Sports stats



Game Preview: Stockton Thunder At Alaska Aces

April 2, 2010 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


The Thunder squares off against the Alaska Aces to end the regular season schedule with back-to-back meetings on Friday and Saturday at Sullivan Arena. This season, the Thunder is 4-0-3 against Alaska and three of four games between the teams have headed into overtime or a shootout at Stockton Arena. The Thunder all-time time record is 18-13-8 against the Aces while going unbeaten in regulation for the last 14 games (11-0-3) against Alaska, dating back to 2007-08. The last time both teams met, the Thunder defeated the Aces, 3-1 at Stockton Arena on Jan. 31. After going 0-5-1 at Sullivan Arena in the first two seasons, the Thunder is 8-2-1 in the last three seasons in Anchorage and swept three games from the host Aces in December.

LAST 3 THUNDER GAMES

BAK 5 - STK 4 (3/31/10): A five-goal attack by the Bakersfield Condors in the first two periods was enough to stave off a furious three-goal rally by the Thunder in final period, ultimately a 5-4 Thunder loss before a crowd of 6,871 at Stockton Arena on Wednesday night. The Thunder, who finished the regular season home schedule at 17-12-7, were led offensively by Chris D'Alvise's pair of goals, needing one to tie Ryan Huddy's single-season record (35) set last season. James Bates also chipped in with three assists and Bryan Young and Oren Eizenman also scored for the Thunder.

STK 6 - BAK 4 (3/30/10): Kelly Czuy scored a pair of goals while James Bates (1g-2a) and Matt Robinson (1g-2a) each had three-point efforts to help steer the Thunder to a first place tie in the Pacific Division with the Bakersfield Condors in a 6-4 win over the host Condors, before 4,491 fans at Rabobank Arena. The Thunder, who clinched their fourth consecutive Kelly Cup Playoff berth with separate tie-breakers over Las Vegas and Ontario, received goal-scoring support from James Bates, J.F. Caudron, Jason Pitton and Matt Robinson, who won for the third time in four games. Andrew Perugini picked up the win in net, making 21 stops.

STK 6 - LV 5 (3/28/10): Left winger Matt Robinson completed a hat trick on a dramatic, game-winning goal with 59.5 seconds left in regulation, helping the Thunder overcome two separate three-goal deficits in a thrilling 6-5 come-from-behind win over the Las Vegas Wranglers before a crowd of 6,845 at Stockton Arena. The Thunder, moved to within two points of the idle Bakersfield Condors for first place in the Pacific Division, scored three goals in the final period and five of the last six goals in the game. Chris D'Alvise (1g-2a) and J.F. Caudron (1g-1a) chipped in with multi-point games while Bryan Young added a first period goal for the Thunder, helping backup goaltender Kurtis Mucha earn the first win of his pro career.

ALL-STAR IS SHINING

Rookie center Chris D'Alvise, who was runner-up for ECHL Player of the Week (Mar. 23), needs one goal to tie the Thunder single-season record of 35 goals (Ryan Huddy, 2008-09). He had an assist representing the Thunder at the 2010 ECHL All-Star Game in Ontario on Jan. 20. In February, he erupted with 13 points (6g-7a) in 10 games. D'Alvise leads the Thunder with 35 goals (2nd, ECHL rookies) and leads Thunder rookies with 67 points (4th, ECHL rookies) in 67 games this season. D'Alvise has two hat tricks this season and posted a career-high four assists on Mar. 6 vs. Victoria (7-3 win).

THUNDER CROWDS ROLL IN

The Thunder completed the regular season third in the ECHL in attendance with an average of 6,031 fans per game, marking the fifth straight season that an average of 6,000 fans have crossed the Stockton Arena turnstiles. On Jan. 30, the Thunder drew 9,158 fans to Stockton Arena against Victoria, the second largest home crowd this year. The Thunder led the ECHL in attendance last year with an average of 6,218 fans through 36 home games. Stockton has 14 sellouts in the team's franchise history and drew a standing room only crowd of 9,392 on Nov. 8 vs. Alaska. Last year, the Thunder became the first team since 2004-05 to lead the ECHL in attendance for four straight seasons (Florida led the ECHL in attendance for five straight seasons - 2000-05).

BATES AND SWITCH

Since returning from an AHL call-up with the Springfield Falcons, James Bates has embarked on a tear spanning over two months with 51 points (18g-32a) in 36 games and has a +18 rating. Bates currently leads the Thunder and ranks eighth in league scoring with 72 points (26g-45a), 45 assists and has set a new career-high with 27 goals.

