Thunder's Caudron Buries Condors In Overtime

Published on December 5, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


STOCKTON, Calif. - Right winger J.F. Caudron capped a four-point game (2g-2a) with a game-winning goal just 52 seconds into sudden death overtime, lifting the Stockton Thunder (6-11-3, 13 points) to a wild, 6-5 overtime victory over the Bakersfield Condors before 5,104 fans at Stockton Arena on Friday night.

The game's attendance pushed the Thunder over one million fans in attendance through four season plus. The winner was Kim Cuevas, who won Thunder season tickets for 2010-11 and additional travel prizes.

Caudron and Oren Eizenman (2g-2a) had four points each to lead the Thunder in a season-high six-goal effort, while newcomers Brett Hemingway and Matt Robinson each scored in their Thunder debut. Goaltender Bryan Pitton stopped 41 shots for the win.

Logan MacMillan gave the Condors a 1-0 edge when he took a faceoff win at the left circle and fired a snap shot past Pitton through traffic at 10:42 of the first period.

The Thunder leveled the score with 5:18 left in the opening period on a 5-on-3 power-play goal for Robinson, his fourth goal of the season when he blasted a one-timer through Timo Pielmeier's five-hole from the right circle.

Hemingway's snap shot from the left circle, while off the rush lifted Stockton to a 2-1 lead with 13:19 left in the second period for his first goal of the season. Eizenman increased the Thunder edge to 3-1 with 6:35 left in the period when he finished Caudron's centering pass from below the hash marks.

Caudron corralled a rebound and buried the loose puck past an outstretched Pielmeier for his first goal of the season with 34 seconds left in the period after Pielmeier stopped a Jordan Bendfeld drive from the left point.

Ianiero then stole an errant pass before the horn sounded and stuffed in a wrap-around attempt with 0.2 seconds left in the second period, to ignite a three-goal rally by Bakersfield in the third period and at first, cut the deficit to 4-2.

MacMillan was credited for his second goal of the game at 5:13 of the second period to cut the Thunder lead to 4-2, but the third Thunder power-play goal of the game restored a two-goal cushion at 5-3 when Eizenman caught a piece of Chris D'Alvise's slap shot from the high slot and re-directed it past the stick side of Pielmeier.

The Pacific Division leading Condors refused to buckle and responded with back-to-back goals on a Stu Bickel slapshot from the right point at 12:42 and Gino Guyer's snap shot from the right circle with 1:57 left in regulation, a power-play goal to level the score at 5-5.

After Eizenman nearly missed on a one-timer from beneath the left circle before the regulation horn sounded, he bounced back to set up Caudron's game-winner.

Eizenman found Steve Vanoosten with a pass in the Condors zone that deflected into the slot for Caudron, who outmaneuvered the Bakersfield defense between the hash marks and ripped a snap shot over Pielmeier's glove to end the game and send Stockton Arena into delirium.

Pielmeier made 31 saves for Bakersfield.

NOTES: Before the game, the Thunder activated forward Kelly Czuy off injured reserve... the Thunder scratched Ryan Constant (injured reserve), Garet Hunt (injured reserve) and Bobby Davey (healthy)... the Thunder power-play finished 4-for-7 after snapping out of a an 0-for-14 slide... defenseman Justin Dacosta collected two assists in his Thunder debut... the Thunder evened the season series, 1-1 with the Condors... the win came 24 hours after Thunder head coach Matt Thomas and his wife, Andrea, celebrated the birth of their newborn son, Devlin.

The Thunder finishes the five-game homestand tomorrow night with a 7:30 p.m. home game against the Bakersfield Condors at Stockton Arena. The game can be heard and viewed online at www.stocktonthunder.com, courtesy of B2 Networks (audio is free of charge).

The Thunder was voted "Best Local Sports Team" by readers of the San Joaquin Magazine, has led the ECHL in attendance for four consecutive seasons and drew 223,854 fans to Stockton Arena in 2008-09. Season Tickets for 2009-10 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/.

-- ALL OUT, ALL SEASON --

THREE STARS:

1. STK - 12 J.F. Caudron

2. STK - 9 Oren Eizenman

3. BAK - 11 Logan MacMillan

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