Bourret's Hat Trick Closes Eight-Game Thunder Road Trip At 3-4-1

Published on February 28, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


LAS VEGAS - Alex Bourret collected his second hat trick of the season and the Las Vegas Wranglers denied two comeback attempts by the Stockton Thunder (24-25-6, 58 points), en route to a 6-3 victory before 3,480 fans at Orleans Arena on Sunday afternoon.

The Thunder, who finished a season-long eight-game road trip at 3-4-1 record, have a four point lead ahead of Las Vegas for second place in the Pacific Division and return home to Stockton Arena for ten of the next 14 games, where the Thunder are 9-1-4 since December 4 and are third in league attendance with 5,934 fans per game.

Nearly erasing 3-0 and 4-2 deficits in the second and third period, the Thunder got goal-scoring support from Anthony Aiello, James Bates and Colin Hemingway. Joel Gistedt, making his first start since Feb. 12, picked up the win in net with 24 saves.

Las Vegas set the tempo right from the starting blocks when Chris Neiszner scored his eighth goal of the season on the first shot of the game, 34 seconds in to put his team ahead, 1-0 when he snapped a bid from between the hash marks from the rush.

Bourret hiked the score to 2-0 with 5:19 left with his eighth goal since signing with Las Vegas on Jan. 12, converting on a breakaway after Josh Prudden hit him with a long outlet pass from the Las Vegas blueline.

The Thunder deficit widened to 3-0 when Adam Miller beat Andrew Perugini on a breakaway of his own - a forehanded deke with 2:06 gone in the second period.

Back-to-back goals by Aiello and Bates got the Thunder back in the game, converting on quick strikes in a span of 2:01 to slice the gap to 3-2. Aiello's seventh goal of the year, a power-play marker with 5:58 elapsed, put Stockton on the board when his wrist shot at the left point seared its way over Gistedt's blocker.

Bates' career-high 19th goal of the year put the Thunder down by a goal when he scored from the rush on a one-timer in the slot, converting defenseman Steve Vanoosten's pass from the right wing.

Las Vegas relieved the pressure on Bourret's second goal of the game at the 9:31 mark, converting a power-play tally when he collected the puck on a deflection at the left circle and snuck a wrist shot past a fallen Perugini, high over the blocker.

The Thunder geared up for one final rally in the third period and closed the margin to one goal again at 4-3, when Hemingway's 20th goal of the season came on a breakaway with 12:27 remaining in the game, beating Gistedt to the glove side on a forehand deke.

Yet, Las Vegas mounted a key insurance goal and their second goal on the man-advantage when Jason Krischuk's slap shot from the right point snuck its way through traffic, restoring Las Vegas' two-goal cushion at 5-3 with 6:49 left.

Bourret finished the scoring and his hat trick with 2:02 remaining when he converted Josh Prudden's left wing pass at the goal mouth.

Perugini took the loss with 24 saves.

NOTES: The Thunder scratched Brett Hemingway (injured reserve), Ryan Constant (injury, day-to-day), Matt O'Dette (injured reserve), Cody Wild (healthy), Riley Emmerson (injured reserve), and Craig Valette (injured reserve)... the Thunder converted at a 1-for-4 rate on the power-play... Robinson had an assist on Aiello's goal, extending his scoring streak to 12 straight games... Las Vegas improved to 2-1-0 over the Thunder this year... the doors of Orleans Arena opened two hours prior to faceoff to accommodate fans watching the United States vs. Canada gold medal game on the arena's videoboard.

The Thunder returns home for its next game at Stockton Arena on Wednesday against the Victoria Salmon Kings, beginning at 7:00 p.m. The game can be heard and viewed online, exclusively at www.stocktonthunder.com, courtesy of B2 Networks (audio is free of charge)

The Thunder was voted "Best Local Sports Team" by readers of the San Joaquin Magazine, has led the ECHL in attendance for four consecutive seasons and drew 223,854 fans to Stockton Arena in 2008-09. Season Tickets for 2009-10 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/.

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