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Thunder Finish Road Trip in San Francisco

December 14, 2013 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


The Stockton Thunder (12-8-0-2) travel to San Francisco for the first time this season to take on the Bulls (8-13-2-1) at the Cow Palace. It's the third meeting between the teams this season as the two sides split the first two match-ups at Stockton Arena in November. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. PST.

Fans can watch the broadcast at the Thunder's "Home Away From Home" at the University Plaza Waterfront Hotel while enjoying Thunder food and drink specials. Live video is available through AmericaONE sports or fans can listen to free live audio through StocktonThunder.com and Spreaker.com.

The Thunder are finishing up a five-game road trip, their longest of the season, before returning home on Sunday. The team is coming off a win against the Idaho Steelheads last Saturday when the Thunder snapped a five-game winless streak with a 4-3 victory to finish off a three-game set in Boise.

The Thunder's roster will look much different from the one that took the ice last week though, as the team made several moves in the midweek. The first saw the arrival of defenseman Mike Dalhuisen and forward Nick Larson from the Thunder's AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

Both players spent time with the Thunder earlier this year. Larson participated in Stockton's training camp and preseason schedule including a visit to San Francisco where the Thunder claimed a shootout win, although he was recalled before the start of the regular season. Dalhuisen started the season with the Thunder and played 7 games before being called back to the AHL. He memorably kicked off his time in the ECHL with a "Gordie Howe hat trick" (a goal, assist and fight) including his first professional goal, in a 5-0 win over the Colorado Eagles on opening night. Overall, he registered 5 points and a then team-leading 32 penalty minutes in his short time with the team.

The Thunder next placed forward J.P. Burkemper on the 21-day IR with an undisclosed injury, joining Alex MacLeod and Ryan Hayes on the list, but the biggest move was still to come. On Friday, Head Coach Rich Kromm announced that the Thunder had traded forward Brayden Irwin to the Greenville Road Warriors in exchange for defenseman Lee Baldwin. Irwin was the Thunder's joint-leading goal-scorer tied with captain Garet Hunt with 8 goals this season, despite playing in 7 fewer games. Irwin received a call-up to the AHL earlier this season where he had a five-game stint with the Utica Comets.

The San Francisco Bulls have made some moves as well. A restructuring of the roster saw the team make two trades with the Idaho Steelheads in the course of ten days. Forward Tyler Gron was brought in, in exchange for defenseman Damon Kipp and forward Rob Linsmayer was traded for future considerations. The impact from Gron has been immediate, as the 24-year-old has posted 11 points on 7 goals and 4 assists in just 8 games for his new team, bringing his total to 15 points on the season.

The Thunder and Bulls come into the game sitting next to each other in the standings. The Thunder are 2nd in the Pacific Division while the Bulls sit in 3rd, while Stockton is 5th in the overall Western Conference standings with San Francisco right behind in 6th. The teams have each won a game against the other with the Bulls claiming a 3-2 triumph on November 11th before the Thunder responded with a 5-1 win just nine days later. The teams will meet twelve more times this season including five straight meetings between December 27th and January 4th.

The Thunder return to Stockton Arena tomorrow for their first home game since November 29th. The Thunder host the Bakersfield Condors for a 4:00 p.m. PST start with several promotions taking place. Fans can take advantage of the Thunder's special Family Day deal, which features four tickets, four hot dogs and four sodas for just $38. Purchase that pack online and receive a Thunder hat at no extra charge. Additionally, the first 2,000 fans entering the Stockton Arena will receive a special holiday-themed Brian Foster poster. Plus, the Thunder are collecting new packages of diapers to benefit the Stockton Shelter for the Homeless. Fans who donate will receive a $3 off voucher for their ticket to the game.

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