Game Preview: Stockton Thunder Vs. Ontario Reign

Published on December 2, 2011 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


GAME: Stockton Thunder vs. Ontario Reign

DATE: Friday, December 2, 2011

TIME: 7:30 p.m.

SITE: Stockton Arena

RADIO: 1280 AM KWSX/StocktonThunder.com (AmericaOne)

NHL AFFILIATES

Stockton Thunder: Edmonton Oilers, San Jose Sharks

Ontario Reign: Los Angeles Kings

HOME GAME PROMOTIONAL NOTES

Tonight's Promotion: JASON MORGAN BOBBLEHEAD GIVEAWAY (presented by MetroPCS and 97.7/98/3 KWIN)

National Anthem Singer: Tom Hawkins Elementary School

Public Address Announcer: Mike McKnight

In-Arena Emcee: D.J. Walker

NEXT HOME GAME

Saturday, Dec. 10 vs. Bakersfield Condors, 7:30 p.m.

THUNDER FLEECE BLANKET GIVEAWAY (presented by Stockton Police Officers, KHOP 95.1, Angelina's Spaghetti House and The Record)

TONIGHT'S MATCHUP

The Stockton Thunder battles the Ontario Reign tonight at Stockton Arena, continuing a three game series that alternates between the home ice of both teams. The Thunder is 3-2-1 this season against the Reign and in the last meeting the Thunder defeated Ontario in a shootout, 4-3 at Citizens Business Bank Arena on Wednesday. Through 36 regular season games in the all-time series, the Thunder is 21-11-4 against Ontario. The Thunder is 8-2-2 in the last 12 visits to Ontario dating back to 2009-10.

SEASON SERIES (Thunder: 3-2-1)

Sat. Oct. 15 Stockton 2 at Ontario 3 (SO)

Fri. Oct. 28 Stockton 2 at Ontario 4

Wed. Nov. 16 Stockton 2 at Ontario 4

Fri. Nov. 18 Stockton 3 at Ontario 2

Sat. Nov. 19 Stockton 3 at Ontario 1

Wed. Nov. 30 Stockton 4 at Ontario 3 (SO)

Fri. Dec. 2 Ontario 7:30 p.m.

Sun. Dec. 4 at Ontario 5:00 p.m.

Fri. Dec. 30 Ontario 7:30 p.m.

Sat. Dec. 31 Ontario 7:30 p.m.

Wed. Feb. 15 Ontario 7:00 p.m.

Wed. Mar. 21 at Ontario 7:00 p.m.

LAST THREE GAMES:

STK 4 - ONT 3 (SO) (11/30/11): Goaltender Olivier Roy made 36 saves and stopped all five shots in the shootout, enough to boost the Stockton Thunder (9-6-3, 21 points) to a 4-3 shootout victory against the Ontario Reign at Citizens Business Bank Arena on Wednesday.Tony DeHart, Ian O'Connor and Jordan Foreman scored in regulation for the Thunder and used a first round goal by Ryan Martindale in the shootout en route to the win. The Thunder improved to 8-2-2 in the last 12 games in Ontario, dating back to 2009-10 and Roy won his third straight game against the Reign.

STK 3 - LV 2 (11/26/11): Bretton Cameron capped a two goal effort and third period rally on a game winning goal with 10.9 seconds left in regulation, lifting the Stockton Thunder (8-6-3, 19 points) to an epic 3-2 comeback victory over the Las Vegas Wranglers before 5,572 fans at Stockton Arena on Saturday. The Thunder scored a trio of goals in the final 3:05 of regulation and combined with Las Vegas for three goals in the final 62 seconds of regulation which featured a pair of lead changes. Cameron's game winning goal came when he buried a wrist shot over Joe Fallon off the rush. Ryan Martindale gave the Thunder a 2-1 lead with 1:02 left in regulation. The comeback gave goaltender Thomas Heemskerk the win with 28 saves in net.

LV 3 - STK 2 (11/25/11): Joe Fallon came through with 37 saves and Eric Lampe scored the eventual game winning goal to help the Las Vegas Wranglers escape and send the Stockton Thunder (7-6-3, 17 points) to a 3-2 defeat before 5,193 fans at Stockton Arena on Friday. Garet Hunt and Nathan Deck recorded both Thunder goals, helping boost a late comeback rally that led to a goal mouth scramble in the final seconds - ultimately stopped by Fallon and the Las Vegas defense. Mike Hoffman and Rob Smith added the first two goals for the Wranglers.

ROY WORRY?

Goaltender Olivier Roy has turned in some of his finest performances of the season this year against Ontario. The rookie netminder is 3-1-1 in five games against Ontario this season with a 2.34 goals against average and .931 save percentage. In his last outing, Roy stopped 36 shots (added by five saves on five shots in the shootout) en route to a 4-3 Thunder shootout victory on Wednesday at Citizens Business Bank Arena.

