6,044 fans enjoy New Year's Eve extravaganza, Thunder win to close calendar year

January 1, 2012 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


STOCKTON, Calif. - Goaltender Olivier Roy made 26 saves and stopped all five shootout attempts to help lift the Stockton Thunder (13-13-4, 30 points) to a 4-3 shootout victory over the Ontario Reign before a crowd of 6,044 on Saturday night at Stockton Arena.

The Thunder, who hosted a special New Year's Eve event to close out the calendar year, was aided offensively with two goals by Kevin Baker and Milan Kytnar's third period goal.

Roy, who earned his first career win at Stockton Arena, stopped Kevin Estrada with a blocker save in the fifth round. The Thunder snapped a season long six game winless skid (0-5-1) and finished the 2011 year with a combined record of 38-26-10.

"We've been working hard during this stretch and hadn't received any bounces, so to get the win was a good feeling," said Thunder head coach Matt Thomas. "It should give us confidence to continue playing the way we've been playing. Baker and Kytnar were great. Tony DeHart was phenomenal and became the player he's been capable of playing. Olivier was upset how the shootout went last night and certainly closed it out tonight."

Roy turned the tables on Ontario after the Thunder dropped the same score in a shootout the previous night in Stockton.

Baker's team leading 14th goal of the season lifted the Thunder to a 1-0 lead with 13:52 left in the first period. With the Thunder hemming the Reign in the offensive zone, Baker collected Jesse Fratkin's missed slapshot off the backboards and stuffed the rebound past Chris Carrozzi's blocker.

Ontario countered with back to back goals in the second period to take a 2-1 lead. Bill Bagron punched in a third chance rebound at the front of the net at the 1:41 mark, followed by Derek Couture's deflection off his leg following a point shot by Vincent LoVerde with 14:10 left.

Roy followed with a highlight reel save with 8:54 left in the second period. While down on his back trying to move to the right post, he flared the glove out and denied a C.J. Stretch wrist shot attempt to the upper corner.

Baker followed with his second goal of the game on another highlight reel play, tying the game at 2-2 with 6:02 left in the period. He cradled Jordan Foreman's cross ice pass at the right wing, raced around the defense and beat Carrozzi with a backhanded deke.

The Thunder claimed their second lead of the game when Kytnar chipped a rebound past Carrozzi at the left post with 15:08 left in the third period, after Nathan Deck was denied on a slapshot from the left point.

Kevin Estrada's second goal of the season tied the game at 15:56 on a backhander from the left goal line.

Carrozzi and Ontario turned away a late Thunder power play in overtime but Roy held the Reign scoreless in the first three frames of the shootout. Kytnar's fourth round goal, going blocker side on Carrozzi, was the deciding shootout goal before Roy stopped Estrada's wrist shot in the bottom of the fifth round to seal the game.

Carrozzi took the shootout loss with 28 stops.

NOTES: Scratched for the game were Gabriel Levesque (injured reserve), Cameron Brodie (injured reserve), Jason Morgan (injured reserve), Bretton Cameron (healthy) and Ryan Martindale (healthy) ... Baker's goal was his 12th point in the last ten games ... the Thunder led in shots, 32-39 and earned its first shootout win of the season ... the Thunder improved to 5-3-2 against Ontario this season.

The Thunder returns to play on Friday, Jan. 6 against the Bakersfield Condors at Rabobank Arena, starting at 7:00 p.m. Radio coverage is available at 1280 AM KWSX and online coverage is available for viewing (pay-per-view video charge) and listening (free of charge) at www.StocktonThunder.com, courtesy of AmericaOne.

A two-time recipient of the ECHL "Award of Excellence," Thunder was voted "Best Local Sports Team" by readers of the San Joaquin Magazine, led the ECHL in attendance for four consecutive seasons and drew over 200,000 fans for the sixth consecutive season in 2010-11. Season Tickets for 2011-12 are on sale now. For more information about tickets, merchandise, or other inquiries contact the Stockton Thunder offices at (209) 373-1500 or visit http://www.stocktonthunder.com/.

THREE STARS

1. STK - 19 Milan Kytnar

2. STK - 71 Kevin Baker

3. ONT - 29 Derek Couture



ECHL Stories from January 1, 2012


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