Sellout crowd of 9,396 enjoy Thunder rout on "Star Wars Night"

Published on March 20, 2011 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


STOCKTON, Calif. - Jordan Foreman and Fraser Clair each scored one goal and added an assist, leading the Stockton Thunder (33-22-10, 76 points) as they defeated the Idaho Steelheads 5-1, in front of a sellout home crowd of 9,396 fans at Stockton Arena on Saturday.

The win put the Thunder into second place in the Pacific Division, one point behind first place Bakersfield. Jordan Fulton, Garet Hunt and Jim McKenzie also chipped in with a goal while goaltender Tyson Sexsmith made 23 saves.

"That goal early in the second period really kick-started our momentum," said head coach Matt Thomas. "Bretton Cameron and Daryl Marcoux both played strong games for us coming off the injury bench and into the lineup. I think our penalty kill has been fantastic lately, a lot of good things coming from our special teams."

A unique blend of hockey and movie enthusiasts enjoyed the game as part of a special "Star Wars Night," where characters from the famous movie trilogy and prequel were incorporated into the in-game entertainment.

Halfway through the first period, Stockton's Garet Hunt gobbled up the rebound from a scoring attempt by Clair and shot the puck from the slot, putting the Thunder on the scoreboard, 1-0.

Idaho's chance to tie things up came at 18:55 of the first period. As Sexsmith was down defending the crease, the puck slipped underneath his legs and Tyler Ludwig batted it into the back of the net, to make the score 1-1.

The Thunder came out ready to play in the second, as they tallied three goals in a span of twenty minutes. The Thunder's second goal of the game resulted from a 3-on-2 rush into the offensive zone, and increased the score to 2-1. Jordan Foreman sent a centering pass across the slot to Fulton, who then shot from the bottom of the right circle to earn his 14th goal of the season.

Just five minutes later, Clair's perfectly timed tip-in made the scoreboard read 3-1, in favor of the Thunder. Jason Pitton passed the puck to where Clair was standing inside the blue paint, and Clair's quick wrist shot beat Dusty Carlson's glove.

At 11:39, Pitton incurred a minor penalty for slashing that put Idaho on the power play. However, it was Stockton's Foreman who took advantage of the situation by getting an unassisted, shorthanded goal. Foreman, after blocking a shot, went 1-on-1 with Idaho defenseman Weston Tardy, who attempted to tie Foreman up by laying his stick on the ice.

Instead, Foreman took a shot from the right circle to make the score 4-1.

The Thunder were able to tally one with the man-advantage at 11:31 of the third period, after Kyle Reed received a minor bench penalty for abusive language. Ryan Constant's initial shot from the point was redirected by teammate Jim McKenzie, who made the final score 5-1.

After the Thunder's fifth goal, Idaho head coach Hardy Sauter received a game misconduct and was removed from the game.

Carlson suffered the second straight loss of his pro career, with 28 saves.

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ECHL Stories from March 20, 2011


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