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Game Preview: Stockton Thunder at Idaho Steelheads

January 25, 2012 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


DATE: Wednesday, January 25, 2012

TIME: 6:10 p.m.

SITE: Century Link Arena

RADIO: 1280 AM KWSX/StocktonThunder.com (AmericaOne)

NHL AFFILIATES

Stockton Thunder: Edmonton Oilers, San Jose Sharks

Idaho Steelheads: Dallas Stars

NEXT HOME GAME

Friday, Jan. 27 vs. Alaska Aces, 7:30 p.m.

ADULT BLACK REPLICA JERSEY (presented by Jackson Rancheria, AT&T/yp.com, Financial Center Credit Union and 104.1 The Hawk)

TONIGHT'S MATCHUP

The Stockton Thunder concludes a two game series tonight against the Idaho Steelhead at Century Link Arena. Tonight's game marks the fifth matchup this season between both teams. The last time both teams met was last night, when the Thunder defeated the Steelheads 4-1. The Thunder is 5-1-1 in the last seven trips to Idaho, dating back to 2009-10. Historically, the Thunder is 26-28-6 against Idaho. The game will feature the debut of two new Thunder forwards, Matt Reber and Max Campbell.

SEASON SERIES (Thunder: 2-2-0)

Sat. Oct. 29 Idaho 3 at Stockton 4

Fri. Dec. 16 Idaho 6 at Stockton 2

Sat. Dec. 17 Idaho 5 at Stockton 4

Tue. Jan. 24 Stockton 4 at Idaho 1

Wed. Jan. 25 at Idaho 6:10 p.m.

Fri. Feb. 3 Idaho 7:30 p.m.

Sat. Feb. 4 Idaho 7:30 p.m.

Fri. Feb. 17 Idaho 7:30 p.m.

Wed. Mar. 14 Idaho 7:00 p.m.

Wed. Mar. 28 at Idaho 6:10 p.m.

Fri. Mar. 30 at Idaho 6:10 p.m.

Sat. Mar. 31 at Idaho 6:10 p.m.

UPCOMING MILESTONES

- Matt Thomas is 11 wins away from 300 in his professional coaching career

- Kevin Baker is 22 goals away from 200 in his professional career

- Matt Foy is 14 points away from 200 in his professional career

LAST THREE GAMES:

STK 4 - IDH 1 (1/24/12): Goaltender Alex Stalock made 29 saves and Ian O'Connor scored a pair of goals to lift the Stockton Thunder (18-17-4, 40 points) to a 4-1 victory over the host Idaho Steelheads at Century Link Arena on Tuesday. Behind an attack of four unanswered goals, Stockton moved into sole possession of fifth place in the Western Conference with its third consecutive win and improved to 5-1-1 in Boise since 2009-10, benefiting from additional goals by Garet Hunt and Jordan Fulton.

STK 4 - LV 2 (1/22/12): Goaltender Olivier Roy made a career high 48 saves while Jordan Fulton chipped in with a three point game (1g-2a) to help the Stockton Thunder (17-17-4, 38 points) hold off the Las Vegas Wranglers in a 4-2 victory at Stockton Arena before 4,097 fans on Sunday. The Thunder went 2-1-0 in a three game and three day series against the first place Wranglers, moving into a tie for sixth place in the Western Conference with the idle Utah Grizzlies. Chris Doyle, Matt Foy and Nathan Deck also chipped in with goals for Stockton.

STK 7 - LV 5 (1/21/12): Jesse Fratkin and Mike Little each scored a pair of goals and Alex Stalock was victorious in his season debut with 24 saves, helping the Stockton Thunder (16-17-4, 36 points) sink the Las Vegas Wranglers in a 7-5 win before a crowd of 7,405 at Stockton Arena on Saturday. Fratkin scored the first goal in the Thunder's annual "Teddy Bear Toss" event when he beat the horn before the end of the first period. The goal unleashed a flurry of stuffed animals onto the ice for local nonprofit donation. The Thunder improved to 4-1-2 lifetime in the Teddy Bear Toss series at Stockton Arena.