DECKING THE HALLS

Thunder defenseman Nathan Deck led the Thunder last week with three points in three games, recording a goal and two assists along with a +1 rating. His two assist effort against Las Vegas on Nov. 26 was the first multi point game of his career. Deck currently leads Thunder defensemen with seven points (2g-5a) in 15 games this season.

UPCOMING MILESTONES

- Matt Thomas is 20 wins away from 300 in his professional coaching career

- Matt Foy is 8 assists away from 100 in his professional career

- Jordan Foreman is 4 games away from 100 in his ECHL career

HUNTING DOWN A MILESTONE

Thunder left winger Garet Hunt has surpassed Mark Adamek as the club's career leader in games played. Hunt is in his fourth season as a member of the Thunder and last season, was named the team's "Unsung Hero" and "Fan Favorite." This season, he was named alternate captain on Oct. 13.

ALL-TIME THUNDER GAMES PLAYED

Player GP

1. Garet Hunt 193

2. Mark Adamek 186

3. Adam Huxley 183

4. Mike Lalonde 182

5. Daryl Marcoux 166

THUNDER CROWDS ROLL IN

An exclusive club, the Thunder averaged over 6,000 fans per game and drew over 200,000 fans for the sixth straight year in 2010-11, ranking second in ECHL in attendance with 6,382 fans per game. A whopping crowd of 9,482 piled into Stockton Arena on Jan. 22 for the "Teddy Bear Toss" game, the largest crowd at Stockton Arena for the season and the fourth crowd over 9,000 in the event's history. Stockton has 17 sellouts in the team's franchise history. They welcomed 12 crowds of 7,000 or more at Stockton Arena last season and had its highest attendance since 2007-08, a six percent increase from 2009-10.

The Thunder leads the ECHL attendance this season with an average of 6,241 fans per game.

GOAL ORIENTED

Thunder right winger Kevin Baker was signed as a free agent on Aug. 24 and brings a wealth of offensive accomplishments to the Thunder roster. He was named ECHL Most Valuable Player in 2008-09 and his 57 goals that season were most in the league since 2000-01. He ranks third in ECHL all-time goal scoring (since 2006-07) with 157 goals.

MOST GOALS, ECHL (SINCE 2006-07)

Rank Player Team GP PTS G A +/-

1 Wes Goldie AK 421 407 247 160 1

2 Mark Derlago IDH 281 340 174 166 41

3 Kevin Baker STK 284 319 157 162 17

4 Ryan Kinasewich UTA 205 292 131 161 -4

5 Marty Flichel IDH 380 356 130 226 -8

** Statistics include regular season and playoffs

DID YOU KNOW?

There have been 18 penalty shots taken by the Thunder in their franchise history, dating back to 2005-06. The last to convert was Chris D'Alvise at Ontario on Feb. 13, 2010 against goaltender Curtis Darling.

PENALTY SHOTS BY THUNDER - REGULAR SEASON

(3 MADE, 15 MISSED)

1. MISSED - Nathan Martz vs. Yutaka Fukufuji vs. Reading 12/27/05

2. MISSED - Joel Irwin vs. Yutaka Fukufuji vs. Reading 12/28/05

3. MISSED - Nathan Martz vs. Chris Beckford-Tseu @ Alaska 1/20/06

4. MISSED - Joel Irwin vs. Ryan Munce vs. Bakersfield 4/7/06

5. MADE - Tim Sestito vs. Ryan MacDonald vs. Fresno 12/27/06

6. MISSED - Tim Sestito vs. Derek Gustafson @ Alaska 1/24/07

7. MISSED - Mike Lalonde vs. Jamie Hodson vs. Bakersfield 2/2/07

8. MISSED - Tom Zanoski vs. Michael Mole vs. Utah 2/6/08

9. MADE - Ryan Huddy vs. Jeff Zatkoff @ Ontario 11/12/08

10. MISSED - Stephane Goulet vs. Joe Fallon @ Fresno 11/14/08

11. MADE - Chris D'Alvise vs. Curtis Darling @ Ontario 2/13/10

12. MISSED - J.F. Caudron vs. Glenn Fisher vs. Victoria 3/5/10

13. MISSED - Kelly Czuy vs. Jimmy Spratt vs. Las Vegas 3/27/10

14. MISSED - Chris D'Alvise vs. Martin Jones vs. Ontario 10/16/10

15. MISSED - Mark Arcobello vs. Kellen Briggs vs. Ontario 10/23/10

16. MISSED - Chris D'Alvise vs. Peter Hirsch @ Bakersfield 10/29/10

17. MISSED - Garet Hunt vs. Joe Fallon vs. Las Vegas 12/29/10

18. MISSED - Garet Hunt vs. Andrew Engelage vs. Utah 11/4/11

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