Game Preview: Stockton Thunder At Bakersfield Condors

Published on February 20, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


A showdown between first and second place in the Pacific Division is on tap for tonight, as the Thunder, seven points behind the Bakersfield Condors, tangle with the first place counterpart at Rabobank Arena. Both teams are meeting for the 11th time this season. In the last meeting, the Condors defeated the Thunder in a shootout, 5-4 at Raboabnk Arena on Feb. 19. Stockton carries at lifetime record of 15-16-10 against Bakersfield and leads the season series, 4-3-2. The Thunder is 9-2-3 in the last 14 games.

LAST 3 THUNDER GAMES

BAK 5 - STK 4 (SO) (2/19/10): Chris Allen helped force overtime with a game-tying, extra-attacker goal with less than 33 seconds remaining in regulation and goaltender Timo Pielmeier stopped all four shots in a shootout to help the Bakersfield Condors squeak by the Stockton Thunder in a shootout, 5-4, before a crowd of 6,520 at Rabobank Arena on Friday. J.F. Caudron led the Thunder offense with a pair of goals, and James Bates and Chris D'Alvise each scored in the third period to help erase a 3-1 deficit and spur a three-goal rally. Matt Pope led the Condors with three points (1g-2a).

STK 3 - ONT 1 (2/13/10): Goaltender Andrew Perugini improved to 7-1-1 in his last nine games with 25 saves while Matt Robinson and Chris D'Alvise each posted one goal and one assist to help the Thunder edge the Ontario Reign in a 3-2 victory, before 5,583 fans at Citizens Business Bank Arena on Saturday. The win helped boost the Thunder run to 6-1-1 in the last eight games and move to within four points of first place in the Pacific Division after the Bakersfield Condors lost, 4-0 at home to the Las Vegas Wranglers. James Bates also pitched in with a goal for the Thunder, who swept a home-and-home weekend series from Ontario.

STK 5 - ONT 0 (2/12/10): Goaltender Andrew Perugini made 33 saves for his fourth career shutout, and Oren Eizenman (2g-1a) and Colin Hemingway (1g-2a) each enjoyed three-point efforts to help the Stockton Thunder cruise past the Ontario Reign, 5-0, before 7,745 fans at Stockton Arena on Friday night. The Thunder, who closed the gap to six points behind the Bakersfield Condors for first place in the Pacific Division, boosted their run at home to 7-1-4 in the last 12 games and were also supported in goal-scoring by Matt Robinson and Garet Hunt. Stockton converted at a 2-for-5 rate on the power-play and boosted its run to 5-1-1 in the last seven games.

THUNDER CROWDS ROLLING IN

The Thunder ranks third in the ECHL in attendance with an average of 5,934 fans per game and is vying to tie a league record by leading the league in attendance for five straight seasons. 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).

ALL-STAR IS SHINING

Rookie center Chris D'Alvise, who had an assist representing the Thunder at the 2010 ECHL All-Star Game in Ontario on Jan. 20, recently had a career-high eight-game scoring streak with eight points (4g-4a) in that span. This month, he has erupted with eight points (6g-2a) in five games. D'Alvise leads the Thunder with 23 goals (T-3, ECHL rookies) and leads Thunder rookies with 39 points (T-7, ECHL rookies) in 45 games this season. D'Alvise has two hat tricks this season.

THUNDER IN THE COMMUNITY - TEDDY BEAR TOSS SHATTERS RECORD NUMBERS

The Thunder announced a new record of 4,348 teddy bears and other stuffed animals officially collected from this year's "Teddy Bear Toss" event held Saturday, January 30 at Stockton Arena. Members of the Thunder front office, select Thunder players that included Craig Valette and Bryan Young and United Way of San Joaquin County staff and volunteers spent the morning of February 9 counting thousands of teddy bears and other stuffed animals before distributing them to local underprivileged children during a lunchtime pizza party at the local United Way headquarters. This year's event came to a crescendo when a near sellout crowd of 9,158 threw stuffed animals ranging from bears to frogs onto the ice immediately following the Thunder game against the Victoria Salmon Kings, a 1-0 shootout win for Victoria.

'GINI IN A BOTTLE

Goaltender Andrew Perugini, who is tied for the ECHL lead in save percentage (.921) with teammate Bryan Pitton (currently on recall to the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers) and ranks second in the ECHL in goals-against-average (2.57), became the Thunder career shutout leader (4) on Feb. 12 and posted his most recent blanking that night against the Ontario Reign in a 5-0 win at Stockton Arena. Perugini is 7-1-2 in his last ten starts and was named Reebok Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Week on Tuesday for the second time in his career.

ALL-TIME THUNDER SHUTOUT LEADERBOARD

GOALTENDER SHUTOUTS

1. Andrew Perugini (2008-present) 4

2. Tim Boron (2007-08) 3

3. Devan Dubnyk (2006-07) 2

Glenn Fisher (2007-08) 2

Jake Moreland (2005-06) 2

COLIN' ALL CARS

Since his acquisition from the Alaska Aces on Jan. 21 in exchange for Judd Blackwater, Thunder right winger Colin Hemingway has poured in 13 points (5g-8a) in 11 games. He has three multi-point games and most recently, parlayed a one-goal, two-assist effort for the Thunder on Feb. 12 in a 5-0 win at Ontario. Colin's brother, Brett, is a fellow forward on the Thunder roster and the two are the second pair of siblings to join the Thunder roster this season (goaltender Bryan and forward Jason Pitton, who is currently on recall to the Springfield Falcons of the AHL). Hemingway also has 16 points (7g-9a) in 14 lifetime games against Bakersfield. Hemingway needs a goal or an assist to hit the 300-point plateau in his career.

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