Game Preview: Stockton Thunder At Phoenix

March 4, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


March 4, 2009 - U.S. Airways Center

FACEOFF: 6:05 p.m.

RADIO: 1420 KSTN

INTERNET: www.StocktonThunder.com (B2 Networks)

2008-09 HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES

1/6/09 Stockton 5 at Phoenix 4

1/8/09 Stockton 8 at Phoenix 2

1/23/09 Phoenix 4 at Stockton 1

1/25/09 Phoenix 5 at Stockton 1

1/31/09 Phoenix 1 at Stockton 3

3/3/09 Stockton 3 at Phoenix 5

3/4/09 @ Phoenix 6:05 p.m.

TONIGHT'S MATCHUP

The Thunder faces the Phoenix RoadRunners for the seventh time this season and the final time the teams meet this season at Stockton Arena. The Thunder is 17-7-1 lifetime against Phoenix and is 3-3-0 against the RoadRunners this season. The last time the teams met, the RoadRunners defeated the Thunder 5-3 last night at U.S. Airways Center. Heading into the day, the Thunder is one point behind the Las Vegas Wranglers for second place in the Pacific Division.

SERIES NOTES

The Thunder is 3-3-0 this season against the RoadRunners ... Stockton has gone unbeaten in regulation in 8 of the last 10 meetings (7-2-1) at U.S. Airways Center, dating back to 2006-07 ... Thunder center Cory Urquhart notched the fourth hat trick in Thunder history the last time the teams met in Phoenix, an 8-2 Thunder win on Jan. 8 ...the game tied a Thunder record for most goals in a game ... Urquhart leads the Thunder in scoring with 9 points (7g-2a) in six games vs. Phoenix ... goaltender Andrew Perugini is 2-1-0 vs. Phoenix with a .904 save percentage and a 3.01 goals-against average ... A whopping total of 100 PIM's were issued to the Thunder in a third period melee, in a 4-1 Phoenix win on Jan. 23 at Stockton.

LAST THREE THUNDER GAMES

3/3/09 - STK 3 at PHX 5: Rookie Mark O'Leary totaled a career-high two goals and an assist while Kyle Jones made 35 saves to help the Phoenix RoadRunners send the Stockton Thunder (27-27-5, 59 points) to their third consecutive road defeat, 5-3 before 2,010 fans at U.S. Airways Center at Tuesday night. O'Leary helped Phoenix defeat the Thunder for the first time this season at U.S. Airways Center, which was only the second defeat for the Thunder in the last 10 games in Arizona. James McEwan, John McNabb and Matt Burke also scored for Phoenix. The Thunder received a pair of goals by Ryan MacMurchy and a power-play goal by Mike Lalonde.

3/1/09 - IDA 1 at STK 2 (so): Goaltender Andrew Perugini won his 12th game in the last 14 appearances with a 39-save effort to guide the Stockton Thunder (27-26-5, 59 points) to a 2-1 comeback victory in a shootout over the Idaho Steelheads before 4,794 fans at Stockton Arena on Sunday. The Thunder went 3-1-0 on its four-game homestand and match last year's total of 59 points, who were aided by Ryan Huddy's power-play goal in the third period. Garrett Bembridge scored Idaho's only goal in regulation and netminder Rejean Beauchemin was held winless despite making 22 saves.

2/28/09 - IDA 3 at STK 1: Ben Nelson's goal with 9:44 left in the third period broke a 1-1 tie and helped the Idaho Steelheads send the Stockton Thunder (26-26-5, 57 points) to a 3-1 defeat before a crowd of 8,176 at Stockton Arena on Saturday night. The loss brought an end to the Thunder two-game winning streak, who was supported offensively by Cory Urquhart's 26th goal of the season. Goaltender Bryan Pitton labored through 32 saves, keeping the Thunder in the game despite suffering his seventh straight loss.

HUDDY IS GOAL-ORIENTED

Ryan Huddy's 28 goals lead the Thunder this season and ranks fourth in ECHL rookie goal-scoring. Huddy needs two goals to break Mike Lalonde's single-season record (29) set in 2005-06. Currently signed to an AHL contract with the Springfield Falcons, Huddy participated for the National Conference at the 2009 ECHL All-Star Game in Reading, PA.

CROWDING OUT THE ECHL

The Thunder leads the ECHL in attendance with an average of 6,202 through 27 home 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 70 goals and ascended to the top perch as the Thunder all-time leading scorer with 146 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.

Below is a look at Lalonde's placing on the Thunder career scoring charts:

GOALS:

1. Mike Lalonde 70

2. Ryan MacMurchy 31

3. Nathan Martz 29

Steve Slonina 29

5. Tim Verbeek 28

POINTS

1. Mike Lalonde 146

2. Nathan Martz 122

3. Ryan MacMurchy 69

4. Joel Irwin 68

5. Stephane Goulet 63

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

"Matt knows so much about the game, you just know you'll learn something from him," defenseman Darryl Marcoux said. "He has shown me what I need to do to be successful."

- Defenseman Daryl Marcoux on captain Matt O'Dette, The Record, 2/25/09

"In the end, it came down to (goaltender Andrew Perugini)," Thunder coach Matt Thomas said. "He won us that game. We finally realized our goaltender was giving us a chance to win the game and started working hard."

- Head Coach Matt Thomas the Thunder 2-1 shootout win vs. Idaho, The Record, 3/2/09



ECHL Stories from March 4, 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