Game Preview: Stockton Thunder Vs. Ontario Reign

Published on January 17, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


The Thunder finishes a stretch of three games in three days as the homestand continues Sunday against the Ontario Reign, the sixth meeting between both teams this season. The Thunder is scheduled to don their gold-colored third jersey for the game for the fourth time this season. The Thunder is 3-2-0 this season against the Reign and in the last meeting, the Thunder defeated the Reign, 4-3 in overtime on Jason Pitton's game-winning goal. Through the first 15 regular season games in the all-time series, the Thunder is 7-7-1 against Ontario.

LAST 3 THUNDER GAMES

STK 6 - UTA 4 (1/16/10): James Bates set a new team record with four goals and tied another with a five-point (4g-1a) game, helping lift the Thunder to a 6-4 victory over the Utah Grizzlies before 5,907 fans at Stockton Arena on Saturday night. Bates, who became the sixth player in Thunder history to record a hat trick, became the second player in Thunder history to notch a five-point game (Brock Radunske vs. Utah, Mar. 22, 2007) and scored the eventual game-winner with just 41 seconds elapsed into the third period. J.F. Caudron snapped a five-game goal-scoring drought with a first period goal, and Matt Robinson hit the double-digit goal plateau in the second period.

UTA 2 - STK 1 (SO) (1/15/10): Goaltender Mitch O'Keefe made a season-high 43 saves and stopped four of five shots from the Thunder in a shootout, helping the Utah Grizzlies steal a 2-1 shootout win over the Thunder before 4,828 fans at Stockton Arena on Friday.The Thunder, who outshot the Grizzlies 44-31 and claimed a point in their second straight game while engulfed in a franchise record 11-game homestand, helped force overtime with a second period goal from all-star center Chris D'Alvise. A shorthanded goal from James Sixsmith, playing in his first game following an AHL call-up, marked the only Utah goal in regulation stages. Bryan Pitton made 29 saves.

BAK 5 - STK 4 (OT) (1/10/10): Mathieu Aubin scored a game-winning, power-play with 21 seconds elapsed into sudden death overtime to help the Bakersfield Condors complete a third period comeback and send the Thunder to a 5-4 overtime defeat before a crowd of 7,226 at Stockton Arena on Sunday afternoon. The Thunder, who opened an all-time record 11-game homestand by salvaging a point against their first place, Pacific Division foes, moved to 4-2-1 this season against Bakersfield and were led by a pair of goals from rookie defenseman Anthony Aiello. Brett Hemingway and Steve Vanoosten also scored for the Thunder, while Stephane Goulet led the Bakersfield offense with a goal and two assists.

THUNDER CROWDS ROLLING IN

The Thunder leads the ECHL in attendance with an average of 6,002 fans per game and is vying to tie a league record by leading the league in attendance for five straight seasons. 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).

SERIES IN A NUTSHELL

The Thunder leads the head-to-head series vs. Ontario, 3-2-0 this season... the Thunder responded following a 7-1 defeat at home on Oct. 23 with a 3-0 shutout victory the following night - goaltender Andrew Perugini recorded his third career shutout... Stockton defeated Ontario, 3-2 at Citizens Business Bank Arena on Nov. 4 with Craig Valette's go-ahead goal with 52.3 seconds left in regulation... the night after Ontario's 8-2 win over the Thunder on Nov. 20, Stockton responded with a 4-3 victory in overtime at Citizens Business Bank Arena on Jason Pitton's goal with 3:25 left.

STAR-CROSSED THUNDER

The Thunder are sending two players to the ECHL All-Star Game on Jan. 19-20 in Ontario. Judd Blackwater was named to the National Conference roster for the 2010 ECHL All-Star Game on Dec. 30 and Chris D'Alvise was named to the National Conference roster in place of Dan Sexton of Bakersfield, who is now playing with the Anaheim Ducks. Blackwater and D'Alvise are two of 18 players on the National Conference roster making their first All-Star appearance.

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

HATS OFF TO YOU

On Jan. 16, James Bates became the sixth player in Thunder history to record a hat trick and set a new single-game club record with four goals against the Utah Grizzlies in a 6-4 win at Stockton Arena. Additionally, Bates' hat trick was another Thunder first - with multiple hat trick efforts in one season.

THUNDER ALL-TIME HAT TRICKS

2005-06 1. Lance Monych 3/11/06 at Bakersfield

2006-07 1. Tim Verbeek 1/13/07 vs. Bakersfield

2007-08 1. Ryan MacMurchy 1/6/08 vs. Bakersfield

2008-09 1. Cory Urquhart 1/8/09 at Phoenix

2009-10 2. Chris D'Alvise 11/1/09 at Victoria

James Bates 1/16/10 vs. Utah

PITTON' IT IN GEAR

Thunder goaltender Bryan Pitton, who returned this week from his third recall of the season to the Edmonton Oilers of the NHL, became the third goaltender in Thunder history to be named Reebok Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Week (Jan. 21-27) on Dec. 29 and followed up last week by finishing runner-up for the weekly award. Pitton is 7-1-2 with two overtime wins in his last ten games. On Saturday, Jan. 2, Pitton suited up for Edmonton, who were in San Jose.

THUNDER ALL-TIME ECHL GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS

Date Awarded

1. Jake Moreland January 31, 2006

2. Andrew Perugini March 3, 2009

3. Bryan Pitton December 29, 2009

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