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Game Preview: Stockton Thunder At Utah Grizzlies

March 12, 2010 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


The Thunder are entering the week just seven points behind the first place Bakersfield Condors of the Pacific Division. They are trying keep four teams (Alaska, Utah, Las Vegas and Ontario) at arm's length who are within three points are less and face the Utah Grizzlies for the fifth, sixth and seventh meetings this season at The E-Center, beginning tonight. The Thunder is 10-13-2, lifetime against Utah. The last meeting between both teams was on Jan. 16, when the Thunder defeated Utah, 6-4 at Stockton Arena. The series continues an eight-game road trip for the Thunder, who are looking to snap an all-time 0-6-1 all-time streak in West Valley City.

LAST 3 THUNDER GAMES

STK 7 - VIC 3 (3/6/10): Chris D'Alvise registered a career-high four assists and linemates James Bates (1g-2a) and Matt Robinson (two goals) chipped in with five combined points to help the Stockton Thunder (26-23-8, 62 points) demolish the Victoria Salmon Kings in a 7-3 victory before 8,042 fans at Stockton Arena on Saturday night. The Thunder, who had 13 different players hit the scoresheet and were aided by goaltender Aaron Sorochan, who earned his first career ECHL victory with 33 saves. Oren Eizenman, Igor Gongalsky, Daryl Marcoux and Kelly Czuy each contributed with a goal and the power-play motored to a 3-for-11 effort.

VIC 5 - STK 3 (3/5/10): Gary Gladue scored a goal and added an assist, giving the Victoria Salmon Kings enough of an early cushion to thwart a furious comeback by the Stockton Thunder in a 5-3 Thunder loss before 5,794 fans at Stockton Arena on Friday. The Thunder, who nearly erased a 4-1 deficit after two periods with two quick goals in the third and were stymied on a penalty shot and a scoring chance off the goal post, suffered only its second loss in regulation at home since Dec. 4 (a streak of 10-2-4 in 16 games). Garet Hunt, Oren Eizenman and Kelly Czuy each scored for Stockton, while the Salmon Kings were assisted by five different goal-scorers and Glenn Fisher's 34 saves.

STK 4 - VIC 1 (3/3/10): The first line of J.F. Caudron (1g-2a), Colin Hemingway (1g-2a) and Oren Eizenman (1g-1a) combined for eight points and goaltender Andrew Perugini made 26 saves to help the Thunder cruise to a 4-1 victory over the Victoria Salmon Kings at Stockton Arena on Wednesday night. The Thunder, who improved to 10-1-4 in the last 15 home games (dating back to Dec. 4), opened up a stretch of 11 home games in the month of March with a victory that helped keep a seven-point pace behind the Pacific Division's first place Bakersfield Condors, who defeated Idaho 3-1 earlier in the evening.

FAMILIAR FOES

Thunder head coach Matt Thomas and counterpart Kevin Colley of Utah face-off for the 11th time as opposing head coaches. Thomas, was an assistant coach for the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies in 2003 when the team won the Kelly Cup championship, coached Colley who was a forward for team and also was named the playoffs Most Valuable Player. Thomas owns a 4-5-1 record vs. Utah since Colley was named the team's head coach before the 2008-09 regular season. At one point in their careers, both Thomas (age 28 for Atlantic City) and Colley (age 29 for Utah) were the youngest head coaches in the ECHL.

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. In February, he erupted with 13 points (6g-7a) in 10 games. D'Alvise leads the Thunder with 24 goals (5th, ECHL rookies) and leads Thunder rookies with 49 points (6th, ECHL rookies) in 55 games this season. D'Alvise has two hat tricks this season and posted a career-high four assists on Mar. 6 vs. Victoria (7-3 win).

THUNDER CROWDS ROLLING IN

The Thunder ranks third in the ECHL in attendance with an average of 5,933 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).

BATES AND SWITCH

Since returning from an AHL call-up with the Springfield Falcons, James Bates has embarked on a tear spanning over a month with 34 points (12g-22a) in 24games and has a +11 rating. Bates currently leads the Thunder with 55 points (20g-35a), 35 assists and has set a new career-high with 20 goals.

ECHL LEADERS - SCORING (since Jan. 15)

Player Team GP PTS G A +/-

1. Tyler Donati Elmira Jackals 22 46 19 27 20

2. Mark Derlago Idaho Steelheads 21 43 22 21 15

3. James Bates Stockton Thunder 24 34 12 22 11

4. AJ Perry Utah Grizzlies 23 33 9 24 -9

5. Matt Vokes Trenton Devils 23 32 14 18 14

20 AND OVER ADMITTED

A growing club this season that is nearly tying a franchise high, four different players with 20 goals in one season adorn the roster, tying a club record when four separate 20-goal scorers dotted the roster in 2005-06 (Joel Irwin, Mike Lalonde, Ned Havern and Aaron Foster). Chris D'Alvise leads the Thunder with 24 goals (T-5, ECHL rookies), Colin Hemingway has 21 goals (four off his career-high) to rank second and Matt Robinson has 22 goals (new career-high) to rank third. James Bates' 20 goals are also a career-high. The Thunder are looking for their first pair of 30-goal scorers in club history.

THUNDER 20 GOAL CLUB

YR PLAYERS GOALS

05-06 4. Mike Lalonde 29

Joel Irwin 25 Ned Havern 23

Aaron Foster 20

06-07 2. Mike Lalonde 23

Troy Bodie 21

07-08 2. Lance Monych 32

Ryan MacMurchy 23

08-09 2. Ryan Huddy 35*

Cory Urquhart 28

09-10 3. Chris D'Alvise 24

Matt Robinson 22

Colin Hemingway 21

James Bates 20

* Denotes Thunder record

'GINI IN A BOTTLE

Goaltender Andrew Perugini, who is second in ECHL save percentage (.916) and ranks tied for third in the ECHL in goals-against-average (2.70), became the Thunder career shutout leader (4) on Feb. 12 and posted his most recent blanking on a week later at Bakersfield, a career-high 45-save effort in a 2-0 Thunder win. Perugini was named Reebok Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Week in February for the second time in his career.

ALL-TIME THUNDER SHUTOUT LEADERBOARD

GOALTENDER SHUTOUTS

1. Andrew Perugini (2008-present) 5

2. Tim Boron (2007-08) 3

3. Devan Dubnyk (2006-07) 2

Glenn Fisher (2007-08) 2

Jake Moreland (2005-06) 2

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