
Gull-Oriented
February 26, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release
STOCKTON, Calif. - Three separate four-point performances and second period goals enabled the San Diego Gulls (23-23-5, 51 points) to send the Stockton Thunder (8-32-11, 27 points) to a 5-2 loss, in front of 5,376 at Stockton Arena on Sunday.
Mark Wires (1g-3a), Jesse Bennefield (1g-3a) and Steve Hildenbrand (2g-2a) did the most damage for the Gulls, combining for 12 points between the two players.
San Diego struck first in swift fashion on the power play, when R.J. Enga converted a backdoor feed from Grady Moore's high-slot pass for a 1-0 Gulls lead only 1:24 into the game. Aaron MacInnis came back for the Thunder only 2:29 later, rifling a 50-foot one timer past Gulls goaltender Tyler Weiman for a 1-1 tie.
San Diego then blitzed the second period with three goals to race to a 4-1 lead, beginning with Steve Hildenbrand's first goal at 3:16. Mark Wires then converted a broken play by whacking in a bouncing puck in front of Thunder goaltender Jeff Weber for a 3-1 Thunder deficit at the 6:14 mark. Toward the end of the period, Hildenbrand's centering bid from the right circle deflected off Thunder defenseman Jeff Lang's skate into the net, pushing the deficit to 4-1 for his second goal at 17:51.
Both teams exchanged a goal each in the third period, with Joel Irwin cutting the deficit to two at 12:13, finishing an odd-man break with a sharp-angle marker from the right goal line. Bennefield provided the capper for San Diego only 34 seconds later, netting a wrap-around from the left corner.
Tyler Weiman backstopped San Diego with 34 saves, while Weber, making his first appearance in a week, collected 25 saves for the Thunder.
Monych's assist on MacInnis' goal gave the Thunder right wing a five-game point-scoring streak, and has scored four goals and two assists in that span.
The Thunder returns to play on Tuesday with a 7 p.m. PT face-off against the Gulls from Stockton Arena. The game can be heard live on the internet (free-of-charge) and is available for viewing at a $6 "pay-per-view" rate at www.stocktonthunder.com, courtesy of B-2 Networks.
Thunder season tickets, individual tickets, and mini packages are on-sale now. Individual tickets can be purchased in person at Stockton Arena's Ticket Office, online at www.stocktontickets.com, or by phone at (209) 373-1700. For more information about tickets, merchandise, or other inquiries contact the Stockton Thunder offices at (209) 373-1500 or visit www.stocktonthunder.com.
ECHL Stories from February 26, 2006
- Stingrays finally get the best of Charlotte in 3-2 victory - Charlotte Checkers
- Utah Grizzlies Blank Phoenix 4-0 - Utah Grizzlies
- Gulls Notch Third Straight Win, Beat Stockton 5-2 - San Diego Gulls
- Gull-Oriented - Stockton Thunder
- Grizzlies Blank RoadRunners 4-0 - Phoenix RoadRunners
- Gladiators Weekly Update - Atlanta Gladiators
- Gulls Notch Third Straight Win, Beat Stockton 5-2 - San Diego Gulls
- Shiryaev Acquired From Bako; Weiman Back From Lowell - San Diego Gulls
- ECHL Transactions - ECHL
- Lynx This Week - Augusta Lynx
- Shiryaev Dealt to San Diego - Bakersfield Condors
- Cory Murphy Resting at Home after Successful Surgery - Fresno Falcons
- ECHL Today - ECHL
- Ice Dogs Slip Past Roadrunners 4-3 - OSC Original by Andrew Nordmeier
- Salmon Kings edge Aces 4-3 in a shootout - Alaska Aces
- Salmon Kings with the Ace shot - Victoria Salmon Kings
- A Mirror Image - Stockton Thunder
- Pretty In Pink: Gulls Win 2-1 In OT - San Diego Gulls
- San Diego Slips Past the Grizzlies in OT - Utah Grizzlies
- Ice Dogs Win In Wild Finish, 4-3 - Long Beach Ice Dogs
- 7,295 See Wranglers Oust Steelheads 2-1 - Las Vegas Wranglers
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
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