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


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