Experience won out over youth Friday night when the Albert Lea Thunder played the Wichita Falls Wildcats at the NAHL Showcase in Blaine.

The Wildcats defeated the Thunder 6-1 and it was the veterans from Wichita Falls doing much of the work.

Kyle Delaurell, a 1988 birth year, scored two goals in the first period and Victor Karlsson and Curtis Heinz had two goals each in the rout.

“It was a matter of an older team going against a younger team,” Albert Lea head coach Brad Zangs said.

The Wildcats have nine players with a 1988 birth year while Albert Lea has just two.

Wichita Falls jumped all over the Thunder from the start. Delaurell scored 28 seconds into the game and then midway through the first period on a power play. The Wildcats had four power play goals in the game and tallied 45 shots.

The Thunder had trouble staying out of the penalty box Friday, racking up 13 penalties and Tyler Nelson received a game misconduct for checking from behind in the first period.

Mat Rabin started in goal for Albert Lea and was lifted in favor of Brady Sand after allowing the fifth goal of the game. After Sand entered it was a 1-1 game the rest of the way.

After scoring three goals in six periods Zangs said he was going to switch the lines up to try to generate some more offense. He did Friday, placing three veterans Danny Wood, Niko Kapetanovic and Colin Moberly together on the top line.

The line did produce the only goal of the game, a power play goal that ended a 0-for-18 streak when Derek Docken blasted a one-timer from the point on a pass from Colin Moberly in the third period. The Thunder had eight power plays total for the game.

“We’ve still have some learning to do,” Zangs said.

The Thunder played the Motor City Machine as this edition went to press.

1st 2nd 3rd

Wichita Falls – 2 2 2

Albert Lea – 0 0 1

GOAL SCORING:

First Period: Wichita Falls – Kyle Delaurell 1 (Jeff McNeil, Broderick Browne) 0:28. Wichita Falls – Kyle Delaurell (power play) (Thomas Erlacher) 10:19

Second Period: Wichita Falls – Victor Karlsson (power play) (Adam Sponseller, Curtis Heinz) 7:05

Wichita Falls – Curtis Heinz (Patrick Cahill, Victor Karlsson) 13:33

Third Period: Wichita Falls – Victor Karlsson (power play) (Patrick Cahill) 1:01

Wichita Falls – Curtis Heinz (power play) (Patrick Cahill, Victor Karlsson) 3:35

Albert Lea – Derek Docken (power play) (Niko Kapetanovic, Colin Moberly) 14:16

Power-Play Conversions: Albert Lea — 1 of 8, Wichita Falls — 4 of 13

SHOTS ON GOAL: 1st 2nd 3rd Total

Wichita Falls 15 17 13 45

Albert Lea 8 6 13 27

GOALIES: Wichita Fall — Mike Jarboe

Albert Lea — Mat Rabin, Brady Sand

Att: 1,200

Box score

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Wichita Falls 2 2 2 – – 4

Albert Lea 0 0 1 – – 1

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FIRST PERIOD — Scoring: 1, Wichita Falls, Kyle Delaurell (Jeff McNeil, Broderick Browne), 0:28. 2, Delaurell (power play) (Thomas Erlacher), 10:19. Penalties: Tyler Nelson, Albert Lea (checking from behind game misconduct), 2:38; Curtis Heinz, Wichita Falls (slashing), 6:56; Mitch Torrel, Albert Lea (checking from behind), 9:27; Tommy Robaczewski, Albert Lea (high sticking), 19:28

SECOND PERIOD — Scoring: 3, Wichita Falls, Victor Karlsson (power play) (Adam Sponseller, Curtis Heinz), 7:05. 4, Wichita Falls Curtis Heinz (Patrick Cahill, Victor Karlsson), 13:33. Penalities: Jason Nash, Wichita Falls (slashing), 3:52; Nakita Feaktisitov, Albert Lea – (checking from behind), 2 min, 6:24; Patrick Cahill, Wichita Falls (tripping), 9:43; Mitch Torrel, Albert Lea (slashing), 11:24; Mitch Tews, Albert Lea (too many men bench minor), 15:02; Tommy Robaczewski, Albert Lea (hooking), 15:56; Ricky Brown, Wichita Falls (slashing), 18:55

THIRD PERIOD — Scoring 5, Wichita Falls, Victor Karlsson (power play) (Patrick Cahill) 1:01. 6, Wichita Falls, Curtis Heinz (power play) (Patrick Cahill, Victor Karlsson) 3:35. 7, Albert Lea, Derek Docken (power play) (Niko Kapetanovic, Colin Moberly) 14:16. Penalties: Colin Moberly, Albert Lea (slashing), 0:59; Jimmie Perkins, Albert Lea (slashing), 2:03; Tommy Robaczewski, Albert Lea (slashing), 3:14; Aaron Quick, Wichita Falls (checking from behind), 4:40; Patrick Cahill, Wichita Falls (hooking), 8:16; Tyler Nelson, Albert Lea (elbowing), 9:41;

Kyle Delaurell, Wichita Falls (checking from behind), 13:01; Jake Armijo, Albert Lea (slashing), 15:17; Tommy Robaczewski, Albert Lea (slashing), 16:11; Curtis Heinz, Wichita Falls (interference), 16:53.