PUTTING OUT THE WELCOME MAT

Tonight will feature the debut of new Thunder forwards Matt Reber and Max Campbell, who were acquired in two separate transactions on Tuesday. Reber was acquired from the Utah Grizzlies in exchange for center Jordan Foreman and Campbell was officially assigned to the Thunder from the Connecticut Whale (AHL). Reber had 11 points in 8 playoff games last season. Campbell was originally selected by the New York Rangers in the fifth round (138th overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and has skated in 17 games this season with Greenville, scoring four points (2g-2a) and adding four penalty minutes.

NOTE OF THE NIGHT

This season, the Thunder has boasted a record of 11-5-2 when playing in the second game of a "back to back" or in a "three game in three day" scenario. The last Thunder win in that situation came Sunday, when they defeated Las Vegas, 4-2 at Stockton Arena.

THUNDER BOOMING AGAIN

In the last four games, the Thunder have blasted through with 19 goals, including seven in Saturday's 7-5 victory over Las Vegas where they poured on a season high 43 shots on goal. In the game, the Thunder came within two goals of tying a Thunder record of nine goals set in one game (Dec. 10 vs. Bakersfield).

GOAL ORIENTED

Thunder right winger Kevin Baker was signed as a free agent on Aug. 24 and brings a wealth of offensive accomplishments to the Thunder roster. He was named ECHL Most Valuable Player in 2008-09 and his 57 goals that season were most in the league since 2000-01. He ranks third in ECHL all-time goal scoring (since 2006-07) with 166 goals. On Dec. 10 vs. Bakersfield, he collected his first hat trick of the season.

MOST GOALS, ECHL (SINCE 2006-07)

Rank Player Team GP PTS G A +/-

1 Wes Goldie AK 443 439 264 175 7

2 Mark Derlago IDH 281 340 174 166 41

3 Kevin Baker STK 305 338 166 172 13

4 Marty Flichel IDH 382 358 131 227 -8

5 Ryan Kinasewich UTA 205 292 131 161 -4

** Statistics include regular season and playoffs

FOY STORY

Thunder forward Matt Foy is tied for the lead on the Thunder in scoring with 31 points (10g-21a) and paces the team with 21 assists. The 6-foot-3 and 225 pound right winger has scored 20 points (5g-15a) in his last 20games and recently posted his ninth multi point game of the season on Jan. 22 vs. Las Vegas with a goal and assist. Foy has 56 games of playing experience in the NHL with the Minnesota Wild and skated in 28 games with the Wild in 2007-08, scoring eight points (4g-4a) and totaling 28 penalty minutes.

HUNTING DOWN A MILESTONE

Thunder left winger Garet Hunt has surpassed Mark Adamek as the club's career leader in games played. Hunt is in his fourth season as a member of the Thunder and last season, was named the team's "Unsung Hero" and "Fan Favorite." This season, he was named alternate captain on Oct. 13. He played in his 200th career game with the Thunder on Dec. 16 vs. Idaho.

ALL-TIME THUNDER GAMES PLAYED

Player GP

1. Garet Hunt 210

2. Mark Adamek 186

3. Adam Huxley 183

4. Mike Lalonde 182

5. Daryl Marcoux 166

THUNDER CROWDS ROLL IN

An exclusive club, the Thunder averaged over 6,000 fans per game and drew over 200,000 fans for the sixth straight year in 2010-11, ranking second in ECHL in attendance with 6,382 fans per game. A whopping crowd of 9,482 piled into Stockton Arena on Jan. 22 for the "Teddy Bear Toss" game, the largest crowd at Stockton Arena for the season and the fourth crowd over 9,000 in the event's history. Stockton has 17 sellouts in the team's franchise history. They welcomed 12 crowds of 7,000 or more at Stockton Arena last season and had its highest attendance since 2007-08, a six percent increase from 2009-10.

The Thunder is third in ECHL attendance with an average of 5,696 fans per game.

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