Pitton Earns Shutout in Big 7-0 Victory

Published on November 6, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


STOCKTON, Calif. - Goaltender Bryan Pitton earned his second career shutout with 19 saves and his brother, Jason, recorded a goal, assist and a fight to help the Stockton Thunder (3-1-2, 8 points) rout the Bakersfield Condors in a 7-0 victory to open "Thunder Goes Pink V," before 6,707 fans at Stockton Arena on Friday.

The Thunder, who opened the three-game, three-day event to raise funds through ticket and auction proceeds, benefiting breast cancer awareness, were helped by a two-goal game from Jesse Gimblett and additional goals from Craig Valette, Fraser Clair, Chris D'Alvise and Chris Lawrence.

"It's obviously a big win at home," said Thunder head coach Matt Thomas. "The focus today for us was the first period. I like the way we came out in the first period and we withstood their push in the second period. Bryan played well and we supported him well throughout the entire game. It's no surprise our players all agreed he was the player of the game."

Including last year, when he was recalled after his last appearance in the regular season on Jan. 30, Bryan Pitton has a shutout streak combined at 253:45 of time.

Behind a tenacious forecheck on a pink-dyed ice surface, the Thunder blitzed the Condors for a 3-0 lead through one period, beginning with Valette's first goal of the year when he pursued a loose puck to the slot and poked a forehand attempt through traffic, and over Peter Hirsch's glove with 13:42 left.

Gimblett's power play goal just 1:13 later put the Thunder up 2-0, when Ryan Constant took Dan Ringwald's pass at the high slot, waited for Gimblett's screen at the goal mouth and put a wrist shot off Gimblett's stick for a re-direction to the back of the net.

Bretton Cameron set up Lawrence on a cross-ice feed at the left circle, who buried a wrist shot past Hirsch's sprawling glove for a three goal lead with 3:37 left.

Bryan Pitton, who posted his flashiest save of the game late in the first period with a toe stop on a wrap-around attempt by Stephane Goulet, stopped all seven shots he saw in the second period and the Thunder outshot Bakersfield, 7-5 in a scoreless middle frame.

Just 38 seconds into the third period, Clair benefited from a screen and tipped Constant's shot from the left point past Hirsch to boost the lead to 4-0.

D'Alvise's third goal of the year, coming on a shorthanded 2-on-1 break, hiked the Thunder edge to 5-0 when he took Jason Pitton's cross-ice pass at the left circle and slid the puck past the diving Hirsch.

Jason Pitton then blew the lead open to 6-0 with 6:47 left in the game, on a power-play goal, when he hunted a loose rebound from his own shot between the circles and in traffic, slipping his shot through Hirsch's five hole.

Gimblett finished off a re-direction from Cameron at the goal mouth with 5:04 left to hike the lead to the eventual seven-goal advantage to finish the game.

Hirsch took the loss with 20 saves in the game.

NOTES: The Thunder scratched Trevor Hunt (injured reserve), Chase Ryan (injured reserve), Cameron Brodie (injured reserve) and Jordan Foreman (healthy) ... the Thunder wore black jerseys accented with pink bolts on the side as a part of the promotion ... Cameron's two assist effort were the first two points of his pro career ... Ringwald also earned his first pro point in his Thunder debut ... Stockton went 2-for-6 on the power-play and outshot Bakersfield, 29-17 ... an emotional third period, where ten fighting majors were issued, ended the game with both teams combining for 96 penalty minutes.

The Thunder continues Thunder Goes Pink V tomorrow against Bakersfield, starting at 7:30 p.m. at Stockton Arena. The game can be heard on radio at 1280 AM KWSX and viewed live on the internet (pay-per-view charge) at www.StocktonThunder.com, courtesy of AmericaOne.

A two-time recipient of the ECHL "Award of Excellence," Thunder was voted "Best Local Sports Team" by readers of the San Joaquin Magazine, led the ECHL in attendance for four consecutive seasons and drew over 200,000 fans for the fifth consecutive season in 2009-10. Season Tickets, mini-plans and individual tickets for 2010-11 are on sale now. For more information about tickets, merchandise, or other inquiries contact the Stockton Thunder offices at (209) 373-1500 or visit http://www.stocktonthunder.com/.

THREE STARS:

1. STK - 31 Bryan Pitton

2. STK - 55 Jesse Gimblett

3. STK - 17 Jason Pitton

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