Dalhuisen Scores in Return but Thunder Fall in Shootout 6-5

December 15, 2013 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


The Thunder fell to the San Francisco Bulls in the Shootout on Saturday night despite having a three-goal lead going into the third period.

Mike Dalhuisen celebrated his return to the Thunder by tying the game with under two minutes to play in the third, but the Thunder would fall in the shootout 6-5 to the San Francisco Bulls on their Teddy Bear Toss night.

"I thought we opened it up a little too much," said Head Coach Rich Kromm. "We got caught on a couple odd man situation. Had we buckled down and played a better defensive game in the 3rd, we would have been in a better spot at the end of the game."

Despite the Thunder really dominating the second period, scoring three straight goals and outshooting the Bulls 17 to 8, it would be a third period comeback led by Steven Tarasuk that gave the Bulls the momentum.

Early in the third Tarasuk found Brett Findlay at the top of the faceoff circle and the forward slipped a puck through the five-hole of Thunder goaltender Brad Phillips to cut the Bulls deficit to just one goal.

It'd be Tarasuk again who would knot the game as his shot had eyes on it's way past Phillips to tie the game at 4. Initially the goal was given to Magomed Gimbatov who could've gotten a stick on the puck, but it was eventually given to the defenseman who scored his first of the year. He'd add his second of the year just over five minutes later to give the Bulls the 5-4 lead.

Then it was Dalhuisen's turn as his blast from the point tied the game up with 1:43 left in the third period. The teams had opportunities to score in overtime, but to no avail.

"Dalhuisen has a great shot," said Kromm, "but an even better screen was how that goal found it's way in. We were able to get a point of the game because of it."

Dean Ouellet scored in the first round of the shootout but Joey Martin's second round tally would tie the skills competition. It'd be Brett Findlay scoring for the Bulls in the fifth round to give San Francisco just their second win on home ice.

The Thunder started the game well as late in the first period, as Martin got the Thunder on the board on the power play; but the lead was short lived as Tyler Gron scored to tie the game at 1 heading into the first intermission.

Then in the second it was all Thunder as a great tic-tac-toe passing play started with Garet Hunt on the sideboards. Hunt shoveled the puck in the corner to Greg Miller who fired a pass off balance to Andrew Clark in the slot who buried the shot past Anderson for the 2-1 Thunder lead.

It only took another 33 seconds for the Thunder to find the back of the net again as Alex MacLeod was able to knock in his first of the year in his first game with the Thunder to give his team the 3-1 lead. MacLeod, who has been on the 21-day IR the entire regular season, forced a turnover deep in the Bulls zone and shot the puck past Anderson.

Seven minutes later the Thunder added to their lead when Andrew Clark got his second goal of the night as his shot deflected off Anderson's shoulder and in the top corner.

That would be the end of the night for Anderson who was chased from the net for the second time this season against the Thunder. He finished the night stopping 21 of 25.

In relief of Anderson was Tyler Beskorowany who stopped 17 of 18 and all but one of the five shootout attempts for the win. Phillips stopped 26 of 31 and three of five shooters in the loss.

The Thunder have to refocus on another Pacific Division opponent as the Bakersfield Condors come to Stockton Arena as part of Family Day tomorrow at 4 p.m. For just $38, get four tickets in the Upper End Zone, four hot dogs, and four sodas, but order your package online to get a Thunder hat thrown in at no extra charge. Doors will open tomorrow at 3 p.m. with the Silver Bullet Bar opening at 2 p.m.



ECHL Stories from December 15, 2013


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