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Game Preview: Stockton Thunder Vs. Bakersfield Condors

February 1, 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 (18-22-2, 38 points) - 3rd, Pacific

Bakersfield Condors (12-21-8, 32 points) - 4th, Pacific

2007-08 HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES

10/19/07 Stockton 2 at Bakersfield 3

12/14/07 Bakersfield 5 at Stockton 3

12/21/07 Bakersfield 6 at Stockton 4

12/29/07 Stockton 5 at Bakersfield 4

01/06/08 Bakersfield 2 at Stockton 5

02/01/08 Bakersfield at Stockton

02/02/08 Bakersfield at Stockton

02/23/08 Stockton at Bakersfield

03/17/08 Stockton at Bakersfield

UPCOMING MILESTONES

o Spencer Carbery is 8 games away from 100 in his professional career

o Andy Contois is 18 points away from 100 in his ECHL career

TONIGHT'S MATCHUP

The Thunder begins its longest stretch of games at home with a back-to-back set against the Bakersfield Condors, starting Friday from Stockton Arena. The Thunder is 8-7-6 in the all-time series against Bakersfield and is 2-3-0 against the Condors this season. All-stars Andy Contois and Ryan MacMurchy each have five points (3g-2a) to lead the Thunder in scoring for the season series. Friday's game starts a stretch where the Thunder will play at home for the next seven out of eight games.

LAST GAME RECAP

John Lammers and Greg Rallo scored two goals each to help the Idaho Steelheads send the Thunder) to a 6-2 loss before 3,858 at Qwest Arena on Wednesday night. The Thunder dropped its fourth loss in a row and fell to 9-9-3 in the all-time series against the Steelheads. Thunder all-star right wing Ryan MacMurchy scored his 15th goal of the year just 25 seconds into the game while center Brandon Schwartz added a goal and an assist for his fifth multi-point game of the season.

FIRST THING'S FIRST

Of the 18 wins the Thunder has accumulated this season, 17 have come when the Thunder scores the first goal of the game. The Thunder is 17-8-1 when scoring the first goal of the game.

THROWING IT INTO CLUTCH

The Thunder has the ECHL's best winning percentage in sudden-death overtime and shootouts this season, combining for a record of 6-2 (.875) when the game moves past regulation. The Thunder has won three games in overtime at Alaska (Sullivan Arena) and swiped a 3-2 shootout win against the Las Vegas Wranglers at Stockton Arena on December 7.

BIG MAC'S BIG MONTH

Thunder all-star right wing Ryan MacMurchy has vaulted into the team's goal-scoring lead with 15 goals and has paced the Thunder in scoring for the month of January with 14 points (8g-6a) and a team-leading +9 rating in 11 games. MacMurchy's month helped him out-pace his scoring totals from last season with the Alaska Aces.

ROHLFS EARNS FIRST CALLUP

David Rohlfs was the most recent Thunder to earn a call-up, the first of his career, to the AHL-affiliate Springfield Falcons. The rookie right wing was selected in the fifth round (154th overall) by the Oilers in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft and spent time in 2007 NHL training camp with the Oilers. Rohlfs has scored 10 goals in 40 games this season for the Thunder and joins an injury-plagued Springfield squad, missing six players due to injury in their last game including Rick Berry, T.J. Reynolds, Sebastien Bisaillon, Jean-Francois Jacques, Mathieu Roy and Jacob Micflikier.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: BRIAN LEE

"I've always said the best thing about a guy like that is he goes unnoticed. But what he brings isn't unnoticed to me. He wins his battles, and he fits perfectly here." - Thunder head coach Chris Cichocki, The Record, 2/1/08

ABOUT THE CONDORS

Bakersfield is entering its fifth season in the ECHL and is celebrating its 10th season in professional hockey. The Condors are independent of an NHL affiliate and set team records last year with a 94-point season, posting a 41-19-12 record which placed second in the Pacific Division. Returning for his second stint between the Bakersfield pipes is goaltender Yutaka Fukufuji, who made history last year as the first Japanese-born player to make his NHL debut, suiting up for four games with the Los Angeles Kings. 34-year old defenseman Quinn Fair recently ended a three-year retirement and makes his season debut for Bakersfield tonight.

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