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Shantz outduels Perugini with 30-save shutout

December 19, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


VICTORIA, B.C. - Goaltender David Shantz outdueled Andrew Perugini by making 30 saves for his second shutout of the season, helping the Victoria Salmon Kings slip by the Stockton Thunder (10-13-3, 23 points), 2-0 before an announced crowd of 3,675 at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre on Friday.

Shantz, a 2007 ECHL All-Star selection formerly with the Florida Everblades, stopped 13 shots poured on by Stockton in the final period and helped solidify the win with a point-blank save on Matt Robinson in the waning seconds. Jimmy Sharrow scored the only Victoria goal and the Thunder were held to without a goal for the second time this season.

Perugini made 32 saves in the losing cause, earning second star of the game honors.

It was Sharrow's fourth goal of the year put Victoria up 1-0 at the 10:14 mark of the first period which stood as the deciding goal, when he took a Victoria faceoff win from outside of the Thunder blueline and blasted home a 70-foot slapshot from center ice. That goal supported Shantz, who only saw four shots in the first 20 minutes.

Following a scoreless second period where Perugini's 16 saves matched Shantz's 13 stops, the Thunder continued to pressure Shantz and the Victoria defense and nearly caught two breaks when J.F. Caudron produced a scrum at the front of the net that was knocked away by the Salmon Kings defense at the mid-way point.

Justin Dacosta drew a slashing penalty on Shantz that gave the Thunder only their second power-play in the game with 1:40 left in regulation, eventually pulling Perugini for a 6-on-4 skating situation.

Following a drive by Dacosta at the high slot, the loose puck bounced to the open stick of Matt Robinson at the right side of the crease, but he was stopped on a highlight-reel, left arm save by Shantz with less than 30 seconds left.

Patrick Coulombe cleared the puck from the Victoria zone and sprung Andy Brandt on a shorthanded breakaway, who buried an empty netter with 8.9 seconds remaining to hike the score to 2-0.

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