Thunder now 8-0-1 in last 9, Beskorowany's 33 stops enough to halt streak

Published on January 29, 2011 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


STOCKTON, Calif. - Tyler Beskorowany made 33 saves, stopping all five shots additionally in a shootout, and Mark Derlago scored a pair of goals which were enough to help the Idaho Steelheads slip by the Stockton Thunder (21-11-7, 49 points) in a shootout, 4-3, before a crowd of 5,640 at Stockton Arena on Friday.

The Thunder, who saw their eight game-winning streak snapped but stayed unbeaten in regulation in nine games (8-0-1), were helped out with a goal each from Mark Arcobello, Steve Vanoosten and Dan Ringwald. For the sixth time in as many games in the head-to-head series, both teams played to a one-goal game.

"Tonight was a game that could have gone either way," said Thunder head coach Matt Thomas. "I liked the way that we battled back to get a point, but didn't like that we had to battle back. We came out with the right energy, but didn't keep it going for the entire game. We need to maintain that for a full 60 minutes tomorrow."

Arcobello lifted the Thunder to a 1-0 lead just 4:14 into the game, burying a backhander from off the rush at the left wing after receiving Garet Hunt's lead pass at center ice.

The Thunder continued with numerous chances but failed get any past Beskorowany for the remainder of the period, and after Evan Barlow's wrap-around bid rang off the blocker side post of Bryan Pitton, both teams carried the 1-0 score into the second period.

Derlago erased the deficit with his first of two goals, at 6:30, when he finished Kael Mouillierat's ricocheted centering pass from behind the net.

Just 40 seconds later, Geoff Irwin picked off a turnover in the Thunder zone and beat Pitton on a breakaway, through the five hole, for a 2-1 Idaho lead.

The Thunder issued a response on Vanoosten's fourth goal of the season just 1:33 later, when he took away an attempted Idaho clearing pass and ripped a slapshot past Beskorowany from the left point for a 2-2 tie.

Idaho restored its lead only 1:10 into the final period, when Derlago scored his 23rd goal of the season and second of the game, finishing Mouillierat's re-directed pass at the right goal line with a sharp-angled one-timer.

Ringwald tied the game with the first goal of his pro career with 6:15 left in regulation, stealing another clearing pass and blasting a shot through traffic from the right point.

After a scoreless overtime, Marty Flichel broke the scoreless shootout with a snap shot under the stacked pads of Pitton in the third round. Bretton Cameron's bid to extend the game was stopped in the top of the fifth round, when Beskorowany turned away a forehand deke with his left pad.

The shootout loss moved Pitton's record, with 29 saves, to 14-4-2.

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ECHL Stories from January 29, 2011


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