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Stockton Snaps 10-Game Winless Streak at Roadrunners' Expense, 1-0

by Andrew Nordmeier
January 9, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Phoenix RoadRunners


In a game between two teams on losing streaks, someone had to win. In a game between two teams who don't score the first goal very often, someone had to score first.

Jake Moreland stopped all 45 shots the Phoenix Roadrunners threw at him for his second shutout of the season and broke the Stockton Thunder's 10-game winless streak (0-9-1) with a 1-0 win Sunday night at the US Airways Center. Phoenix outshot Stockton 45-17 but the Thunder came away with its first win since December 10th, also against Phoenix.

"It's great (to get a win). We're a team that has to work extremely hard to score goals," Stockton Head Coach Chris Cichocki said, "For whatever reason it hasn't gone our way. We've just had some unfortunate luck in the last month."

Stockton (6-17-4) picked up its sixth win of the season off of a Steve Slonina goal with 2:41 left in regulation time to send Phoenix (9-21-2) to its eighth straight defeat. Slonina fired a wrister from deep in the slot in the Phoenix zone. It went over the blocker of Roadrunners' netminder Michael Mole and just under the crossbar for the only goal of the game. Maris Ziedins picked up the lone assist on the goal.

Phoenix had a chance to tie when Dave McCulloch was whistled for a penalty with 1:31 left. Phoenix pulled Mole for the extra attacker and got a couple of shots away but Moreland turned them aside.

"It's hard to put words on this. It wasn't just domination. It was a one-way game," Phoenix Head Coach Ron Filion said, "It's tough for the coaching staff and tougher on our guys."

Phoenix finished 0-for-5 on the man advantage while Stockton went 0-for-1 on the power play. The Thunder's lone power play was a major one as Phoenix forward Garrett Burnett was given a game misconduct and the major penalty for charging Moreland at 12:52 of the opening period.

"Moreland was all right. He got the wind knocked out of him. It obviously didn't affect his play." Cichocki said.

Each team had a chance to break the scoreless deadlock early in the third period but Mike Lalonde hit the post for the Thunder and Mark Wires did the same thing for Phoenix four minutes later.

Thunder forward Joel Irwin was knocked out of the game in the third period off of a clean hit by Roadrunner defenseman Dusty Demaniuk. The hit was clean and Irwin was caught with his head down in the neutral zone and Demaniuk drilled him hard in open ice.

The road doesn't get easier for the Roadrunners as they host the Alaska Aces Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at the US Airways Center.

"This team is making tons of progress. We should have won the game in Vegas," Filion said, "The guys are doing tons of stuff that is perfect but we can't buy a goal right now."

Three Stars

3.Mole-PHX Strong play in net for Phoenix; kept his team in it.

2.Slonina-STK Game-winning goal

1.Moreland-STK 45-Save shutout

Notes: Phoenix defenseman Brent Henley made his return to the lineup after a two-game suspension...Phoenix hasn't won since Dec.18 vs. Bakersfield...The Roadrunners haven't scored first since December 9th at San Diego...The Roadrunners dropped below the Trenton Titans and into last place in the ECHL for goals per game on offense...Phoenix set a club record for shots in a game with tonight's 45; The Roadrunners outshot the Thunder 33-6 over the final two periods...Exactly half of Stockton's goals have come on the power play (34 of 68)...Phoenix is now second in the ECHL in game misconducts with 10, only Columbia has more with 11...Stockton is 3-6-2 when scoring first...Attendance was 3,665.



ECHL Stories from January 9, 2006


The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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