Sports stats



Game Preview: Stockton Thunder at Idaho Steelheads

October 16, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


MILESTONE TRACKER

o Ryan Constant is 8 games away from 200 in his professional career
o Kelly Czuy is 26 points away from 100 in his professional career
o Oren Eizenman is 12 points away from 100 in his professional career
o Riley Emmerson is 6 games away from 100 in his ECHL career
o Luis Tremblay is 2 games away from 200 in his ECHL career
o Craig Valette is 8 games away from 400 in his professional career



2009-10 HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES
Fri. Oct. 16 @ Idaho 6:10 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 17 @ Idaho 6:10 p.m.
Sun. Oct. 18 @ Idaho 6:10 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 13 Idaho 7:30 p.m.
Sat. Nov. 14 Idaho 7:30 p.m.
Sun. Nov. 15 Idaho 4:00 p.m.
Wed. Nov. 25 Idaho 7:00 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 27 Idaho 7:30 p.m.
Sat. Nov. 28 Idaho 7:30 p.m.
Thur. Dec. 31 @ Idaho 6:10 p.m.
Fri, Jan. 1, 2010 @ Idaho 6:10 p.m.
Sat. Jan. 2 @ Idaho 6:10 p.m.

TONIGHT'S MATCHUP
The Thunder visits the Idaho Steelheads beginning Friday for three games in three days to open the regular season, the Fifth Anniversary year for the club which began play in 2005-06 after moving from Atlantic City. Through 33 games in the lifetime series, the Thunder is 16-15-2 against Idaho and went 1-1-1 at Qwest Arena last year. The Thunder will visit Idaho for the first time in nearly a calendar year - their last visit was a three-game series that ended Nov. 22, 2008. Both teams will face each other 12 times in the first 32 games.

LID LIFTERS
The Thunder are 1-3-0 all-time in season openers and last won to open the season on Oct. 20, 2006 at Bakersfield, 6-1 to begin a 5-0-0 run, the best start in club history. Tonight's game is the first season opener under head coach Matt Thomas and the first time they open the season against an opponent outside the Pacific Division.

SEASON OPENERS (1-3-0)
Year Opponent Result Attendance
2005-06 Fresno L, 3-4 7,797
2006-07 Bakersfield W, 6-1 6,440
2007-08 Bakersfield L, 2-3 6,025
2008-09 Fresno L, 2-3 8,723

THE THOMAS TURNAROUND
Last year, the Thunder finished 32-33-7 (71 points), fourth place in the Pacific Division but ended the year at a 22-16-3 run that coincided with the arrival of head coach Matt Thomas, who was named to the Thunder position on Dec. 29. Under his guidance, the Thunder won its first playoff series in club history in seven games over Ontario in the Pacific Division Semifinal and reached Game 7 of the second round (Pacific Division Final) against the Las Vegas Wranglers. Thomas signed a two-year contract extension with the Thunder on June 11.

THE COACHING LEADERBOARD
Thomas has a lifetime .615 win percentage (64-38-11) as head coach of the Thunder, which actually includes his one-year stint in 2004-05 when the franchise played under the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies moniker. His efficiency is second in franchise history (minimum 36 games) to Mike Haviland, who won a Kelly Cup title with Thomas as an assistant coach in 2002-03 and is now serving as an assistant coach for the Chicago Blackhawks.

HIGH-FIVE
The Thunder has launched its Fifth Anniversary season after the team began play in the ECHL in 2005-06. Since then, the Thunder have led the league in attendance for four consecutive years and have advanced to the Kelly Cup Playoffs in the last three consecutive years. In 2008, the city of Stockton and the Thunder hosted the ECHL All-Star Game.

BACK FOR MORE
An astounding total of 13 players have returned to this year's Thunder roster from the 2008-09 club, when they advanced to the second round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs: James Bates, Judd Blackwater, Ryan Constant, Oren Eizenman, Igor Gongalsky, Garet Hunt, Kenny MacAulay, Daryl Marcoux, Matt O'Dette, Andrew Perugini, Bryan Pitton and Craig Valette.

STILL CROWING OUT THE ECHL
For the fourth straight season, the Thunder led the ECHL in attendance last year with an average of 6,218 fans through 36 home games. Stockton has 13 sellouts in the team's franchise history and finished last year as the ECHL's attendance leader for the third consecutive season. 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).

LETTER JACKET
Center Craig Valette was named the fourth captain in Thunder history on Oct. 15 (Dean Stork, Brad Farynuk and Matt O'Dette). He served as acting captain during nine games of the Kelly Cup Playoffs last year after an injury to O'Dette, the captain for 08-09. Kenny MacAulay and Bryan Young will serve as alternate captains.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
"The main thing when developing team chemistry is that guys care for each other and want to win for each other, and are willing to put individual things aside to make it happen," Thomas said. "That's what you want in a team."
- Head Coach Matt Thomas on the construction of the 2009-10 season opening roster, The Record, 10/16/09

"It's a big honor," Valette said. "You look in the mirror and see that 'C' on your shoulder, and it's a motivating factor and you have to bring it every night. You can't let your friends down, or your buddies down, or your teammates down or your coach."
- Center Craig Valette, on being named Thunder captain for 2009-10, The Record, 10/16/09

October 16, 2009 - Qwest Arena
FACEOFF: 6:10 p.m.

RADIO: 1420 KSTN
INTERNET: www.StocktonThunder.com (B2 Networks)



ECHL Stories from October 16, 2009


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