Game Preview: Stockton Thunder Vs. Bakersfield Condors

Published on January 12, 2011 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


The Stockton Thunder returns to California for a brief home stop. They have one game to host the Bakersfield Condors on Wednesday at Stockton Arena. It is the eighth of 11 meetings between both clubs and the last time both teams met, Bakersfield defeated Stockton, 4-3 in overtime at Rabobank Arena on Dec. 27. Stockton last swept a three-game series at home against the Condors on Nov. 5-7, outscoring their opponent, 15-2. The Thunder is 20-19-12 lifetime against the Condors through six seasons and is 3-2-2 in the head-to-head series.

LAST THREE GAMES:

STK 3 ‚¬" VIC 1 (1/8/10): Rookie Bretton Cameron collected his second multi-goal effort in three games, including the game winner in the second period, and Bryan Pitton outdueled Chris Beckford-Tseu with 30 saves to lift the Thunder to a 3-1 victory over the Victoria Salmon Kings before 3,734 fans at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre on Saturday. Cameron took over as the active Thunder goal-scoring leader with 10 goals (tied with Chris D ‚¬â„¢Alvise), scoring four in three games while Ryan Constant helped out with a first period goal. Stockton took four of six possible points in the three-game series and finished 5-1-0 in six games this year in Victoria.

VIC 4 ‚¬" STK 2 (1/7/10): David Shantz made 25 stops and the Victoria Salmon Kings never trailed, using three unanswered goals in the first period to skate past the Thunder, 4-2, before a crowd of 3,308 at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre on Friday. Victoria busted out with its rally in a span of 8:02 and Michael Wilson and Tim Kraus each recorded two assists. Anthony Aiello and Jason Pitton picked up the only Thunder goals in the first and third period, respectively.

STK 3 ‚¬" VIC 2 (1/5/10): Rookie winger Bretton Cameron capped off the first multi-goal game of his career with a game-winner on a breakaway late in the third period, boosting the Thunder to a 3-2 victory over the Victoria Salmon Kings before a crowd of 3,186 at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre on Wednesday. Cameron scored with 4:35 left in the game, beating David Shantz with a forehand snapshot that helped Stockton erase a 0-5-2 skid and win their fourth in a row in Victoria. Jarrett Konkle also scored in his Thunder debut and goaltender Bryan Pitton made 33 saves, picking up the win in his first game back from the American Hockey League.

UPCOMING MILESTONES:

· Ryan Constant is 4 points away from 200 in his professional career

· Ryan Constant is 15 games away from 300 in his professional career

· Jim McKenzie is 14 games away from 200 in his professional career

SEASON SERIES (Thunder is 3-2-2)

Fri. Oct. 29 Stockton 4 at Bakersfield 5 (SO)

Fri. Nov. 5 Bakersfield 0 at Stockton 7

Sat. Nov. 6 Bakersfield 2 at Stockton 4

Sun. Nov. 7 Bakersfield 0 at Stockton 4

Fri. Dec. 10 Stockton 3 at Bakersfield 5

Sun. Dec. 26 Stockton 0 at Bakersfield 1

Mon. Dec. 27 Stockton 3 at Bakersfield 4 (OT)

Wed. Jan. 12 Bakersfield 7:00 p.m.

Tue. Feb. 22 Bakersfield 7:00 p.m.

Fri. Feb. 25 at Bakersfield 7:00 p.m.

Sat. Feb. 26 at Bakersfield Noon

LIKE A BROKEN RECORD

The Thunder broke a club record on Saturday, Nov. 20 in a 2-1 shootout loss to Idaho for a 12-game unbeaten streak in regulation (8-0-4). The previous standard was set with an 11-0-0 run in 2006-07. The Thunder began the streak with a 5-4 overtime loss to Ontario on Oct. 16 at Stockton Arena and tied the mark on Nov. 18, in a 3-2 shootout win over the Idaho Steelheads.

THUNDER ANSWERS ROAD RULES CHALLENGE

The Thunder owned a 6-0-2 streak on the road to begin the season, finishing as the last remaining team in the ECHL yet to lose a game in regulation on the road. Additionally, the streak to start the season broke the mark of five straight games without a loss in regulation (5-0-0), set back in 2006-07 (Mar. 17-31).

HAIL TO THE CHIEF

Thunder head coach Matt Thomas ranks third in wins in the last decade in the ECHL (among active coaches), entering the year with a lifetime .606 win percentage (234-143-54 record) in six seasons as a head coach for Stockton, Fresno and Atlantic City. Thomas also has never missed the playoffs, won a Kelly Cup championship in 2002-03 as an assistant coach with Atlantic City, has been named coach for the ECHL All-Star Game twice (2005, 2009) and has been behind the bench in a coaching role for teams that advanced to the Conference Finals three times.

ALL-TIME WINS, REGULAR SEASON (2000-2010)

COACH WINS

1. Jeff Pyle (Gwinnett, Mobile) * 361

2. Malcolm Cameron (four teams) * 311

3. Davis Payne (Alaska, Pee-Dee) 289

4. Glen Gulutzan (Las Vegas) 254

5. Matt Thomas (Stockton, Fre, A.C.) * 247

* Currently ECHL active

ALL-STAR ARCOBELLO

The Thunder, last Thursday, announced in conjunction with the ECHLthat rookie center Mark Arcobello has been named to the ECHL All-Star roster for the 2011 ECHL All-Star Classic in Bakersfield, Calif. Arcobello leads Thunder rookies with 16 points (6g-10a) in 29 games and is tied for the team's rookie lead with six goals, collecting eight penalty minutes.

He was signed to an AHL contract with the Oklahoma City Barons before the season. The 2011 ECHL All-Star Classic presented by CCM will be hosted by the Bakersfield Condors at Rabobank Arena and played on Jan. 26, 2011. This year ‚¬â„¢s format features the host team taking on a team of ECHL All-Stars.

THUNDER IN ECHL ALL-STAR GAME

Year Venue Representative

2005-06 Fresno Moreland, Lalonde

2006-07 Idaho Geisler, Dubnyk, Martz, Bodie

2007-08 Stockton Farynuk, Contois, MacMurchy

2008-09 Reading Huddy, Urquhart

2009-10 Ontario Blackwater, D'Alvise

2010-11 Bakersfield Arcobello

BRETTON GETS BETTER Bretton Cameron has reached a tie for the Thunder goal-scoring lead (10), collecting six goals in his last five games. He had the first multi-goal game of his career on Jan. 5 at Victoria and had two game-winning goals in two wins last week at Victoria. Last season, he topped career-highs in goals (40), points (67) and penalty minutes (119) in 68 games in 2009-10 with Medicine Hat of the Western Hockey League.

THUNDER CROWDS ROLL IN

An exclusive club, the Thunder averaged over 6,000 fans per game and drew over 200,000 fans at the gate for the fifth straight year in 2009-10 after leading the ECHL in attendance for four straight seasons. This year, the Thunder is second in the ECHL with 86,120 fans through 14 games (6,151 average). The Thunder has drawn 14 sellouts in the team's franchise history, welcomed its one millionth fan last season along.

TOP FIVE HOME CROWDS IN 2009-10

OPPONENT DATE ATTENDANCE

1. Bakersfield 11/6 9,015

2. Utah 12/11 8,330

3. Idaho 11/20 8,126

4. Las Vegas 12/29 7,050

5. Bakersfield 11/5 6,707

* Denotes sellout

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