Thunder Season Opens This Friday At Bakersfield

October 16, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


THUNDER 2006-07 OVERALL RECORD: 38-24-10, 86 pts (5th, National Conference) 2007-08 PRESEASON: 1-1-0

THIS WEEK'S OPPONENTS: (all times PT)

at BAKERSFIELD CONDORS (Friday - 7:00 p.m.) - 1420 KSTN, B2 Networks

The day that Thunder fans have waited for all summer arrives this Friday, as the 2007-08 season gets underway with a Friday night matchup against the Bakersfield Condors at Rabobank Arena. For the second year in a row, the Thunder begins the year at Bakersfield and polished off the Condors in a 6-1 win last year on October 20. The game begins a four-game road trip for the Thunder. Tim Verbeek (4g-2a) leads all returning players on the Thunder roster with six points against Bakersfield in 2006-07, while Brett Lutes had four assists to lead all returning Condor players this year in last year's head-to-head series.

at LAS VEGAS WRANGLERS (Sunday - 7:05 p.m.) - 1420 KSTN, B2 Networks

In one of the most hotly-contested matchups last year, the Thunder and Las Vegas Wranglers renew acquaintances for the first game of a back-to-back series at Orleans Arena on Sunday. Last year, four of the six games in the head-to-head series were decided by one goal. Las Vegas clinched the Brabham Cup (ECHL's best regular season record) with a 46-12-14 (106 points) mark and tied a professional hockey record with an 18-game winning streak, spanning the end of the regular season and Kelly Cup Playoffs. The Thunder and Wranglers meet nine times this season.

1420 KSTN is the Thunder's flagship radio station and all Thunder games can be heard live on the Internet (free-of-charge) and are available for viewing at a $6 "pay-per-view" charge at www.stocktonthunder.com, courtesy of B2 Networks. Radio broadcaster Mike Benton provides play-by-play commentary, with the "Thunder Forecast" pre-game show starting 15 minutes before each broadcast.

In addition, Valley Brew Family Restaurant is in its second season as official host of the Thunder Watch Party (via B2 Networks' "Bar and Pub Network") for all road games, with prizes, broadcast-interactive contests and more scheduled for all road games this week.

Located at 157 W. Adams Street in Stockton, Valley Brew Family Restaurant is placed in the heart of Stockton's "Miracle Mile" district and features an array of acclaimed burgers, beverages, appetizers, specialties and more, offering customers free wi-fi internet access inside the restaurant.

UPCOMING PROMOTIONS

SATURDAY, 10/27

OPENING NIGHT (presented by Jackson Rancheria, Food-4-Less, Zamora, Coors Light, KAT Country 103 and News10)

- All fans in attendance, dressed in costume as their favorite famous movie character, will receive two ticket vouchers good to select Thunder home games.

UPCOMING MILESTONES:

o Chris St. Jacques is one point shy of 100 in his professional career and six points shy of 100 in his ECHL career

o Chris St. Jacques is eight games shy of 200 in his professional career

o Tim Verbeek is four goals shy of 100 in his ECHL career

TEAM NOTES:

o The Thunder is hosting the 2008 ECHL All-Star Game and Skills Competition at Stockton Arena on Jan. 22 and 23 and has led the ECHL in attendance for the last two seasons, drawing an average of 6,780 in 2006-07

o Seven players assigned from the Edmonton Oilers AHL affiliate, the Springfield Falcons, dot the Thunder roster: (G) Glenn Fisher, (D) Brad Farynuk, (LW) Jacob Micflikier, (RW) David Rohlfs, (C) Geoff Paukovich, (C) Jonas Almtorp and (LW) Adam Huxley.

o Four players dot the Thunder roster with ECHL All-Star Game experience: (D) Beau Geisler, (C) Brandon Schwartz, (RW) Jesse Bennefield and (RW) Luke Fulghum

o Seven players from last year's team return: goaltender Cam Ellsworth, defensemen Beau Geisler, Ryan Geris, Brian Lee, Mark Adamek, left wing Adam Huxley and right wing Tim Verbeek.

PRESEASON IN REVIEW

The Thunder and Fresno split the two-game preseason series, with Stockton taking the first matchup in a 4-3 win at Save Mart Center on October 10. The Thunder capitalized with a 3-for-9 effort on the power-play, including two goals from rookie Geoff Paukovich. Fresno retaliated with a 6-3 win at Stockton Arena on October 13, led by Brett Hemingway's two goals to cap a run of six unanswered goals in the first period. The Thunder turned the tide by scoring the final three goals of the game and outshooting Fresno 33-14 in the final two periods, led by two points each from Jesse Bennefield (1g-1a), Jacob Micflikier (1g-1a) and Brandon Schwartz (two assists).

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

(courtesy of The Record)

"We're big hockey fans. Once in a while we go to San Jose Sharks games, but it's getting too expensive. This is affordable and the hockey is close to what the big teams play."

- Jim Wise, Thunder season ticket holder, at Saturday's FanFest at Stockton Arena

"It's tough, and you don't want to over think things, but you always end up thinking about it for a very long time," Cichocki said. "These are good players who worked hard."

- Head Coach Chris Cichocki on the season-opening roster due Wednesday - no more than 20 players may be carried on an active roster.

"To get goals like we did on the power play, it kick-starts your offense. It was encouraging because we haven't spent a lot of time on the power play. It shows you that if you have talented players, they make things happen, and they did that tonight."

- Cichocki after the preseason-opening 4-3 Thunder win at Fresno

The ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers, American Hockey League's Springfield Falcons and host of the 2008 ECHL All-Star Game and festivities on Jan. 22 and 23, the Thunder has led the ECHL in attendance for two consecutive seasons and drew 244,085 fans to Stockton Arena in 2006-07. Season tickets, mini plans, group and individual tickets for 2007-08 are on sale now. For more information about tickets, merchandise, or other inquiries contact the Stockton Thunder offices at (209) 373-1500 or visit www.stocktonthunder.com.



ECHL Stories from October 16, 2007


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