Stockton Rocks RoadRunners 7-1

March 8, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Phoenix RoadRunners News Release


Phoenix, Ariz. - Joel Irwin, Nathan Martz, and Kevin Gardner each tallied a pair of goals and added an assist to lead the Stockton Thunder to a 7-1 victory over the Phoenix RoadRunners before 3,002 at US Airways Center in ECHL action Wednesday.

Stockton (11-34-11) opened the scoring at 10:11 of the first period with the RoadRunners on the power play. Mike Lalonde took the puck off a Phoenix turnover inside the blue line and fired a shot from the left-wing circle. The puck bounced off RoadRunners goaltender Ryan Cyr's glove, trickled towards the net, and was tipped in by Nathan Martz to give the Thunder a 1-0 lead. Kevin Gardner extended the lead to 2-0 with a power play goal at 13:05. Gardner collected the loose puck in the slot and slapped the puck through Cyr's pads for the tally. Joel Irwin gave the Thunder a commanding 3-0 lead when he drove around a RoadRunners defenseman and tucked the puck under Cyr at 19:12 of the first.

Phoenix (19-35-3) got off to a good start in the second period by scoring a shorthanded goal just 2:55 in. Jake Riddle stripped Lance Monych of the puck at the RoadRunners blue line, broke in alone on Stockton goaltender Jake Moreland, and beat Moreland with a wrist shot over the glove to cut the deficit to 3-1. But the Thunder would counter with two quick goals. Off another RoadRunners turnover, Mike Lalonde fired a slap shot from the right-wing circle over Cyr's blocker and into the net at 11:42 to give the Thunder their three-goal lead back at 4-1. Gardner made it a 5-1 advantage with his second goal of the evening at 15:22 of the period.

Gardner and Irwin added two more goals for the Thunder at 1:41 and 10:02 of the third period to wrap up the scoring.

Stockton out-shot Phoenix 52-31. Cyr stopped 29 saves before being relieved in the second period by Mike Mole. Cyr's record falls to 0-8-0. The RoadRunners went 0-4 on the power play while Stockton was 1-6 on the man-advantage

Notes: The shorthanded goal by Riddle was just the third of the year for Phoenix and their first since November 21...The RoadRunners allowed seven goals in a game for the fifth time this season...The 52 shots allowed were a season-worst...Phoenix failed to score a first period goal for the eighth consecutive game.

The RoadRunners travel to Bakersfield at 8PM MST Friday to battle the Condors from Rabobank Arena. Catch all the action live on News-Talk Radio 1100AM KFNX and Pro Sports Radio online at www.phxroadrunners.com beginning with "RoadRunners Countdown" at 7:40PM.

Phoenix returns to US Airways Center at 7:11PM on Tuesday, March 14 as they open a two-game series with the Las Vegas Wranglers. The RoadRunners are teaming up with Radio Disney AM 1580 for a Junior St. Paddy's Day Celebration. Radio Disney performers "RD Frequency" will perform outside on the US Airways Center Plaza from 6PM-7:15PM and on the ice during the first intermission while playing games and handing out great prizes throughout the evening. For more information or to order tickets, call (602) 462-GOAL or purchase online at www.ticketmaster.com.



ECHL Stories from March 8, 2006


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