Boron's career-high 50-save effort boosts Thunder to .500 at All-Star break

January 20, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


STOCKTON, Calif. - Goaltender Tim Boron made a career-high 50 saves for his second career shutout and Andy Contois scored an eventual game-winning goal with 19 seconds remaining in the second period to lift the Stockton Thunder (18-18-2, 38 points) to a 1-0 victory over the Las Vegas Wranglers before 6,454 at Stockton Arena on Sunday.

Boron, traded by the Wranglers to the Charlotte Checkers on November 23 before the Thunder claimed him off the waiver wire a few days later, was making his first appearance in net since December 28 and posted the ninth shutout in Thunder all-time history, registering a game-high 19 stops in the third period.

Both teams skated to a scoreless tie through one period when Las Vegas outshot the Thunder at a 17-9 mark and worked through four power-play opportunities. Among Boron's 17 stops in the period was the snuffing of a Las Vegas 5-on-3 power-play chance which included a stop on former NHL veteran Chris Ferraro's blast from the left circle.

The game stayed scoreless into the late stage into the second period and Boron helped keep the Wranglers off the board with a highlight glove save on Marco Peluso from five feet away in the deep slot with nearly a minute left. Shortly after, all-star left winger Andy Contois scored his 13th goal of the season for the eventual game-winning goal and a 1-0 Thunder lead. Contois corralled fellow all-star Ryan MacMurchy's outlet pass from the Thunder zone, gained a burst of speed down the left wing and sniped a wrist shot past the blocker side of Lalande from the left circle.

Among the saves Lalande made to keep the game close was a breakaway stop on Thunder left wing Adam Huxley with two minutes left, followed by a slashing penalty which gave the Thunder a power-play to work the clock down. Las Vegas used an assortment of shots from all angles to bid for the tying goal but Boron kept the shutout going which included a stop on defenseman Aaron Power's slapshot from the left point with 10 seconds left.

Boron's 50 saves snapped his previous career-high, stopping 44 shots against the Utah Grizzlies on November 30 at The E-Center. Lalande finished the game with 27 saves.

NOTES: The Thunder missed the services of Beau Geisler (injured reserve), Spencer Carbery (injured reserve) while defenseman Mark Adamek was a healthy scratch (family emergency) ... the Thunder improved to 2-5-0 in the season series against Las Vegas and is 2-2-0 at Stockton Arena for the season ... Contois' goal, tying the Thunder goal-scoring lead with MacMurchy, gave the left winger a point in six of his last seven games ... the win puts the Thunder at the .500 mark heading into the all-star break.

The Thunder returns to play after all-star week hosting duties on Saturday, January 26 against the Phoenix RoadRunners at Stockton Arena, starting at 7:30 p.m.. The game can be heard live on radio at 1420-AM KSTN and online (video and audio available) at www.stocktonthunder.com, courtesy of B2 Networks.

Host of the 2008 ECHL All-Star Game and festivities on Jan. 22 and 23, the Thunder has led the ECHL in attendance for two consecutive seasons and drew 244,085 fans to Stockton Arena in 2006-07. Season tickets, group tickets and individual tickets for 2007-08 are on sale now. For more information about tickets, merchandise, or other inquiries contact the Stockton Thunder offices at (209) 373-1500 or visit www.stocktonthunder.com.



ECHL Stories from January 20, 2008


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