Game Preview: Stockton Thunder Vs. Utah Grizzlies

Published on January 15, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


The Thunder faces the Utah Grizzlies for the first time this season beginning Friday at Stockton Arena, the first of ten meetings between both teams this season and follow up with the second of back-to-back games on Saturday. The Thunder is 9-10-2, lifetime against Utah and went 3-5-0 last season against Utah. The last meeting between both teams was on March 27, when the Thunder defeated Utah 5-3 at Stockton Arena. The series continues an 11-game homestand, a Thunder record, while combining for more than 14,000 fans through the turnstiles and giving the four-time league leaders in attendance the ECHL lead this season with an average of 6,093 fans.

LAST 3 THUNDER GAMES

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.

BAK 6 - STK 4 (1/8/10): Shawn Weller tallied a four-point effort (2g-2a) to help lead a four-goal third period comeback by the Bakersfield Condors, sending the Thunder to a 6-4 defeat before 6,005 fans at Rabobank Arena on Friday night. The Thunder, who lost a 3-2 lead after 40 minutes and finished a four-game road trip at 2-2-0 before a season-long 11-game homestand, each received goal-scoring support from Chris D'Alvise, Igor Gongalsky, Ryan Constant and Jamie Bates. Former Thunder forward Stephane Goulet pitched in with a three-point (2g-1a) effort.

STK 5 - IDH 1 (1/2/10): Goaltender Andrew Perugini made 29 saves in his first return in net since December 19 and Oren Eizenman scored a pair of goals to lead the Stockton Thunder (14-15-3, 31 points) to their ninth win in 12 games in a 5-1 rout of the Idaho Steelheads before a crowd of 3,665 at Qwest Arena on Saturday. The win, giving the Thunder the three-game series victory in a 2-1-0 record at Boise, lifted the team into a second place tie in the Pacific Division with the Ontario Reign (tied for fifth, National Conference). Goals by Igor Gongalsky, Riley Emmerson and Chris D'Alvise spelled Eizenman's effort, while Matt Sorteberg netted the only Idaho goal.

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

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 6-1-0 with two overtime wins in his last seven 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

THUNDER CROWDS ROLLING IN

The Thunder leads the ECHL in attendance with an average of 6,093 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).

POWER TRIP

The Thunder power-play leads the ECHL at 22.0 percent (36-for-164) and is second in the ECHL lead on the road this season, converting at 26.7 percent (23-for-86). Last Friday, the Thunder went 3-for-5 on the power-play. Judd Blackwater has seven power-play goals, leading the Thunder and currently tied for fourthd in the ECHL.

MILESTONE MARKS FOR BLACKWATER, HEMINGWAY, ROBINSON

Brett Hemingway, picked up by the Thunder as a free agent on Dec. 1 and scoring nine points (3g-6a) in nine games since that date, has hit two milestones recently in a Thunder uniform. His three point (1g-2a) effort against the Alaska Aces on Dec. 11 at Sullivan Arena helped him eclipse the 100 point mark in his pro career and an assist on Dec. 16 at Victoria helped him surpass 100 points in his entire pro career.

Judd Blackwater, leading the Thunder with 14 goals and 28 points (14g-14a), played in his 100th pro game last on Dec. 31 at Idaho. With a two-assist effort against Bakersfield on Jan. 8, Robinson hit the 100-point plateau in his career.

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ECHL Stories from January 15, 2010


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