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7,537 fans pile into Stockton Arena, teams combine for 91 penalty minutes

March 18, 2012 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


STOCKTON, Calif. - Mitch Wahl, Colin Vock and Chris Donovan each collected a goal and an assist to help the Utah Grizzlies clinch a Kelly Cup Playoff berth and send the Stockton Thunder (31-29-5, 67 points) to a 5-2 defeat before 7,537 fans at Stockton Arena on Saturday.

The Thunder stayed five points behind Colorado for fourth place in the Western Conference with seven games to play and earned a pair of power play goals in the second period by Chris D'Alvise and Max Campbell, storming back from a 2-0 deficit. Utah broke the 2-2 tie late in the period on a goal by Ross Carlson and finished the game with three unanswered goals.

"We didn't show up in the first period and that was not a good thing," said Thunder head coach Matt Thomas. "We put ourselves behind. Overall we got beat to too many pucks. Our execution was poor and I was a little upset about that after playing such a thorough game last night."

The game ended in a feisty tone with both teams combining for 91 penalty minutes, resulting in the ejections of Matt Foy, Garet Hunt, Chris D'Alvise, and Utah's Paul McIlveen and Donovan.

Utah struck first when McIlveen stashed his 29th goal of the season with 4:09 left in the first period, completing a tape to tape, cross-ice feed by Donovan at the right circle.

The Thunder fought back with back to back power play goals in the second period beginning on D'Alvise's one timer at the 5:21 mark, using a power play goal and a feed by Foy from the right corner to slice the deficit to 2-1.

On another power play, Campbell's slap shot from the right circle ricocheted off the chest of Utah's Nick Tuzzolino and caromed past Jimmy Spratt's blocker to tie the game, 2-2 with 9:07 left.

Ross Carlson then restored Utah's lead at 3-2 with 59.9 seconds left in the period when he stole the puck in the slot and rifled a wrist shot under the crossbar.

The Utah rally continued into the third period at the 4:53 mark on a slap shot by Wahl for his 20th goal of the season, converting Vock's drop pass at the circle.

Vock tucked a rebound past Thomas Heemskerk's blocker with 7:21 left in regulation, after an initial stop on Evan Stephens' blueline shot.

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