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Thunder Finish Road Trip in Alaska Tonight

February 13, 2014 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


The Stockton Thunder finish off their seven-game road trip, featuring five straight games against Alaska, when they take on the Aces tonight at 8:15 p.m. PST.

The Stockton Thunder (22-20-0-5) finish off their stretch of five straight games against Alaska (31-11-2-1) in Anchorage tonight. The Thunder are still looking for their first win against the Aces this season, having been beaten at Sullivan Arena four times in a row. The puck drops at 8:15 p.m. PST (7:15 p.m. AKT).

Fans can watch the game at the Thunder's "home away from home" the University Plaza Waterfront Hotel while enjoying food and drink specials. The broadcast starts at 8:00 p.m. PST with the Black Oak Casino Resort pre-game show. Live video is available through AmericaONE sports while fans can listen to free live audio through Spreaker.com and StocktonThunder.com.

The Thunder come into the game on a four-game losing streak, which is tied for their longest road-losing streak this season. Overall, the team has lost seven of its last eight games going back to a 5-2 loss at home to Ontario on January 26. The Thunder have been outscored by Alaska by a two-to-one margin over the course of their first four games.

The Thunder are coming off a 3-1 loss to Alaska on Tuesday where they held the Aces to the fewest number of goals scored against them while the Thunder also scored their fewest number of goals of the four games. It was the fifth time this season the Thunder had been held to just one goal. However, they have still not been shut out in a game this season, a feat they share with the Florida Everblades as the only two ECHL teams to do so.

Through the first four games against Alaska, the Thunder are led by defensemen Sean Escobedo and Landon Oslanski who both have two goals. Oslanski is tied with James Henry and Greg Miller for most points against the Aces with three apiece.

The Thunder will still be without forward Mathieu Gagnon who is serving the last match of a three-game suspension from the ECHL for his part in a fight during pre-game warm-ups on Saturday. The other three players who picked up suspensions in that fight, the Thunder's Garet Hunt and Alaska's Dustin Molle and Sean Curry, are all available for tonight's game. Gagnon shares the team-lead in penalty minutes with Hunt at 99.

The Aces offense is still led by its top line of forwards featuring captain Nick Mazzolini along with Peter Sivak and Brendan Connolly. Through four games against the Thunder, the trio has amassed 26 points on 12 goals and 14 assists. That comes out to more than 60% of their team's total points (43) against Stockton by all players.

In net, Alaska goaltender Gerald Coleman has won all four games for the Aces, posting a .936 save percentage against Stockton. Overall, Coleman now has a record of 8-1-1 with a .920 save percentage and a 2.26 goals against average in 10 games this season. On the other side, the Thunder have given both Brian Foster and Parker Milner two starts in goal against the Aces, with Milner putting up marginally better stats with a .913 save percentage in his two games compared to a mark of .907 for Foster.

Stockton enjoyed a shortened day on Wednesday, practicing outdoors on one of the rinks adjacent to Sullivan Arena. An intra-squad scrimmage resulted in a win for Team USA (+World) against Team Canada. Tonight's game marks the end of the Thunder's seven-game road trip. They next return home to face the Utah Grizzlies on Saturday, February 15 at 7:30 p.m. The game is on the Thunder's Star Wars night with the first 1,000 fans entering Stockton Arena receiving free Lightsaber Thunder-Sticks. For more information check out StocktonThunder.com.

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