Thunder Finally Beat Blazers
December 9, 2002 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Wichita Thunder News Release
Former Blazer Tom Gomes had five points, including a hat trick, leading the Thunder to an 8-2 win over Oklahoma City on Saturday at the Coliseum. Peter MacKellar also picked up five points, while Pat Stachniak, Paul Johnson, Travis Clayton and Chad Nelson also had multiple-point games. Goaltender Patrik Lovisek was remarkable, making 55 saves to earn his third straight victory. The game was an old time Thunder-Blazers battle as the two teams combined for 14 fighting majors and an even 200 penalty minutes, the most majors and penalty minutes in a CHL game this season. The win snapped the Blazers eight-game winning steak in Wichita, dating back to March 23, 2001.
THUNDER PACK CHL SCORING LEADERS- Through the first 1/3 of the season, the Thunder have four players among the top 17 in the CHL scoring race, more players than any team in the CHL. Travis Clayton picked up five points this weekend and now ranks second in the CHL with 37 points, one point behind Laredo's Eric Schneider. Jason Duda had a hat trick on Friday in Memphis and now ranks fourth in the CHL with 33 points. Clayton and Duda are now tied for the most points in Thunder history, with 406 points each. Both Peter MacKellar and Jeff Petruic are tied for 17th overall, with 24 points each.
MORE AND MORE OFFENSE- The Thunder scored a whopping 13 goals this weekend in just two games and have now scored 82 goals this season, one goal less than the Laredo Bucks for the most in the CHL. The Thunder also had a record-setting weekend offensively. The six, second period goals on Saturday were a Thunder season-high and two of the goals were scored by Chad Nelson and Travis Clayton in a nine-second span, tying the franchise record for the fastest two goals scored. With two hat tricks over the weekend, Wichita has now scored three hat tricks in the last four games.
TRANSACTIONS- The Thunder acquired rookie defenseman Andrew Oke from the Laredo Bucks last week for future considerations. Oke was solid over the weekend, earning a +2 rating and a fighting major on Saturday. The Thunder could have a healthy 18-man roster on Saturday if goaltender Kristian Antila is activated from injured reserve. The Thunder have not dressed a full lineup since October 26th, the fourth game of the season. A final decision on the proposed trade of Bob Rapoza to the El Paso Buzzards for Derek Reynolds will be finalized tomorrow.
IT'S A BOY- Thunder Director of Community Relations Sean O'Reilly and his wife Kim welcomed their first child this weekend. Seven-pound Quinn Parker O'Reilly was born at 8:25 PM on Friday Night at Wesley Hospital. O'Reilly has been hard at work setting up numerous player appearances. The Thunder players will spend the majority of the week delivering stuffed teddy bears to needy children around town. The Thunder held their annual Teddy Bear Toss on Saturday, collecting so many bears after Ryan McLean scored the first goal of the game, that the game was delayed nearly 10 minutes for cleanup. The bears will be delivered to the YWCA domestic violence safe house and the Wichita Children's Home. The exact amount of bears collected will be announced later this week.
THUNDERBOLTS- The Thunder lead the CHL with seven shorthanded goals...The Thunder lead the CHL with a total of 132 assists...Wichita leads the CHL with 36 second period goals...The Thunder now rank second in the CHL in penalty minutes, averaging 31.27 per game...Newcomer Aaron Plumb picked up three fighting majors and a game misconduct on Saturday, the first Thunder player to do so since Trevor Converse on December 17th, 1999, also versus Oklahoma City.
Central Hockey League Stories from December 9, 2002
- 'Four'-Tunes on the Rise - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Mudbugs Week in Review - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
- Lalonde will be behind bench for Brahmas next game - Fort Worth Brahmas
- 'Kings Weekly Notes - Lubbock Cotton Kings
- Grenville Named Player of the Week - Laredo Bucks
- Silver Goaltender of the Week Yet Again - Indianapolis Ice
- Silver, Grenville Take CHL Honors - CHL
- Bucks Star Recalled to San Antonio - Laredo Bucks
- Thunder Finally Beat Blazers - Wichita Thunder
- Saints Add Size to Defense - San Angelo Saints
- Scorpions Split Pair of Games - New Mexico Scorpions
- Gorillas Sweep Southern Conference Leaders - Amarillo Gorillas
- Gorillas holding teddy bear toss this Saturday night - Amarillo Gorillas
- Blazers Finish Week 1-2-0 - Oklahoma City Blazers
- Ice Add an Ounce of Silver to the CHL Record Books - Indianapolis Ice
- Russell Snaps Road Losing Streak with Shutout - El Paso Buzzards
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