INDEPENDENCE, MO – Wichita began a six-game road trip on Friday night, knocking off Kansas City, 6-3, at Cable Dahmer Arena. 

Noah Beck and Declan Smith led the way with three points while Peter Bates added two helpers. Roddy Ross earned his second win of the season, stopping 29 shots.

Smith opened the scoring at 12:39 of the first period. Vanroboys won a battle in the corner to the left of Ian Shane. Houle found Smith in the slot, and he put a one-timer past him for his first of the season to make it 1-0.

In the second, Houle added to the lead just 29 seconds into the frame. Noah Beck danced around Landon McCallum at the blue line, fired a shot on net and Shane made the save. He couldn’t find the rebound, which popped into the crease. Houle pounced on it and made it 2-0.

Just over a minute later, David Cotton cut the lead to one. Jake McLaughlin raced up the ice and peeled back in the corner. McLaughlin fed a pass to Cotton at the right faceoff dot, and he beat Ross for his third of the year to make it 2-1.

Wichita re-gained a two-goal margin at 16:50 with a marker from Spencer Blackwell. Michal Stinil lifted a pass up in the air that got behind the defense. Blackwell beat Luke LaMaster to the puck and unloaded a shot past Shane to make it 3-1.

Kansas City fought back into the contest early in the third. Jackson Jutting took a shot that was initially blocked at the left point. He stayed with the play and fired it through traffic at 1:31 to make it 3-2.

Beck recorded his first of two at 3:32. Wichita won a faceoff to the left of Shane. Beck got to the loose puck in the slot and scored his fourth of the year to make it 4-2.

Jack Randl cut the lead back to one once again on the man advantage at 5:35. Bobo Carpenter let a shot go from the left circle that caught Ross’s leg pad. Randl got to a loose puck and put home a rebound for his fifth of the campaign to make it 4-3.

Wichita was awarded another power play when Hudson Wilson was called for slashing. He broke Smith’s stick in two pieces and gave the Thunder another opportunity. Kyle Crnkovic made a great play to steal the puck in the slot and kept the play alive. Bates fed it back to the blue line and Beck put one past Shane from the high slot for his fifth of the year to make it 5-3.

Smith added an empty netter at 19:25 and Wichita earned a 6-3 victory.

Wichita snapped a three-game road losing skid and evened the season-series with Kansas City at one win apiece.

Beck and Smith each tallied two goals and an assist. Blackwell scored his second of the year. Houle finished with a goal and an assist.

Wichita recorded two power play goals in a game for the first time this season and finished 2-for-6. Kansas City was 1-for-3 with the man advantage.

The two teams play once again tomorrow night at Cable Dahmer Arena to close a three-game series. Opening faceoff is set for 6:05 p.m.

Single game tickets for all games are on sale now. Our next homestand takes place starting on Wednesday, October 29 against the Florida Everblades. Buy tickets by clicking HERE.

HARVEY COUNTY —On Wednesday, Harvey County Chief Judge Wilder sentenced 54-year-old Shyla McFrederic of Sedgwick, Kansa for Distribution of Methamphetamine, a severity level 1 drug felony, according to the Harvey County Attorney’s office.

The case originated from McFrederick’s arrest in Sedgwick, Kansas, on April 19, 2024, when she was found in possession of 111 grams of methamphetamine, 22 grams of psilocybin, 94 grams of marijuana, and four fentanyl tablets.

Under the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines, McFrederick faced a presumptive prison term of 138 to 154 months in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections. Harvey County Attorney Heather Figger requested that the Court impose a 146-month prison sentence, emphasizing that the State had already exercised leniency by dismissing seven felony and five misdemeanor charges across three separate criminal cases as part of the plea agreement.

County Attorney Figger also urged the Court to consider the devastating impact that the distribution of these substances has on the Harvey County community. Counsel for McFrederick requested a downward departure to probation.

In ruling on the matter, Chief Judge Wilder noted that the case involved “the highest level drug felony that exists and that is only for the methamphetamine you possessed and not the other drugs.”

During sentencing, the Court cited a substance use evaluation completed by McFrederick in September 2025, which indicated that she still was not accepting responsibility for her crimes. The Court also noted that McFrederick’s no contest plea was not an acceptance of responsibility.

After consideration, Chief Judge Wilder granted a durational departure, sentencing McFrederick to 60 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections. The Court based this reduced sentence on McFrederick’s decision to waive her preliminary hearing and enter a plea—thereby saving the State the expense of further proceedings—and some limited acceptance of responsibility demonstrated by the actions she had taken to improve herself.