Thunder Sweeps Utah, Wins Fifth Straight

Published on January 18, 2011 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah - Defenseman Ryan Constant scored a pair of goals, including his second of the game to break a 3-3 tie with 2:08 left in regulation, to help lift the Stockton Thunder (18-11-6, 42 points) to their fifth straight win, 6-3, over the Utah Grizzlies before 2,739 fans at Maverik Center on Monday.

The Thunder, who improved to 6-1-0 in the last seven games and swept Utah on the road for the first time since the 2006-07 season, jumped back to second place in the Pacific Division and tied for fourth in the Western Conference.

‚¬Å“We got it going right away and we played a great third game and endured through our fourth game in six nights, ‚¬Â said Thunder head coach Matt Thomas. ‚¬Å“To battle back and score five unanswered goals was tremendous. Fraser Clair and Ryan Constant were two guys who really stood out, among others, who got the job done. ‚¬Â

In helping battle back from a 3-1 deficit, Fraser Clair netted a three point game (1g-2a) and P.A. Bureau, Bretton Cameron and Steve Vanoosten also chipped in with a goal each.

‚¬Å“Great job by guys who wear letters on their jerseys, and our captain, Craig Valette, who had a great game too, ‚¬Â said Thomas. ‚¬Å“Our leaders really brought it today. ‚¬Â

Clair took a lead pass from Jordan Fulton and converted on a breakaway just 1:45 into the game, beating Andrew Engelage with a backhander to the blocker side to give the Thunder a 1-0 lead.

Utah responded with back-to-back goals in the next 7:11, starting with Hugo Carpentier's sixth of the season just 27 seconds after Clair's, knotting the score, 1-1 when he converted on a screen in front of Bryan Pitton and cashed in on a deflection from David Schulz's shot from the right boards.

Brett Parnham then lifted Utah to a 2-1 lead with 11:04 left in the first period, converting Carpentier's post-to-post feed at the glove side of Pitton after Utah cycled the puck behind the net.

Just 17 seconds into the second period, Kevin Deeth's ninth goal of the year put the Thunder into a 3-1 hole, when he cleaned up a rebound and stuffed a backhander past Pitton's glove.

The Thunder got back into the game at the 1:36 mark, on Constant's bomb of a one-timer at the high slot for a power-play goal. He converted on Clair's pass at the high slot and ripped a blast through traffic.

With 5:52 left, Bureau's fourth goal of the season tied the game, 3-3 when he re-directed a center pass from Jarrett Konkle at the left wing with a backhander that snuck around Engelage's glove.

Both teams battled through scoring chances in the third, where the Thunder would eventually outshoot Utah, 14-10. Capping off two chances at the goal mouth on the forecheck, Constant gave the Thunder the lead with 2:08 to play on his seventh goal of the season, taking Clair's threaded pass from the right corner and ripping a snapshot under the crossbar from the mid slot.

After Utah pulled Engelage for an extra skater, Bureau won an defensive zone faceoff and flipped the puck to Cameron, who caromed a clearing pass off the right glass, which sailed into the vacated net from 170 feet away for a 5-3 lead with 1:36 left.

Steve Vanoosten buried a second empty-netter with 20.7 seconds left from center ice to seal the game at 6-3.

Pitton picked up his 12th win of the season, making 25 saves. Engelage was handed the loss with 34 stops.

NOTES: The Thunder scratched Tyson Sexsmith (injured reserve) ‚¬Â¦ Stockton also became the first team since 2006-07 to hand Utah four straight losses at Maverik Center ‚¬Â¦ the Thunder outshot Utah, 40-28 and went 1-for-4 on the power-play ‚¬Â¦ Cameron's goal gave him nine goals and 16 points (9g-7a) in the last nine games ‚¬Â¦ Bureau extended his scoring streak to four straight games and Konkle pushed his scoring streak to five straight games.

The Thunder returns to play on Friday at Stockton Arena, hosting the Ontario Reign at 7:30 p.m. The game can be heard on radio at 1280 KWSX and viewed live on the internet (pay-per-view video charge) at www.StocktonThunder.com, courtesy of AmericaOne.

A two-time recipient of the ECHL ‚¬Å“Award of Excellence, ‚¬Â Thunder was voted "Best Local Sports Team" by readers of the San Joaquin Magazine, led the ECHL in attendance for four consecutive seasons and drew over 200,000 fans for the fifth consecutive season in 2009-10. Season Tickets, mini-plans and individual tickets for 2010-11 are on sale now. For more information about tickets, merchandise, or other inquiries contact the Stockton Thunder offices at (209) 373-1500 or visit http://www.stocktonthunder.com/.

THREE STARS:

1. STK - 22 Ryan Constant

2. UTA - 28 Brett Parnham

3. UTA - 49 Hugo Carpentier

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