Game Preview: Stockton Thunder At Fresno Falcons

February 22, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


FACEOFF: 7:30 p.m. PT

RADIO: 1420-AM KSTN

INTERNET: www.stocktonthunder.com (B2 Networks)

RECORDS:

Stockton Thunder (19-29-3, 41 points) - T-3rd, Pacific

Fresno Falcons (28-13-8, 64 points) - 2nd, Pacific

2007-08 HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES

11/12/07 Fresno 4 at Stockton 1

12/27/07 Fresno 0 at Stockton 2

01/16/08 Fresno 1 at Stockton 2

01/27/08 Stockton 2 at Fresno 5

02/09/08 Stockton 1 at Fresno 4

02/18/08 Stockton 2 at Fresno 3

02/22/08 Stockton at Fresno

03/14/08 Fresno at Stockton

03/15/08 Fresno at Stockton

04/01/08 Stockton at Fresno

MILESTONE TRACKER

o Jason Beeman is 26 games away from 100 in his ECHL career

o Brian Lee is 16 games away from 200 in his professional career

o Lance Monych is 8 points away from 100 in his professional career

o Brandon Schwartz is 14 points away from 100 in his ECHL career

o Tim Verbeek is 1 goal away from 100 in his professional career

o Tim Verbeek is 21 games away from 400 in his professional career

TONIGHT'S MATCHUP

The Thunder and Fresno Falcons square-off in the seventh matchup out of 10 this season and the second of a back-to-back series from Save Mart Center. The Thunder is 2-4-0 this season against Fresno and will be looking for its first win in club history in Fresno, carrying a 0-10-1 lifetime record at Save Mart Center. Goaltender Tim Boron has highlighted the Thunder efforts in net with a 2.35 goals against average and .931 save percentage in three games against Fresno.

LAST GAME RECAP

John Morlang's eventual game-winning goal with 14:14 left in regulation snapped a 2-2 tie and helped the Fresno Falcons send the Thunder to a 3-2 loss before an announced President's Day matinee crowd of 4,859 at Save Mart Center on Monday. Brandon Schwartz scored a shorthanded goal to highlight the Thunder offense and Andy Contois added a first period goal. Thunder goaltender Tim Boron made 22 saves to backstop the defensive efforts.

FIRST THING'S FIRST

Of the 19 wins the Thunder has accumulated this season, 18 have come when the Thunder scores the first goal of the game. The Thunder is 18-12-1 when scoring the first goal of the game. Ryan MacMurchy leads the Thunder with five "first goals."

M.A.S.H. UNIT

The Thunder has been skating without Beau Geisler (injured reserve), Ryan Geris (injured reserve), and Adam Huxley (injured reserve). Ryan MacMurchy (injury) has missed the last five games and is listed as day-to-day. Additionally, injuries at the AHL and NHL level have summoned the services of center Ryan O'Marra, center Jonas Almtorp, left wing Stephane Goulet, left wing Jacob Micflikier, defenseman Brad Farynuk and defenseman Sebastien Bisaillon to AHL-affiliate Springfield. Injuries at the AHL have also claimed Micflikier (fractured leg) and Bisaillon (leg), with Micflikier scheduled to miss several weeks after suffering the injury in December while Bisaillon has been listed as out indefinitely.

CROWING OUT THE ECHL

The Thunder remains the league's leader in attendance with a league-high average of 6,530 fans in 26 dates (163,797 total) and has drawn three sellouts (9,737) this season, the most recent coming a Saturday, February 16 game against Alaska. The Thunder is vying to become 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). The Thunder drew 244,085 fans to Stockton Arena in 2006-07 and drew the fifth largest crowd in ECHL All-Star Game history on January 23 with a total of 7,455 fans.

WHEELING AND DEALING

The Thunder brought back a familiar face with the acquisition of right wing Lance Monych from the Mississippi Sea Wolves in exchange for left wing Andy Contois on Wednesday. Earlier on Friday morning, veteran center Joel Stepp was acquired from the Pensacola Ice Pilots in exchange for future considerations. Monych, who scored 21 points (11g-10a) with the Thunder as an assigned prospect from the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes in 2005-06, returned to the Thunder tied for eighth in the ECHL with 25 goals this season, standing as a career-high. Stepp, who helped guide the Gwinnett Gladiators to the Kelly Cup Finals in 2006, had career-high tying 54-point seasons in 2006-07 with Gwinnett and in 2005-06 with Gwinnett and Augusta.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING - LANCE MONYCH

"Sometimes you are leery when you are giving up this caliber of player, but I've coached Lance and know what he can do," Cichocki said. "He can get the puck in the net, and that's what we really need."

- Thunder head coach Chris Cichocki (on acquiring Lance Monych for Andy Contois), The Record, 2/16/08

SIR LANCE-A-LOT SETS THE PACE

Lance Monych's arrival to the Thunder roster already puts him atop the team's scoring lead with 38 points (25g-13a) and first in goal-scoring with 25 goals, entering Friday at a ninth place tie in the ECHL for goals. Monych has points in his last four games, scoring five points (4g-1a) in that span and is on a three-game goal-scoring streak.

IN THE NICK OF TIM

Goaltender Tim Boron has provided some of the most prolific goaltending in the Thunder's three-year history, recently breaking the single-season club record with three shutouts and made a career-high 50 saves against Las Vegas in a 1-0 win at Stockton Arena on January 20. Boron is tied for second in the ECHL with three shutouts.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS - PENALTY SHOTS

Entering the 2007-08 season, the Thunder has made 1 penalty shot and missed 6 penalty shots, while opponents had made 0 penalty shots and missed 4 penalty shots. Below is a look at Thunder and opposing penalty shots for this season:

PENALTY SHOTS BY THUNDER - REGULAR SEASON 0 MADE, 1 MISSED

1. MISSED - Tom Zanoski vs. Michael Mole vs. Utah 2/6/08

PENALTY SHOTS VS. THUNDER - REGULAR SEASON 1 MADE, 1 MISSED

1. MADE - Bo Cheesman vs. Glenn Fisher vs. Alaska 11/21/07

2. MISSED - Gino Guyer vs. Tim Boron vs. Phoenix 1/26/08

ABOUT THE FALCONS

The Fresno Falcons are in their fifth season of ECHL play and independent of an NHL affiliate - previously, they were affiliated with the San Jose Sharks, who departed their partnership after the 2006-07 season. Fresno has qualified for the Kelly Cup Playoffs in the last two consecutive seasons, led by head coach Matt Thomas who produced a 34-29-9 record (77 points), garnering a seventh seed in last year's playoffs. Star forward Luke Curtin, a five-time ECHL All-Star selection, returns to Fresno for his third consecutive season after leading the Falcons in scoring for the last two years.



ECHL Stories from February 22, 2008


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