Salmon Kings battle by Thunder

November 15, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


VICTORIA, B.C. - Victoria Salmon Kings right wing Marc-Andre Bernier scored two goals and added an assist, while former Thunder center Chris St. Jacques scored three points (1g-2a) to send the Stockton Thunder (6-6-0, 12 points) to a 7-4 loss before a crowd of 4,166 at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre on Wednesday.

Victoria, who led wire-to-wire, scored three unanswered goals to open the scoring in the first period. Milan Gajic's fifth goal of the year at the first period's 9:20 mark put Victoria up 1-0 by taking a feed from Kevin Estrada at the neutral zone, breaking down the right wing and lifting a shot under the crossbar.

Bernier scored the ensuing two goals - his first two of the season - to expand Victoria's lead to three starting at the 17:04 mark for a 2-0 lead. Bernier lifted the Salmon King lead to 3-0 on an end-to-end rush, beating Thunder goaltender Glenn Fisher over the blocker from the left wing with 20.5 seconds remaining in the period.

The Thunder responded just 12 seconds later with its first goal of the game, cutting the Salmon Kings edge to 3-1 on rookie David Rohlfs' fifth goal of the season, taking an Andy Contois centering feed from the left wing and stuffing a backhanded one-timer through Victoria netminder Julien Ellis' legs.

Victoria potted two more goals in the second period to expand their lead to a 5-1 margin, with new Thunder goaltender Cam Ellsworth greeted by a goal from Derek Krestanovich at the 11:09 mark for a three-goal cushion. Ellsworth stopped a shot from Patrick Coulombe and the rebound trickled past the goaltender which was swept in by a diving Krestanovich at the base of the left circle.

St. Jacques scored his first goal of the year with 2:10 left in the period to put Victoria up by four goals, re-directing a rebound into a semi-open cage after Bernier's bid for the hat trick caromed off the crossbar on a shot from the left circle. Ellis, who earned third star of the game honors with 40 saves, stopped all 21 shots from the Thunder attack in the second period (a Thunder season-high).

The Thunder began its last-ditch comeback effort with Geoff Paukovich's fourth goal of the year just 23 seconds into the third period, cutting the Salmon Kings advantage to 5-2 on the rookie center's shorthanded snap shot from the left circle that beat Ellis under the crossbar. However, Victoria immediately responded on the ensuing up-ice rush just 13 seconds later, hiking its lead to 6-2 on a power-play marker with Ash Goldie's team-leading 10th goal of the season after he took Gajic's centering pass in the slot and whipped a one-timer to the glove side of Ellsworth.

Just under three minutes later, Ryan MacMurchy scored his third goal of the season to cut the deficit to 6-3 when he put a rebound past a diving Ellis at the top of the crease with. Kiel McLeod blew the lead open to 7-3 at the third period's 8:15 mark on a breakaway, connecting on Gary Gladue's outlet pass from the Victoria blueline and beating Ellsworth to the stick side.

Jacob Micflikier wrapped up the scoring by cutting the Thunder deficit to a three-goal margin with 5:41 remaining, burying a loose puck that laid under an outstretched Ellis after a shot by Ryan Geris from the right point was stopped by the Victoria goaltender.

NOTES: Before the game, left wing Paul Caponigri was placed on waivers ... the Thunder missed the services of leading goal-scorer Jesse Bennefield (suspension) and AHL-assigned prospect Pat Bateman (three-day injured reserve) ... the Thunder fell to 6-6-2 in the all-time series against Victoria and 2-5-2 lifetime at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.

The Thunder returns to play on Friday with a 7:05 rematch against the Salmon Kings at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre. The game can be heard live on radio at 1420 KSTN and is available for viewing and listening online through www.stocktonthunder.com (courtesy of B2 Networks) with the video available for a $6 charge and audio available for free.

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.



ECHL Stories from November 15, 2007


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