StocktonThunder

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GAME: Stockton Thunder vs. Colorado Eagles
DATE: Saturday, February 18, 2012
TIME: 7:30 p.m.
SITE: Stockton Arena
RADIO: 1280 AM KWSX/StocktonThunder.com (AmericaOne)/92.5 FM (in-house feed)

NHL AFFILIATES

Stockton Thunder: Edmonton Oilers, San Jose Sharks
Colorado Eagles: Winnipeg Jets

HOME GAME PROMOTIONAL NOTES

Tonight’s Promotion: YOUTH T-SHIRT GIVEAWAY (presented by Pepsi, In-Shape Health Clubs, Food-4-Less and 104.1 The Hawk)
National Anthem Singer: Bob Stanley
Public Address Announcer: Mike McKnight
In-Arena Emcee: DJ Walker

NEXT HOME GAME

Sunday, Feb. 19 vs. Colorado Eagles, 4:00 p.m.
FAMILY DAY (presented by Sutter Gould Medical Foundation and 99.3 KJOY)

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP

The Stockton Thunder continues its homestand with tonight’s game against the Colorado Eagles at Stockton Arena. The game will be the sixth of nine matchups between the teams this season and the Thunder is 1-4-0 against Colorado this season. The Thunder last faced Colorado on Feb. 11 and dropped a 4-1 defeat at the Budweiser Events Center. Tonight’s game will also be the first time the teams meet at Stockton Arena since Opening Night on Oct. 14 when Colorado defeated the Thunder, 5-2.

SEASON SERIES

Fri. Oct. 14 Colorado 5 at Stockton 2
Fri. Oct. 21 Stockton 1 at Colorado 3
Sat. Oct. 22 Stockton 5 at Colorado 4
Fri. Feb. 10 Stockton 2 at Colorado 5
Sat. Feb. 11 Stockton 1 at Colorado 4
Sat. Feb. 18 Colorado 7:30 p.m.
Sun. Feb. 19 Colorado 4:00 p.m.
Tue. Mar. 6 at Colorado 6:05 p.m.
Wed. Mar. 7 at Colorado 6:05 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT:

COL 4 – STK 1 (2/11/12): Kyle Jones made 36 saves for his 21st win of the season, enough to help the Colorado Eagles escape and defeat the Stockton Thunder (23-20-5, 51 points) 4-1 before 5,289 fans at Budweiser Events Center on Saturday night. The Thunder, who outshot the Eagles 42-36, nearly raged back from a 2-0 deficit in the third period. After a Max Campbell goal to slice the deficit to 2-1 Stockton had a game-tying marker by Matt Foy waved off with 3:03 remaining in the game on a rebound chance that was shoved at the goal line. Ben Chiarot registered Colorado’s game winning goal on a third period penalty shot.

LAST THREE GAMES:

STK 3 – IDH 2 (2/17/12): Right wing Matt Foy and defenseman Ryan Lowery each scored a goal and added an assist to help the Stockton Thunder (24-21-5, 53 points) sink the Idaho Steelheads in a 3-2 victory before 5,039 fans at Stockton Arena. The Thunder outshot Idaho 38-20, never trailed in the game and improved to 7-1-1 in the last nine home games, running its record to 4-3-1 in the season series over Idaho. Thunder rookie goaltender Thomas Heemskerk, making his first return to action since Dec. 26, boosted his record to 9-5-0 with 18 saves. The win put the Thunder back into sole possession of fifth place in the Western Conference with 21 games to play.

ONT 3 – STK 1 (2/15/12): Goaltender Chris Carrozzi made 30 stops and his Ontario Reign never trailed, sending the Stockton Thunder (23-21-5, 51 points) to a 3-1 defeat at Stockton Arena on Wednesday. The Thunder, who nearly rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the third period for the second consecutive game, fell to 5-4-2 in the head to head series against Ontario and received its only goal in the game from Ian O’Connor.

COL 4 – STK 1 (2/11/12): Kyle Jones made 36 saves for his 21st win of the season, enough to help the Colorado Eagles escape and defeat the Stockton Thunder (23-20-5, 51 points) 4-1 before 5,289 fans at Budweiser Events Center on Saturday night. The Thunder, who outshot the Eagles 42-36, nearly raged back from a 2-0 deficit in the third period. After a Max Campbell goal to slice the deficit to 2-1 Stockton had a game-tying marker by Matt Foy waved off with 3:03 remaining in the game on a rebound chance that was shoved at the goal line. Ben Chiarot registered Colorado’s game winning goal on a third period penalty shot.

UPCOMING MILESTONES

• Matt Thomas is 5 wins away from 300 in his professional coaching career
• Kevin Baker is 17 goals away from 200 in his professional career
• Matt Foy is 3 points away from 200 in his professional career

THUNDER CROWDS ROLL IN

An exclusive club, the Thunder averaged over 6,000 fans per game and drew over 200,000 fans for the sixth straight year in 2010-11, ranking second in ECHL in attendance with 6,382 fans per game. Stockton has 17 sellouts in the team’s franchise history. They welcomed 12 crowds of 7,000 or more at Stockton Arena last season and had its highest attendance since 2007-08, a six percent increase from 2009-10. This season, the Thunder has welcome 11 crowds of 6,000 or more to Stockton Arena and drew a season high 9,012 fans on Nov. 5 vs. Utah. The Thunder is third in ECHL attendance with an average of 5,695 fans per game.

GOAL ORIENTED

Thunder right winger Kevin Baker was signed as a free agent on Aug. 24 and brings a wealth of offensive accomplishments to the Thunder roster. He was named ECHL Most Valuable Player in 2008-09 and his 57 goals that season were most in the league since 2000-01. He ranks third in ECHL all-time goal scoring (since 2006-07) with 171 goals. On Dec. 10 vs. Bakersfield, he collected his first hat trick of the season.

CHRIS CONTROL

Chris D’Alvise, assigned on Thursday from Springfield (AHL), enters the game ranking fourth on the Thunder’s all time scoring chart with 89 points. He was named Thunder Rookie of the Year in 2009-10 and has collected four hat tricks in less than two full seasons in the ECHL.

NOTE OF THE NIGHT

This season, the Thunder has boasted a record of 13-7-3 when playing in the second game of a “back to back” or in a “three game in three day” scenario. The last Thunder win in that situation came on Jan. 29, when they defeated Alaska, 4-1 at Stockton Arena.