Game Preview: Stockton Thunder At Bakersfield Condors

Published on December 26, 2008 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


FACEOFF: 7:00 p.m. PT
SITE: Rabobank Arena
RADIO: 1420 KSTN
INTERNET: www.stocktonthunder.com (B2 Networks)

2008-09 HEAD TO HEAD SERIES
10/22/08 Stockton 4 at Bakersfield 7
11/1/08 Stockton 8 at Bakersfield 3
11/16/08 Bakersfield 6 at Stockton 5
12/26/08 @ Bakersfield 7:00 p.m.
2/14/09 Bakersfield 7:30 p.m.
3/6/09 Bakersfield 7:30 p.m.
3/13/09 @ Bakersfield 7:00 p.m.
3/14/09 @ Bakersfield 7:00 p.m.
3/21/09 Bakersfield 7:30 p.m.

MILESTONE TRACKER

o Ryan MacMurchy is 1 game away from 100 in his professional career
o Cory Urquhart is 14 goals away from 100 in his ECHL career
o Craig Valette is 13 points away from 100 in his professional career

TONIGHT'S MATCHUP

The Thunder faces the Bakersfield Condors in the first meeting following the holiday break at Rabobank Arena. It is the fourth of nine games against the Condors for the 2008-09 season and in the last meeting, the Condors defeated the Thunder 6-5 at Stockton Arena on Nov. 16. Stockton carries at lifetime record of 11-10-7 against Bakersfield and is 1-2-0 against the Condors this year.

LAST THREE THUNDER GAMES

12/21/08 - STK 2 at ONT 6: The Ontario Reign scored four power-play goals, three on two-man advantage situations to send the Thunder to a 6-2 defeat before 4,306 at Citizens Business Bank Arena on Sunday. Maxime Boisclair led Ontario with two goals while John Murray made 28 saves. Thunder left winger Mike Lalonde scored a goal in the second period to become the all-time leading scorer in Stockton Thunder history, surpassing Nathan Martz with 123 points in a Thunder uniform.

12/20/08 - STK 1 at FRE 3: Michael Ouzas made 32 saves and the Fresno Falcons capitalized off two power-play goals to edge the Thunder in a 3-1 win before a crowd of 2,852 at Selland Arena on Saturday night. In Fresno's final game before the holiday break, three different goal-scorers converted for the Falcons in Spencer Carbery, Judd Blackwater and Adam Berti. Justin Chwedoruk scored the only Thunder goal and netminder Bryan Pitton made 25 saves in the losing cause. Both clubs combined for 10 fighting majors in the game.

12/19/08 - STK 3 at FRE 2 (SO): David Rohlfs' goal in the 10th round of the shootout lifted the Thunder to its second consecutive victory, edging the Fresno Falcons 3-2 in front of 2,796 at Selland Arena on Friday night. Thunder goaltender Bryan Pitton made 36 saves and received offensive support on goals by Cory Urquhart and Mike Salekin. Fresno had a goal each from Jarrett Konkle and Dan Bertram while Joe Fallon made 23 saves. Mike Lalonde tied Nathan Martz for the Thunder career scoring lead with an assist on Urquhart's goal.

THUNDER WELCOMES DAMIAN SURMA

Scheduled to make his Thunder debut Friday against Bakersfield is veteran forward Damian Surma, who agreed to terms on a contract with the Thunder after the conclusion of the league's holiday break. Surma, 27, returns to the ECHL for the first time since the 2004-05 season when he helped guide the Florida Everblades to back-to-back appearances in the Kelly Cup Finals with former teammate and current Thunder assistant coach Tim O'Connell. Surma has advanced to the NHL level with the Carolina Hurricanes, amassing two points (1g-1a) in two games

Surma, who was selected in the sixth round (174th overall) of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes and spend the two previous seasons with Asiago HC of the Italian League, has skated in 280 career games as a pro with the Hurricanes, the ECHL's Florida Everblades, the AHL's Lowell Lock Monsters and the UHL's Missouri River Otters and Kalamazoo Wings, scoring 170 points (79g-91a) and posting 216 penalty minutes.

CROWDING OUT THE ECHL

The Thunder leads the ECHL in attendance with an average of 7,048 through eight games, has 13 sellouts in the team's franchise history and finished last year as the ECHL's attendance leader for the third consecutive season. It was the second straight year the Thunder surpassed the mark of 230,000 fans for one season. The Thunder's yearly attendance total finished at 239,337, an average of 6,648 fans per game. The Thunder became the first team since 2004-05 to lead the ECHL in attendance for three straight seasons (Florida led the ECHL in attendance for five straight seasons). Stockton's crowd of 9,737 on Nov. 8 against Victoria was the team's first sellout of the year.

STEP UP TO THE MIKE

Returning to the lineup this season is left wing Mike Lalonde, who is the Thunder all-time leading goal scorer with 60 goals and ascended to the top perch as the Thunder all-time leading scorer with 124 points, scoring the milestone point on a goal on Dec. 21 at Ontario. Selected as the first player in Thunder history to the ECHL All-Star Game (2006), Lalonde led the ECHL with 308 shots and paced the Thunder with 29 goals as a rookie in 2005-06. Lalonde spent last season with Tilburg of the Netherlands League, guiding his team to the Dutch Cup and scoring 92 points (43g-49a) in just 34 games.

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