Thunder Look for Fourth Straight Win vs. Eagles

November 6, 2013 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


The Stockton Thunder are in Loveland, Colorado to take on the Eagles for the second time this season.

The Stockton Thunder begins a three-game road trip tonight with one of two straight contests against the Colorado Eagles. Puck drops at 6:05 Pacific Standard Time with fans able to view the game on AmericaONE or listen to live audio via StocktonThunder.com or Spreaker.com . Beginning at 5 p.m., fans can also watch the game at the Thunder's "Home Away From Home", the University Plaza Waterfront Hotel where they can take advantage of special Thunder food and drink specials.

The Thunder (4-1-0-0) looks to extend its three-game winning streak after sweeping the Utah Grizzlies this past weekend during the team's "Thunder Goes Pink VIII" event. The team earned a 3-2 come-from-behind win over Utah on Friday night courtesy of three power play goals, two of which came in the third period. It marked the second time the Thunder has scored three power play goals in a single game this year.

The Thunder completed the sweep with a 6-1 rout of the Grizzlies on Saturday night when six different Thunder players scored goals. The team was led by forward Ryan Hayes who had a three-point night and currently leads the team in goals (4), assists (5) and points (9). Kirill Kabanov, Garet Hunt, Matt Bergland and Andrew Clark all sit behind him tied at 5 points on the season. Goalie Brian Foster leads the team in net with a perfect 3-0-0-0 record. The Thunder also has a league-best power play conversion percentage, scoring 7 times of 16 man-advantages for a success rate of 43.8%.

Tonight's contest is just the second road game of the season for the Thunder who got its current winning streak started with a 5-4 road win over the Bakersfield Condors. The Thunder and Colorado Eagles have already met once this season, with the Thunder skating away with a 5-0 triumph during its opening game of the season, on a night when the team raised its 2013 Western Conference Champions banner.

Since that 5-0 defeat, the Eagles (5-2-0-0) have gone on a bit of a run themselves, winning four of their last five games including three in a row against the San Francisco Bulls. All four of those victories have come on home ice at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, CO.

The Eagles are led by forward Kevin Ulanski who sits behind Thunder forward Ryan Hayes in 12th on the ECHL points leader list, with 9 points in 7 games. Defenseman Kevin Young is second on the team with 7 points while forwards Luke Fulghum, Kyle Ostrow and Ray Sawada all sit tied for third on the team with 6 points.

Goaltender Marc Cheverie leads the charge in net with a perfect 3-0-0-0 record in three starts along with a .931 save percentage and a 1.33 goals against average. Cheverie has gotten some help defensively as the Eagles netminder has only faced an average of 19 shots in his three outings, all of which came against San Francisco.

When the team's last met on October 19th, the Thunder received goals from five different players, including Kabanov and Hunt, and went a perfect three-for-three on the power play. Brian Foster stopped all 29 shots he faced to pick up his sixth career ECHL shutout.

The Thunder, ECHL affiliate of the NHL's New York Islanders and AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers, takes on the Eagles again on Friday night at 6:05 p.m. Pacific Standard Time before finishing off its three-game road trip against the Bakersfield Condors on Sunday at 4 p.m. The Thunder then returns to Stockton Arena for to face the San Francisco Bulls at 5 p.m. on November 11th for Military Monday. The first 5,000 fans will receive a military-themed Thunder player poster.



ECHL Stories from November 6, 2013


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central