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Game Preview: Stockton Thunder Vs. Victoria Salmon Kings

October 30, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


October 30, 2009 - Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre

FACEOFF: 7:05 p.m.

RADIO: 1420 AM KSTN

INTERNET: www.StocktonThunder.com (B2 Networks)

MILESTONE TRACKER

o Ryan Constant is 5 games away from 200 in his professional career

o Kelly Czuy is 25 points away from 100 in his professional career

o Oren Eizenman is 11 points away from 100 in his professional career

o Riley Emmerson is 1 game away from 100 in his ECHL career

o Craig Valette is 3 games away from 400 in his professional career

2009-10 HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES

Fri. Oct. 30 @ Victoria 7:05 p.m.

Sun. Nov. 1 @ Victoria 1:05 p.m.

Wed. Dec. 16 @ Victoria 7:05 p.m.

Fri. Dec. 18 @ Victoria 7:05 p.m.

Sat. Dec. 19 @ Victoria 7:05 p.m.

Wed. Jan. 27 Victoria 7:00 p.m.

Fri. Jan. 29 Victoria 7:30 p.m.

Sat. Jan. 30 Victoria 7:30 p.m.

Wed. Mar. 3 Victoria 7:00 p.m.

Fri. Mar. 5 Victoria 7:30 p.m.

Sat. Mar. 6 Victoria 7:30 p.m.

Wed. Mar. 17 Victoria 7:00 p.m.

TONIGHT'S MATCHUP

The Thunder opens a three-game road trip with two games against the Victoria Salmon Kings, beginning Friday at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre which is the first of 12 meetings between the teams this year. The Thunder is 11-16-4 lifetime against Victoria and went 4-6-1 last year in the head-to-head series. Both teams advanced to the second round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs last year but are enduring slow starts, combining for a 2-9-0 record to begin the regular season. The Thunder will visit Victoria for five games this season.

LAST 3 THUNDER GAMES

STK 3 - ONT 0 (10/24/09): Goaltender Andrew Perugini made 34 saves for the third shutout of his professional career, helping the Stockton Thunder (1-4-0, 2 points) snap a four-game losing streak in a 3-0 victory over the Ontario Reign before 6,155 fans at Stockton Arena on Saturday night. The Thunder, who split the two-game series with Ontario and earned their first win of the young 2009-10 season, received offensive support from goal scorers Garet Hunt, Kenny MacAulay and rookie Chris D'Alvise. The Thunder yielded just one power-play opportunity for the game.

ONT 7 - STK 1 (10/23/09): Adam Henrich and Tony Voce scored a pair of goals each while goaltender Curtis Darling made 30 saves to help the Ontario Reign send the Stockton Thunder to a 7-1 setback before 5,805 fans at Stockton Arena on Friday night. The loss sent the Thunder to a 3-2-0 lifetime record in home openers and featured the only Thunder goal of the game from Craig Valette's power-play goal in the second period. Ontario, who parlayed a dominant 5-fot-5 effort on the power-play,. received an additional offensive lift on goals from Jon Rheault, Greg Hogeboom and Andrew Martens.

STK 2 - IDA 3 (10/18/09): John Swanson snapped a 2-2 tie with 10:03 remaining in the third period on a game-winning power-play goal, helping the Idaho Steelheads complete a three-game sweep of the Thunder in a 3-2 decision before 2,654 fans at Qwest Arena. The Thunder fell to 1-8-1 in the last ten all-time games in Boise and dropped their second straight one-goal game. Judd Blackwater extended his goal-scoring streak to three consecutive games and Chris D'Alvise chipped in with the first goal of his pro career. Idaho's Mark Derlago and Tyler Spurgeon also scored, while rookie Richard Bachman won in his pro debut with 26 saves in net. Thunder goaltender Andrew Perugini made 36 saves in the losing cause.

THUNDER WELCOMES COLTON YELLOW HORN

Making his debut in a Thunder uniform tonight is left wing Colton Yellow Horn, acquired in a trade with the Elmira Jackals on Wednesday in exchange for the rights to defenseman Neil Petruic. Yellow Horn, a participant in AHL training camp this year with the Binghamton Senators, has appeared in two games for the Elmira Jackals this year and scored 11 points (5g-6a) in 24 ECHL games last season. The 5-foot-9, 190-pound forward produced over a point-per-game average throughout his five-year (2003-08) junior career in the Western Hockey League with Lethbridge and Tri-City, scoring 349 points (153g-196a) in 330 games while compiling 248 penalty minutes. He led the WHL with 48 goals in 2007-08, skating for Tri-City.

ONE IN A MILLION

The Thunder has launched a special landmark "One Millionth Fan" contest which began last night. The contest begins the official countdown to search for one millionth fan to cross the turnstiles of Stockton Arena in the Thunder's five year history. As the reigning four-time ECHL attendance leader, the Thunder needs just 52,346 fans to reach the one million mark. The lucky fan will be selected as fans enter Stockton Arena, on the day the Thunder is scheduled to reach the one millionth fan mark. Upon selection, the lucky fan to cross the turnstiles will be awarded an array of prizes, including a vacation stay at Yosemite Lodge (Yosemite National Park), 2009-10 season tickets and an Amtrak train trip to Salt Lake City to see the Thunder face the Utah Grizzlies.

'GINI IN A BOTTLE

Last Saturday's 3-0 win gave Thunder goaltender Andrew Perugini the third shutout of his career and in a Thunder uniform, tying the all-time career shutout lead with Tim Boron. Perugini returns to Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre, the place where he notched the first blanking of his career in January, 2009.

BACK FOR MORE

A total of 13 players have returned to this year's Thunder roster from the 2008-09 club, when they advanced to the second round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs: James Bates, Judd Blackwater, Ryan Constant, Oren Eizenman, Igor Gongalsky, Garet Hunt, Kenny MacAulay, Daryl Marcoux, Matt O'Dette, Andrew Perugini, Bryan Pitton and Craig Valette.

OILING UP THE SHIP

For the fourth consecutive season, Stockton will serve as the AA minor-league affiliate for Oilers prospects. Since the Thunder and Oilers began their partnership in 2006-07, the Thunder has advanced to the Kelly Cup Playoffs three consecutive years and four former Thunder players - right wing Troy Bodie, center Tim Sestito, left wing Liam Reddox and defenseman Bryan Young - have gone on to play in the NHL.

Players with the Thunder that have been assigned through the Oilers AHL affiliate, the Springfield Falcons:

Andrew Perugini (G)

Bryan Pitton (G)

Jordan Bendfeld (D)

James Bates (RW)

Kelly Czuy (RW)

Riley Emmerson (RW)

Bryan Young (D)

LETTER JACKET

Center Craig Valette was named the fourth captain in Thunder history on Oct. 15 (Dean Stork, Brad Farynuk and Matt O'Dette). He served as acting captain during nine games of the Kelly Cup Playoffs last year after an injury to O'Dette, the captain for 08-09. Kenny MacAulay and Bryan Young will serve as alternate captains.

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