The Wichita Thunder find themselves in a big hole trailing 2-0 in the Ray Miron Presidents’ Cup Finals heading into Game 3 tonight in Fort Wayne against the Komets and the spotlight in getting out of that hole may firmly shift to a different masked man between the pipes when the puck drops at 7:30 PM (EST) tonight at the War Memorial Coliseum.

Rookie Bryan Hogan could get the start for the Thunder due to an injury to Adam Russo that forced him out of Game 2, a 6-3 loss at home to the Komets.

The seemingly quicker Komets have been playing tricks on the Thunder defense through the first two games and in Game 2, Russo was tested often.  He allowed four goals on 20 shots in just over half of the hockey game.

Hogan came in, seeing his first action of the Finals and his first action since Game 3 of the Berry Conference Finals, and was sharp for much of the 25 minutes he played despite allowing two goals on 11 shots.

Russo had been the man for the Thunder so far in the playoffs going 8-5 with a 2.40 goals against average but The Wichita Eagles reported that he suffered a concussion in Sunday’s Game 2 and that his availability for Game 3 and beyond is in series doubt.

Hogan, a former star at the University of Michigan, began his rookie campaign in Ohio with the Dayton Gems and had some early success winning the Oakley CHL Goaltender of the Month award in the third week of the season. 

The Highland, Michigan native started the season with points in seven of his first 10 games (4-3-3) but he fell on hard times hitting a wall somewhat winning just three more times in the next two months before getting traded to the Thunder.

That deal came on January 24 and it resurrected the season for the first-year goalie.

In 14 games, the 23-year-old earned 13 decisions going 10-3 with a shutout, a sparking 1.96 goals against average and a .937 save percentage.  Maybe more importantly, he allowed the often used Russo to get some nights off and stay sharp for the post-season, which he was.

Now the Thunder will have to make history as no team has lost the first two games of the Finals and ultimately come back to win the Cup in the league’s 20-year history and in order for Wichita to make that history, Hogan will have to be the best player on the ice.  A strong run by Wichita to finish would have to mean a strong run by Hogan and would create a tale that would be told for many years to come.