MacMurchy nets first professional hat trick in critical intra-division win

Published on January 6, 2008 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


STOCKTON, Calif. - Ryan MacMurchy registered the first hat trick of his professional career and scored a career-high four points (3g-1a) while goaltender Glenn Fisher made 43 saves to help lift the Stockton Thunder (14-16-2, 30 points) to a 5-2 victory over the Pacific Division-rival Bakersfield Condors, in front of 5,934 at Stockton Arena on Sunday.

MacMurchy, who is the third player to score a hat trick in Thunder history (Lance Monych - 2005-06, Tim Verbeek - 2006-07 - all coming against Bakersfield), was one of three players to register a Thunder season-high +3 rating along with Brian Lee and Brandon Schwartz.

Left wing Andy Contois added two goals, while the Thunder killed off a critical five-minute major power-play in the third period, including a 5-on-3 man-advantage stretch of four minutes and 49 seconds.

MacMurchy helped the Thunder draw first blood with his eighth goal of the season just 1:11 into the contest, finishing a power-play goal when he connected Lee's outlet pass from the Thunder blueline and sniped a wrist shot from the right circle past the glove of goaltender Michel Robinson, who was making his Condors debut.

The Thunder made it 2-0 on Contois' ninth goal of the season with 4:19 left in the first period, scoring the team's seventh shorthanded goal of the season after he stole a bouncing puck from Bakersfield's Mark Derlago inside the Thunder blueline. Contois raced down the left wing on a breakaway and beat Robinson on a wrist shot from the left circle.

Steven Later scored his sixth goal of the year to bring the Condors within a goal at a 2-1 deficit just 6:12 into the second period, when he re-directed an off-balance slapshot by Andrew Ianiero and sent the carom past Fisher's stick side.

The Thunder responded with Contois' second goal of the game and 10th of the season, hiking the lead to 3-1 at the 12:36 mark. MacMurchy corralled a loose puck in the Thunder zone and sprung Schwartz up ice for a 2-on-1 chance. Schwartz maneuvered around a sliding Condors defender at the left circle and found Contois at the doorstep, who one-timed the feed past Robinson.

MacMurchy's second goal of the game and ninth marker of the season gave the Thunder a 4-1 lead with 2:24 remaining in the second stanza after he muscled a loose-puck from a scrum along the left wing wall, drove to the front of the net past a sprawling Robinson, and flipped a wrist shot into the upper portion of the net.

Bakersfield's ninth shorthanded goal of the season cut the Thunder lead to 4-2 on captain Sean Venedam's 10th goal of the year at the 6:29 mark of the third period, when he stole an attempted clearing pass at the left circle, cut to the slot and slipped a wrist shot under Fisher's right arm.

A series of penalties presented Bakersfield with their best chance to knot the score, beginning at the 7:12 mark when Lee clipped Condors forward Evan Kotsopolous with a high-stick and earned a four-minute double-minor penalty. Just 1:11 later, Tim O'Connell threw a menacing check into Bakersfield forward Todd Griffith against the backboards and earned a five-minute boarding major penalty, combined with an extra two minute slashing penalty to rookie Tom Zanoski.

Fisher responded by denying several close-range bids to hold the score at 4-2, including a blast by Venedam at the right circle and a point-blank one-timer by rookie Mark Derlago at the left doorstep.

Following the penalty-kill, MacMurchy sealed the game with his hat trick goal with 44.3 seconds left after he successfully chased a loose puck at center ice and flipped a wrist shot into the empty net from the right side of the center-ice red line.

NOTES: The Thunder improved to 8-7-6 in the all-time series against the Condors and is 2-3-0 in the season series ... the Thunder has scored a power-play goal in 10 of the last 11 games ... the Thunder has held Bakersfield to an 0-for-27 clip on the power-play this season ... MacMurchy extended his scoring streak to five consecutive games, netting eight points (6g-2a) in that span.

The Thunder returns to play with a road game on Wednesday against the Alaska Aces, starting at 8:15 p.m. from Sullivan Arena. The game can be heard live on radio at 1420-AM KSTN and on the internet (video and audio available) at www.stocktonthunder.com, courtesy of B2 Networks.

Host of the 2008 ECHL All-Star Game and festivities on Jan. 22 and 23, the Thunder has led the ECHL in attendance for two consecutive seasons and drew 244,085 fans to Stockton Arena in 2006-07. Season tickets, group tickets and individual tickets for 2007-08 are on sale now. For more information about tickets, merchandise, or other inquiries contact the Stockton Thunder offices at (209) 373-1500 or visit www.stocktonthunder.com.

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