Fourth Season Of Thunder Hockey Opens October 18 vs. Fresno

October 14, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT: (all times PT)

vs. FRESNO FALCONS (Saturday - 7:30 p.m.) - 1420 KSTN, B2 Networks

For the first time in team history, the Stockton Thunder will open the regular season inside the confines of Stockton Arena, a venue that has hosted the league's largest turnout for three consecutive seasons (2005-08). The Thunder faces their Pacific Division rival Fresno Falcons, the first of 10 meetings between both clubs in 2008-09. The Thunder is 1-2-0 lifetime in season openers and 3-0-0 lifetime in home openers, including last year's Stockton Arena lid lifter which was a 4-3 overtime victory against Alaska on Oct. 27. The Thunder had a record of 4-5-1 vs. Fresno in 2007-08.

1420 KSTN is the Thunder's flagship radio station and all Thunder games can be heard live on the Internet (free-of-charge) and are available for viewing at a $7 "pay-per-view" charge at www.stocktonthunder.com, courtesy of B2 Networks. Radio broadcaster Mike Benton provides play-by-play commentary, with the "Thunder Forecast" pre-game show starting 15 minutes before each broadcast.

In addition, Valley Brew Family Restaurant is the official host of the Thunder Watch Party (via B2 Networks' "Bar and Pub Network") for all road games, featuring prizes and interactive broadcast contests for all fans in attendance.

Located at 157 W. Adams Street in Stockton, Valley Brew Family Restaurant is placed in the heart of Stockton's "Miracle Mile" district and features an array of acclaimed burgers, beverages, appetizers, specialties and more, offering customers free wi-fi internet access inside the restaurant.

UPCOMING PROMOTIONS

SATURDAY, 10/18 vs. Fresno Falcons
- Opening Night (presented by Coors Light, Food 4 Less, Chase Chevrolet of Stockton, Jackson Rancheria and KAT Country 103)
- The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a commemorative 2008-09 Thunder schedule magnet

UPCOMING MILESTONES:
o Marc-Andre Bernier is 18 games away from 200 in his professional career
o Justin Chwedoruk is one game away from 200 in his professional career
o Milan Maslonka is one game away from 100 in his professional career
o Cory Urquhart is two assists away from 100 in his professional career and six games away from 200 in his ECHL career
o Nathan Saunders is 10 games away from 100 in his ECHL career

TEAM NOTES:
o Veteran Cory Urquhart led the Thunder in preseason scoring with five points (3g-2a)
o Rookie goaltender Andrew Perugini won his Thunder preseason debut making 32 saves on Oct. 9 vs. Fresno (5-1 win)
o As of Monday, six players with experience in a Thunder uniform are on the team's training camp roster (Les Reaney, Mike Lalonde, Luke Lynes, David Rohlfs, Tom Zanoski and Mark Adamek)
o Stockton has led the ECHL in attendance for three straight seasons and led last year's total with 239,337 fans (6,648 average)
o Stockton is 1-2-0 all-time in season openers and 3-0-0 in home openers at Stockton Arena
o Stockton ranked third in the ECHL last season with 14 shorthanded goals (team record)

CLIMBING THE CHARTS (A look at the Thunder all-time leaders heading into the 2008-09 season):

GOALS:
1. Mike Lalonde 51
2. Nathan Martz 29
Steve Slonina 29
3. Tim Verbeek 28
4. Joel Irwin 25

ASSISTS
1. Nathan Martz 97
2. Mike Lalonde 53
3. Joel Irwin 43
4. Beau Geisler 40
5. Brandon Schwartz36

POINTS
1. Nathan Martz 122
2. Mike Lalonde 105
3. Joel Irwin 68
4. Stephane Goulet 54
5. Brandon Schwartz 52

GAMES
1. Mark Adamek 131
2. Nathan Martz 126
3. Adam Huxley 122
4. Mike Lalonde 120
5. Tim O'Connell 119

PENALTY MINUTES
1. Adam Huxley 441
2. Jason Metcalfe 230
3. Tim O'Connell 171
4. Tim Verbeek 150
5. Nick Greenough 145

PRESEASON IN REVIEW

Cory Urquhart scored three points (2g-1a) in his debut and rookie Andrew Perugini made 32 saves as the Thunder notched a 5-1 preseason win over the Fresno Falcons in front of 2,048 fans at Stockton Arena on Thursday, Oct. 9. David Rohlfs, Milan Maslonka and Neil Petruic each chipped in with a goal. Stockton, who finished last in the league in penalty kill percentage last year, held Fresno to a 0-for-7 clip on the power-play. Both teams squared off in an Oct. 11 rematch and rookie Peter MacArthur's game-winning goal with 2:08 remaining in regulation helped the Falcons send the Thunder (1-1-0 preseason) to a 4-3 preseason defeat at Gateway Ice Center. Urquhart and Petruic scored power-play goals for Stockton while Justin Chwedoruk added a shorthanded goal.

For the second straight year, both teams finished the two-game preseason series at a 1-1 split. The Thunder skated to a 5-1 victory on Oct. 9 at Stockton Arena and is now 4-4-0 lifetime against Fresno in preseason play.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING (courtesy of The Record)

"We used a lot of line combinations and are getting used to playing together, but I think it went well," Urquhart said. "I wanted to come in here and show the fans what I could do, and I think I did that."

- Cory Urquhart on his three-point night (2g-1a) in a 5-1 Thunder preseason win on Oct. 9, The Record, 10/10/08

"This is great, people are working and stuff and all of them come out here on a Monday night," Lalonde said. "You definitely want to play in front of people like that."

- Mike Lalonde on "FanFest", The Record, 10/7/08

"Mark these words ... We're not stopping until we're there and beyond," Amato said.

- Stockton Unified School District superintendent Anthony Amato on the SUSD and the Thunder's "Take College By Storm" challenge to boost SAT exam participation, The Record, 10/14/08



ECHL Stories from October 14, 2008


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