalty for fighting. With under seven minutes left in the first period, Trent Swick of Tahoe received a penalty for roughing. The Tahoe Knight Monsters scored the first goal of the game with under five minutes left in the opening period. #12 Blake Wells scored the goal. He was assisted by #19 Luke Adam and #16 Jake Durflinger.
The Tahoe Knight Monsters had a 1-0 lead after the first period.
Two minutes into the second period, the Tahoe Knight Monsters scored. #12 Blake Wells scored his second goal of the game. His goal was assisted by #48 Anthony Collins. This goal gave Tahoe a two-goal lead.
Seven minutes into the second period, Brennan Kapcheck of Tahoe was called for tripping. With under six minutes left in the second period, #26 Nate Kallen scored to give the Knight Monsters a three-goal lead. His goal was assisted by #16 Jake Durflinger and #86 Craig McCabe.
With under three minutes left in the second period, Noah Beck of the Wichita Thunder was called for tripping. On the penalty kill, the Wichita Thunder scored their first goal of the game. The goal was scored by #12 Peter Bates. His goal was assisted by #21 Jay Dickman. This goal brought the Knight Monsters lead back down to two goals.
The Knight Monsters were still leading the game 3-1 going into the third period.
Five minutes into the third period, Linden Alger of Tahoe was called for high-sticking. On the power play, #21 Jay Dickman scored for the Wichita Thunder to bring the lead down to one goal. His goal was assisted by #20 Noah Beck and #12 Peter Bates.
With under eight minutes left in the game, Trent Swick of Tahoe was called for interference. With under seven minutes left in the game, Kirby Proctor of Wichita was called for tripping. With under six minutes left in the game, C.J. Valerian of Tahoe was called for a bench minor for too many men. With just over two minutes left in the game, Luke Adam of Tahoe was called for hooking. On the power play, the Thunder tied the game. The tying goal was scored by #20 Noah Beck. His goal was assisted by #22 Michal Stinil and #16 Kyle Crnkovic.
Regulation ended in a 3-3 tie. The game would go into overtime.
Three minutes into overtime, Kyle Crnkovic of Wichita was called for slashing. Neither team scored in overtime. Overtime ended with the score still tied at 3-3. The game would go into a shootout.
#76 Trent Swick started off the shootout with a miss for the Tahoe Knight Monsters. Then #16 Kyle Crnkovic missed for the Wichita Thunder. Then #65 Devon Paliani scored for the Knight Monsters. Then #20 Noah Beck missed for the Thunder. Then #25 Casey Bailey missed for the Knight Monsters. Then #22 Michal Stinil scored for the Thunder to tie the shootout. Then #19 Luke Adam missed for the Knight Monsters. Then #21 Jay Dickman missed for the Thunder. Then #10 Mike O’Leary scored to give the Knight Monsters the lead in the shootout. #29 Matt Crasa then had to score for the Thunder to keep the game alive. Crasa missed his shot. The Knight Monsters won the shootout 2-1. The final score was 4-3 Tahoe Knight Monsters.
https://echl.com/videos/tahoe-knight-monsters-vs-wichita-thunder-jan-17-2026
The Tahoe Knight Monsters looked to be in full control after building a three-goal lead in the second period, but what followed turned into an all-too-familiar rollercoaster. The Wichita Thunder stormed back with three unanswered goals, erasing Tahoe’s advantage and forcing the game into overtime. Neither team could find the back of the net during the extra frame, sending the contest to a shootout where the Knight Monsters ultimately prevailed. While the win adds another point to the standings, it’s hard to ignore that this game never should have reached that stage. Tahoe had done enough to shut down Wichita’s offense early, yet once again allowed the Thunder to hang around (much like in the previous matchup) and eventually climb all the way back. A three-goal cushion should have been more than enough, but instead, the Knight Monsters found themselves grinding through overtime and relying on the shootout to escape with the victory. In many ways, it felt like a collapse despite the positive result. Overall, this back-to-back set came across as a below-average effort from Tahoe, especially disappointing considering they were coming off an impressive three-game winning streak.
The Tahoe Knight Monsters are set to face the Kansas City Mavericks in their thirty-ninth game of the season. This matchup is the first of back-to-back games in Kansas City. The puck is dropping on Friday, January 23rd, 2026, at 5:00 PM.
Zac Electrifly 
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