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Thunder shutout for second time in club history, Lawson stops 28 shots

December 1, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah - Goaltender Nathan Lawson picked up the second shutout of his career on a 28-save effort as the Stockton Thunder (8-10-2, 18 points) suffered the second all-time shutout in modern club history in a 4-0 Utah Grizzlies win over the Thunder before 3,385 at The E-Center on Saturday.

Both teams battled to a scoreless tie through one period with Utah outshooting the Thunder at an 8-5 clip.

Utah's Keith Johnson, who had six points (4g-2a) against the Thunder in the season series, scored two more goals in the second period to hike the Grizzlies to a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes. Johnson's first goal came at the 6:27 mark, squeezing a one-timer through the five-hole of Thunder goaltender Tim Boron which ignited a shower of thousands of stuffed animals onto the ice, part of the Grizzlies' "Teddy Bear Toss Night."

Johnson pushed the lead to two goals with 45 seconds left in the period, following up on a drive by Olivier Labelle which Boron kicked to the base of the left circle. Johnson beat the Thunder defense to the loose puck and fired the rebound on net, eluding Boron's blocker side.

Lawson stopped 15 Thunder shots through two periods.

Trevor Smith's sixth goal of the season put the Thunder in a 3-0 hole at the 2:21 mark of the third period on a power-play goal. Off an end-zone face-off, defenseman Scott Ford fed Sean Offers at the right point, whose wrist shot caromed off Smith at the top of the crease and past Boron.

Utah's Christian Gaudet scored his fourth goal of the year at 4:23 of the third period to wrap-up the game, converting on Justin Bourne's centering feed from the left corner. Lawson's biggest test came early in the period, denying a close-range bid by Ryan O'Marra and then smothering Brad Farynuk's slapshot from the top of the slot with traffic at the top of the crease.

Lawson closed the game with 13 stops in the third period. Boron paced the Thunder efforts with 34 saves.



ECHL Stories from December 1, 2007


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