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Game Preview: Stockton Thunder At Bakersfield Condors

October 19, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


Friday, October 19, 2007

Radio: 1420 KSTN

Online: www.stocktonthunder.com (B2 Networks)

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Site: Rabobank Arena

2007-08 HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES

10/19/07 Stockton at Bakersfield

12/14/07 Bakersfield at Stockton

12/21/07 Bakersfield at Stockton

12/29/07 Stockton at Bakersfield

01/06/08 Bakersfield at Stockton

02/01/08 Bakersfield at Stockton

02/02/08 Bakersfield at Stockton

02/23/08 Stockton at Bakersfield

03/17/08 Stockton at Bakersfield

TONIGHT'S MATCHUP

The day that Thunder fans have waited for all summer arrives tonight, as the 2007-08 season gets underway with a Friday night matchup against the Bakersfield Condors at Rabobank Arena. For the second year in a row, the Thunder begins the year at Bakersfield and polished off the Condors in a 6-1 win last year on October 20. The game begins a four-game road trip for the Thunder. Goaltender Cam Ellsworth posted an impressive .947 save percentage, 3-1-1 record and 1.97 goals-against-average in last year's series while Brett Lutes had four assists, leading returning Condors in last year's series.

06-07 SERIES RECAP

The Thunder enjoyed success against the Condors last season, tallying a 4-1-2 record in the head-to-head series. The Thunder never lost a game in regulation at Rabobank Arena, posting a record of 3-0-1 on the road. The Thunder took the final head-to-head matchup last season in a thrilling 4-3 shootout victory at Rabobank Arena, when goaltender Cam Ellsworth made 43 saves while Nathan Martz scored the game's deciding goal in the eighth round of a shootout, propelling the Thunder to its ninth consecutive victory.

ALL-STAR-STUDDED FRONTLINE

Facing a re-tooling process along the frontline, Head Coach Chris Cichocki added three forwards during the off-season with ECHL All-Star Game experience. Right wing Jesse Bennefield, a 2006 All-Star selection, won the fastest skater event at the skills competition at Fresno's Save Mart Center. Right wing Luke Fulghum had a hat trick and added an assist for the American Conference in the game and signed with the Thunder as a free agent late in the offseason. Brandon Schwartz was Long Beach's lone representative at the 2007 ECHL All-Star Game in Idaho.

OILING UP THE SHIP

Eight players assigned to the Thunder from the Edmonton Oilers' AHL affiliate, the Springfield Falcons, also dot the Thunder roster, including goaltender Glenn Fisher, a fifth round (148th overall) selection by the Oilers in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft and helped guide the University of Denver (NCAA) to two straight Frozen Four national championships in 2004 and 2005. Center Jacob Micflikier averaged nearly a point-per-game in his four-year (2003-07) college career with national-power University of New Hampshire (NCAA), scoring 150 points (58g-92a) in 154 career games with the Wildcats. Right wing David Rohlfs was a fifth round (154th overall) selection by the Oilers in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft and a University of Michigan (NCAA) product.

Defenseman Brad Farynuk, who signed an AHL contract with Springfield in the summer, helped guide the Dayton Bombers to the Kelly Cup Finals last season and tied for the ECHL scoring lead among defensemen with 16 points (4g-12a) in 22 Kelly Cup Playoff games. Left wing Adam Huxley parlayed a tryout with the Oilers into an AHL contract with Springfield and re-joins the Thunder roster after leading Stockton with a club single-season record 241 penalty minutes last season.

Center Geoff Paukovich, selected in the second round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Oilers, participated in Oilers training camp this season. Center Jonas Almtorp, a fourth round NHL Entry Draft selection of the Oilers in 2002, was assigned to the Thunder on Wednesday and played in three NHL preseason games with the Oilers this year. Forward Pat Bateman was assigned to the Thunder from Springfield in September and is waiting immigration clearance.

ABOUT THE CONDORS

Bakersfield is entering its fifth season in the ECHL and is celebrating its 10th season in professional hockey. The Condors are independent of an NHL affiliate and set team records last year with a 94-point season, posting a 41-19-12 record which placed second in the Pacific Division. Captain Sean Venedam set a Condors ECHL record last year with 74 points (27g-47a) while left wing Brett Lutes led the team with 34 goals. Returning for his second stint between the Bakersfield pipes is goaltender Yutaka Fukufuji, who made history last year as the first Japanese-born player to make his NHL debut, suiting up for four games with the Los Angeles Kings.

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