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Thunder Set for Afternoon Matinee vs. Alaska

March 23, 2014 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


The Stockton Thunder (29-25-0-6) hope to continue what they started and finished in last night's contest against the Alaska Aces (40-17-3-3) in today's afternoon matinee between the Western Conference sides beginning at 4:00 p.m.

Stockton Arena doors will open up at 3:00 p.m. with the Silver Bullet Bar serving up cold Rough & Ready Irish Red to patrons 21-years of age and older starting at 2:00 p.m.

The Thunder, playing as the Rough & Ready Islanders last night for the final time this season, came out with a bang as an already energized crowd was treated to a fight right off the puck drop featuring Captain Garet Hunt and Alaska's Zach McKelvie.

With the crowd roaring after the bout, the Thunder only needed 1:50 to give their team the lead. Matt Bergland picked up the puck on the boards and fed Joey Diamond at the center point. Diamond wound and fired one that went high but the puck caromed just to the right of Alaska goaltender Gerald Coleman and onto the stick of Corey Trivino who tapped it in the open net for the Thunder lead.

The Aces responded six minutes later with a goal of their own, a great individual effort by Evan Trupp who beat goaltender Brian Foster with a wristshot to tie the game.

However, the Thunder would respond minutes later off a set faceoff play to the right of Coleman when Trivino and Joey Martin would help win the faceoff to Ben Rosen who wired a shot past the goalie to regain the Thunder lead. The team would add to that lead with just 18 ticks left in the first period on the power play when Trivino would add his second goal of the period and third point for the Thunder's 3-1 lead heading into the dressing room.

The Thunder would once again strike early in the period as 3:35 into the second the Thunder worked a 3-on-2 to perfection with, who else, Trivino working the puck to recently returned Martin who put one right below the bar and establish a three goal cushion between the teams.

For Martin playing in his first game after being released from his Professional Tryout Contract with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, it was his 17th goal in the ECHL this season which ties him for the team lead in goals with the departed Greg Miller. In addition, Martin had an assist which bumps his point total to 55 in just 53 games played. The Thorold, Ontario native ranks 10th in the league in points.

The Thunder would carry the 4-1 lead going into the third period but in the third the Alaska Aces would seize momentum and start the comeback.

The Aces finally began the comeback with 10:45 left in the final frame thanks to a beautifully worked faceoff win in the Thunder zone. Peter Sivak picked up the faceoff win and dropped it back to Drew MacKenzie at the point who then dished off to captain Nick Mazzolini who blasted a shot that beat Foster through traffic.

The deficit was cut to one just over seven minutes later when Brett Findlay walked through the slot uncontested and put a shot past Foster. Just 47 seconds later, Evan Trupp scored off a tap in at the back door to complete the three goal third period and send the game to overtime.

Fortunately for the Thunder, the team was able to create a few chances early in the overtime period to bounce back from the poor second half of the third and eventually would seize their opportunity.

Playing in his professional debut after finishing his NCAA career with the University of Maine Black Bears, Brice O'Connor picked up a puck and dished to Martin cutting across center ice who then dropped the puck to the rushing defenseman Lee Baldwin who blasted a shot toward Coleman.

The Aces keeper made the initial save but struggled to control the rebound out to his left, and Baldwin, following his instincts from when he was playing youth hockey, followed his shot up and poked it past Coleman scrambling for the rebound to send the crowd into pandemonium, and giving the Thunder the win they so wanted over the aces 5-4.

The Thunder will hope to continue in today's contest against the Aces, what they started and finished against the team yesterday, and they may be getting some help on the blueline.

Landon Oslanski missed last night's game to the flu but could be back on the backline today. Another player who could find his way into the lineup is Brady Ramsay, the recently signed amateur who just finished his junior career with the Lethbridge Hurricanes is awaiting his first professional nod of his career.

Two players who were in the lineup yesterday and made large impacts were the most recent players sent down to the Thunder from the team's AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, in Diamond and Alan Quine.

Diamond's patience with the puck and skillful stickhandling showed as he created the team's first goal and also a number of quality scoring chances. His fellow Sound Tiger Quine was all over the ice playing a great two-way game and showcasing his skill and size on a number of occasions. The former 6th round pick of the New York Islanders picked up his second assist in a Thunder uniform putting him at a point per game mark early in his ECHL career.

Of course after last night's tilt between the teams showed just how important both Martin and Trivino are to the success of the Thunder as the pair was involved in every goal scored, with Trivino registering 2 goals and 2 assists and Martin with a goal and 3 assists.

As for the Aces, the team still boasts two of the top point getters in the league in Sivak (73) and Mazzolini (64) who rank second and fourth respectively.

It's also very apparent that the Aces rely heavily on Coleman to man the pipes for the team as the goalie has been in net for 21 of the last 27 games the Aces have played going 12-6-1-2 in that span. However, in his last five games Coleman has only won two games including a shutout over the Condors on March 7th.

The Aces could turn to their newest signee, Aaron Crandall, who just completed his NCAA career at the University of Minnesota-Duluth where he was a part of the Bulldogs team that captured the NCAA National Championship in 2010-11 as a freshman.

In total, Crandall went 30-23-6 with a 2.83 goals-against-average in his NCAA career. His senior season that he just completed was his best statistical year as he posted a career high in games played (31), wins (14), goals-against-average (2.76) and save percentage (.900).

Today's game against the Aces is another Family Day where fans can pick up their Thunder Pride Pack's featuring four Upper End Zone tickets, four hot dogs and four sodas for just $38. Purchase your pack online and you'll receive a free Thunder hat at no additional charge . After today's game the Thunder only have three Family Day games left in the regular season with a Wednesday matchup against Idaho this week, then another game against Idaho on Sunday and a home finale against Ontario to kick off April on a Wednesday.

Fans coming to today's matinee from the north should leave themselves extra time to get to the Arena as Caltrans has closed the Southbound Fremont St. off-ramp as part of the I-5 widening project. They have detour signs set up for fans to follow by getting off the Monte-Diablo Avenue exit.

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