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Game Preview: Stockton Thunder vs. Phoenix RoadRunners

February 25, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


FACEOFF: 7:00 p.m. PT

RADIO: 1420-AM KSTN

INTERNET: www.stocktonthunder.com (B2 Networks)

RECORDS:

Stockton Thunder (21-29-3, 45 points) - 3rd, Pacific

Phoenix RoadRunners (18-29-7, 43 points) - 5th, West

2007-08 HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES

10/24/07 Stockton 4 at Phoenix 0

11/06/07 Stockton 4 at Phoenix 3

11/07/07 Stockton 5 at Phoenix 6

11/08/07 Stockton 6 at Phoenix 4

12/22/07 Phoenix 2 at Stockton 6

01/26/08 Phoenix 3 at Stockton 1

02/25/08 Phoenix at Stockton

MILESTONE TRACKER

o Jason Beeman is 24 games away from 100 in his ECHL career

o Brian Lee is 14 games away from 200 in his professional career

o Lance Monych is 6 points away from 100 in his professional career

o Brandon Schwartz is 12 points away from 100 in his ECHL career

o Tim Verbeek is 19 games away from 400 in his professional career

TONIGHT'S MATCHUP

Holding a win streak for the first time since January, the Thunder faces the Phoenix RoadRunners for the final time in the seven-game series in a rare Monday night matchup, with playoff positioning at stake. The Thunder sits two points ahead of the RoadRunners for seventh place in the National Conference with a record of 21-29-3 (41 points). The Thunder is 4-2-0 in the season series and is 13-4-1 all-time against the RoadRunners. Monday's game begins a long home stretch for the Thunder, who plays seven of the next eight games at Stockton Arena.

LAST GAME RECAP

Goaltender Tim Boron made 39 saves to help the Thunder jump into seventh place in the National Conference with a 5-2 victory over the Bakersfield Condors in front of 6,648 at Rabobank Arena on Saturday night. The win puts the Thunder four points ahead of Bakersfield in the race for playoff positioning, as the Thunder garnered its first win streak since Jan. 6-9. Five different Thunder scored a goal, led by Tim Verbeek's 100th goal as a professional in the second period.

FIRST THING'S FIRST

Of the 21 wins the Thunder has accumulated this season, 20 have come when the Thunder scores the first goal of the game. The Thunder is 20-12-1 when scoring the first goal of the game. Lance Monych leads the Thunder with six "first goals."

GETTING WARMER...

Center Brandon Schwartz, the team's active assist leader (22) with Jacob Micflikier (23 assists) up in the AHL, leads the Thunder with 10 points (4g-6a) in 11 games for the month of February. Schwartz's output mirrors the offensive output he produced in February last season for the Long Beach Ice Dogs, the best month of his 06-07 rookie campaign.

SCHWARTZ GP G A PTS 06-07 13 5 7 12 07-08 11 4 6 10

CROWING OUT THE ECHL

The Thunder remains the league's leader in attendance with a league-high average of 6,530 fans in 26 dates (163,797 total) and has drawn three sellouts (9,737) this season, the most recent coming a Saturday, February 16 game against Alaska. The Thunder is vying to become the first team since 2004-05 to lead the ECHL in attendance for three straight seasons (Florida led the ECHL in attendance for five straight seasons). The Thunder drew 244,085 fans to Stockton Arena in 2006-07 and drew the fifth largest crowd in ECHL All-Star Game history on January 23 with a total of 7,455 fans.

WHEELING AND DEALING

The Thunder brought back a familiar face with the acquisition of right wing Lance Monych from the Mississippi Sea Wolves in exchange for left wing Andy Contois last Wednesday. Last Friday, veteran center Joel Stepp was acquired from the Pensacola Ice Pilots in exchange for future considerations. Monych, who scored 21 points (11g-10a) with the Thunder as an assigned prospect from the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes in 2005-06, returned to the Thunder tied for eighth in the ECHL with 25 goals this season, standing as a career-high. Stepp, who helped guide the Gwinnett Gladiators to the Kelly Cup Finals in 2006, had career-high tying 54-point seasons in 2006-07 with Gwinnett and in 2005-06 with Gwinnett and Augusta.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

"If you are getting traded, it's far better to go somewhere where you know what is expected of you. I know it's a good situation there, and I know Chris (Cichocki). It should be fun."

- Thunder right wing Lance Monych, The Record, 2/16/08

SIR LANCE-A-LOT SETS THE PACE

Lance Monych's arrival to the Thunder roster already puts him atop the team's scoring lead with 40 points (25g-15a) and first in goal-scoring with 25 goals, entering today's game at a 10th place tie in the ECHL for goals. Monych has points in his last six games, scoring seven points (4g-3a) in that span.

IN THE NICK OF TIM

Goaltender Tim Boron has provided some of the most prolific goaltending in the Thunder's three-year history, recently breaking the single-season club record with three shutouts and made a career-high 50 saves against Las Vegas in a 1-0 win at Stockton Arena on January 20. Boron is tied for second in the ECHL with three shutouts.

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