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Thunder squeezes out overtime point by rallying from 4-0 deficit in final period

October 29, 2010 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - Jim McKenzie scored a pair of goals to lead a four-goal rally in the final period by the Stockton Thunder (2-1-2, 6 points), forcing overtime in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Bakersfield Condors before 3,939 fans at Rabobank Arena on Friday night.

The Thunder, who remained unbeaten in regulation in the last four games (2-0-2), were also helped out by goals from Chris D'Alvise and Jason Pitton, who helped force overtime with less than two minutes left in regulation.

Carter Smith and Andrew Ianiero helped boost Bakersfield to a 2-0 lead in the f irst period, with Smith's second goal of the year at 6:48 when he buried a rebound after Tyson Sexsmith stopped Jay Cascalenda's blast from the left point.

Ianiero found the back of the net for his second of the year as well just 1:45 later, all alone at the net when he finished off Adam Naglich's centering pass from the left corner and slipped a backhander through Sexsmith's five hole.

Enforcer Erick Lizon then boosted the Bakersfield edge to 3-0 at 2:58 of the second period, when he capitalized off a screen and deflected Evan Stoflet's slapshot from the right circle past Sexsmith.

Vlady Nikiforov's power play goal, his first in a Bakersfield uniform, hiked the lead to 4-0 with 12:02 left in the period when he went to the front of the net and tapped Adam Naglich's centering pass around the stick of Sexsmith.

McKenzie sparked the comeback at 2:42 of the thir d period when he put a backhander off Hirsch from the left goal line, picking up his second goal of the year.

D'Alvise then buried a highlight reel goal with 7:02 elapsed in the period when he took an outlet pass up the left wing, raced behind the Condors defense, one-on-one, and deked Hirsch to the glove side to cut the deficit in half.

On the next shift, McKenzie's attempted pass from the left wing for Jordan Foreman bounced off traffic and into the net, 46 seconds later to slice the gap to 4-3.

D'Alvise then threatened to tie the game on a penalty shot with 8:26 left in the game, but rang a snap shot off the goal post from between the circles.

Pitton finally helped the Thunder draw even with 1:57 left in regulation when he followed up Anthony Aiello's point shot from the left wing, and put a backhander off Hirsch from behind the net, lifting the Thunder bench into pandemonium.

After a scoreless overtime, the Condors sealed the game in the fifth round of a shootout on Mika Souraniemi's deke to Sexsmith's blocker side.

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