ECHL LEADERS - SCORING (since Jan. 15)

Player Team GP PTS G A +/-

1. Tyler Donati Elmira Jackals 34 65 25 40 18

2. Mark Derlago Idaho Steelheads 33 62 29 33 24

3. Adam Miller Las Vegas Wranglers 33 52 22 30 5

4. James Bates Stockton Thunder 36 51 19 32 18

5. Ryan Kinasewich Utah Grizzlies 27 47 21 26 1

20 AND OVER ADMITTED

A growing club this season that just set a franchise high, five different players with 20 goals in one season adorn the roster, surpassing a club record when four separate 20-goal scorers dotted the roster in 2005-06 (Joel Irwin, Mike Lalonde, Ned Havern and Aaron Foster). Chris D'Alvise leads the Thunder with 35 goals (2nd, ECHL rookies), Colin Hemingway has 24 goals (one off his career-high) to rank fourth and Matt Robinson has 30 goals (new career-high) to rank second. James Bates' 27 goals are also a career-high. D'Alvise and Robinson are the first pair of 30-goal scorers in Thunder history.

THUNDER 20 GOAL CLUB

YR PLAYERS GOALS

05-06 4. Mike Lalonde 29

Joel Irwin 25

Ned Havern 23

Aaron Foster 20

06-07 2. Mike Lalonde 23

Troy Bodie 21

07-08 2. Lance Monych 32

Ryan MacMurchy 23

08-09 2. Ryan Huddy 35*

Cory Urquhart 28

09-10 5. Chris D'Alvise 35

Matt Robinson 30 James Bates 27

Colin Hemingway 24

Oren Eizenman 21

* Denotes Thunder record

'GINI IN A BOTTLE

Goaltender Andrew Perugini, who is ninth in the ECHL in goals-against-average (2.97), became the Thunder career shutout leader (4) on Feb. 12. He posted his most recent blanking on a week later at Bakersfield, a career-high 45-save effort in a 2-0 Thunder win. Perugini was named Reebok Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Week in February for the second time in his career.

ALL-TIME THUNDER SHUTOUT LEADERBOARD

GOALTENDER SHUTOUTS

1. Andrew Perugini (2008-present) 5

2. Tim Boron (2007-08) 3

3. Devan Dubnyk (2006-07) 2

Glenn Fisher (2007-08) 2

Jake Moreland (2005-06) 2

PLAYOFF NOTES

ECHL NATIONAL CONFERENCE PLAYOFF STANDINGS

(Top-7 in the conference qualify for Kelly Cup playoffs)

2010 Playoff March Notes - - The Thunder has 2 regular season games remaining.

- Stockton has regular season games remaining against the following teams:

Alaska (2)

- The top seven teams in the National Conference will qualify for the 2010 Kelly Cup Playoffs and will be seeded by conference ranking in the first and second round of the playoffs. The #1 seed will receive a bye through the first round and the #2 seed will play #7, the #3 seed will play #6, and the #4 seed will play #5. Home ice advantage will be determined by points.

- If the Kelly Cup Playoffs began today, the Thunder would face the Utah Grizzlies in the National Conference Quarterfinal.

- The Thunder has surpassed the 30-win plateau for the third time in club history (2006-07 and 2008-09) and last year's point total (71).

- The Thunder is attempting to clinch home ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs. The magic number to clinch home ice advantage is four. The Utah Grizzlies can amass no more than 79 points this season.

- TIE-BREAKER: The tiebreaker for the National Conference if two teams tie will be: 1. Wins, regular season; 2. Points, head-to-head; 3. Wins, head-to-head; 4. Goal differential, head-to-head; 5. Winning percentage, division (if tied teams are from same division; if not, skip to 6); 6. Winning percentage, conference; 7. Goals for, regular season; 8. Goals against, regular season; 9. Coin toss

The tiebreaker for the National Conference if three teams are tied will be: 1. Wins, regular season; 2. Winning percentage, games between the teams; 3. Goal differential, games between the teams; 4. Winning percentage, division; 5. Winning percentage, conference; 6. Goals for, regular season; 7. Goals against, regular season; 8. Coin toss. When two teams remain after the third or other teams are eliminated during any step above, the tiebreaker reverts to Step 1 of the two-team format.

- Last season, the Thunder clinched its third straight Kelly Cup Playoff berth with the 4th seed in the Pacific Division and a 32-33-7 record (71 points)

- The Thunder clinched its fourth straight Kelly Cup Playoff berth on Tuesday, defeating Bakersfield, 6-4 at Rabobank Arena.

• Discuss this story on the ECHL message board...

ECHL Stories from April 2, 2010


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central