FALCONS FLY PAST THUNDER
Morlang's four-point effort keeps Thunder searching for first win in Fresno


STATS: Box score
AUDIO: Brian Lee's first period goal for a 1-0 Thunder lead

FRESNO, Calif. - John Morlang tallied four points (2g-2a) to spark a rally of four unanswered goals for the Fresno Falcons, who dealt the Stockton Thunder (19-25-3, 41 points) a 4-1 setback before an announced crowd of 12,590 at Save Mart Center on Saturday night.

Special teams betrayed the Thunder's efforts to garner its first all-time win in Fresno. Stockton finished 0-for-7 on the power-play, including a five-minute man-advantage in the first period, while Fresno went 2-for-6 on the man-advantage and added a shorthanded goal.

In front of the large crowd who were honoring Fresno's breast cancer-awareness event, defenseman Brian Lee sent a hoard of visiting Thunder fans into a frenzy with the game's first goal at the 4:05 mark of the first period, giving the Thunder a 1-0 lead as he followed up a rebound on Kris Mayotte's stop on Andy Contois and buried the loose disc through Mayotte's five-hole on a backhander from the left circle.

Thunder goaltender Tim Boron stopped all 12 Fresno shots in the first period, including a sequence of sliding-pad saves on Fresno's Matt Quinn and Kenny Bernard.

Fresno's special teams capitalized for a 2-1 lead over the Thunder through 40 minutes of play, beginning with a shorthanded goal by Morlang - his 10^th of the season - to tie the game at 1-1 just 3:05 into the period. After Boron was caught out of his net, P.O. Beaulieu gathered the puck at the left point and fed Morlang wide open in the slot, who buried the shot into an open net.

Brady Leisenring's power-play goal, the eventual game-winner, put Fresno ahead 2-1 just 2:45 later, beating Boron on a breakaway after Igor Gongalsky, who tallied three points (1g-2a) in the game, fed Leisenring off a neutral-zone faceoff.

Morlang's second goal of the game and 11th of the year put Fresno up 3-1 just 6:43 into the third period, burying a rebound on the left doorstep after Boron stopped Luke Curtin's drive from the right point. Gongalsky put the game away with his 15^th goal of the season with 7:31 left in regulation, re-directing a wrist shot in mid-air from John Morlang's left point bid that zipped through the five-hole of Boron. 

Mayotte ended the game with 30 saves while Boron countered with 32 stops for the Thunder.

NOTES: The Thunder missed the services of leading-goal scorer Ryan MacMurchy (injury), Beau Geisler (injured reserve), Ryan Geris (injured reserve), and Adam Huxley (injured reserve)... Fredrik Johansson picked up an assist on Lee's goal to extend his scoring streak to five consecutive games ... Fresno outshot the Thunder 36-31 ... the Thunder dropped to 5-15-3 in the all-time series and 0-9-1 lifetime at Save Mart Center.

The Thunder return to action on Wednesday, February 13 at 7:00 p.m., hosting the Las Vegas Wranglers at Stockton Arena.  The game can be heard live on radio at 1420-AM KSTN and online (video and audio available) at http://www.stocktonthunder.com/, courtesy of B2 Networks.

The Thunder has led the ECHL in attendance for two consecutive seasons and drew 244,085 fans to the Stockton Arena in 2006-07.  Season tickets, group tickets and individual tickets for 2007-08 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. FRE - 37 John Morlang
2. FRE - 46 Igor Gongalsky
3. FRE - 39 Kris Mayotte

FALCONS FLY PAST THUNDER
Morlang's four-point effort keeps Thunder searching for first win in Fresno


STATS: Box score
AUDIO: Brian Lee's first period goal for a 1-0 Thunder lead

FRESNO, Calif. - John Morlang tallied four points (2g-2a) to spark a rally of four unanswered goals for the Fresno Falcons, who dealt the Stockton Thunder (19-25-3, 41 points) a 4-1 setback before an announced crowd of 12,590 at Save Mart Center on Saturday night.

Special teams betrayed the Thunder's efforts to garner its first all-time win in Fresno. Stockton finished 0-for-7 on the power-play, including a five-minute man-advantage in the first period, while Fresno went 2-for-6 on the man-advantage and added a shorthanded goal.

In front of the large crowd who were honoring Fresno's breast cancer-awareness event, defenseman Brian Lee sent a hoard of visiting Thunder fans into a frenzy with the game's first goal at the 4:05 mark of the first period, giving the Thunder a 1-0 lead as he followed up a rebound on Kris Mayotte's stop on Andy Contois and buried the loose disc through Mayotte's five-hole on a backhander from the left circle.

Thunder goaltender Tim Boron stopped all 12 Fresno shots in the first period, including a sequence of sliding-pad saves on Fresno's Matt Quinn and Kenny Bernard.

Fresno's special teams capitalized for a 2-1 lead over the Thunder through 40 minutes of play, beginning with a shorthanded goal by Morlang - his 10^th of the season - to tie the game at 1-1 just 3:05 into the period. After Boron was caught out of his net, P.O. Beaulieu gathered the puck at the left point and fed Morlang wide open in the slot, who buried the shot into an open net.

Brady Leisenring's power-play goal, the eventual game-winner, put Fresno ahead 2-1 just 2:45 later, beating Boron on a breakaway after Igor Gongalsky, who tallied three points (1g-2a) in the game, fed Leisenring off a neutral-zone faceoff.

Morlang's second goal of the game and 11th of the year put Fresno up 3-1 just 6:43 into the third period, burying a rebound on the left doorstep after Boron stopped Luke Curtin's drive from the right point. Gongalsky put the game away with his 15^th goal of the season with 7:31 left in regulation, re-directing a wrist shot in mid-air from John Morlang's left point bid that zipped through the five-hole of Boron. 

Mayotte ended the game with 30 saves while Boron countered with 32 stops for the Thunder.

NOTES: The Thunder missed the services of leading-goal scorer Ryan MacMurchy (injury), Beau Geisler (injured reserve), Ryan Geris (injured reserve), and Adam Huxley (injured reserve)... Fredrik Johansson picked up an assist on Lee's goal to extend his scoring streak to five consecutive games ... Fresno outshot the Thunder 36-31 ... the Thunder dropped to 5-15-3 in the all-time series and 0-9-1 lifetime at Save Mart Center.

The Thunder return to action on Wednesday, February 13 at 7:00 p.m., hosting the Las Vegas Wranglers at Stockton Arena.  The game can be heard live on radio at 1420-AM KSTN and online (video and audio available) at http://www.stocktonthunder.com/, courtesy of B2 Networks.

The Thunder has led the ECHL in attendance for two consecutive seasons and drew 244,085 fans to the Stockton Arena in 2006-07.  Season tickets, group tickets and individual tickets for 2007-08 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. FRE - 37 John Morlang
2. FRE - 46 Igor Gongalsky
3. FRE - 39 Kris Mayotte