Stockton announces team player awards

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Fraser Clair Thunder Most Valuable Player (L-R) Coach Matt Thomas%2C Booster Club Member%2C Clair%2C GM Dan Chapman)

Fraser Clair Thunder Most Valuable Player (L-R) Coach Matt Thomas%2C Booster Club Member%2C Clair%2C GM Dan Chapman)

STOCKTON, Calif. – The Stockton Thunder welcomed a boisterous final home stand crowd of 5,388 fans on a Wednesday night for a game.   The intensive playoff style action entertained the fans at Stockton Arena while the Thunder took on the Las Vegas Wranglers.
 
In the end, the Wranglers broke the one-goal tie, leaving only ten seconds on the clock, when Colin Long poked the puck past Tyson Sexsmith in the net.
 
While this game ended the Stockton regular season at home, the fans had a chance to vote for their favorite team members. Awards were announced at the conclusion of the game.
 
Chris Lawrence%2C Thunder Offensive Player of the Year (L-R) Coach Matt Thomas%2C Booster Club Member%2C Lawrence%2C GM Dan Chapman)

Chris Lawrence%2C Thunder Offensive Player of the Year (L-R) Coach Matt Thomas%2C Booster Club Member%2C Lawrence%2C GM Dan Chapman)

Right Wing Fraser Clair with appearances in 68 games, has 20 goals, 31 assists, and 100 penalty minutes, earned the Most Valuable Player accolades.
 
The Offensive Player of the Year is center Chris Lawrence, who has appeared in 56 games, leading the team currently with 22 goals and a plus-19, with 81 penalty minutes.
 
Blue-liner Ryan Constant, in his second season with the Thunder, was named Defenseman of the Year.   Constant appeared in 50 games, and is plus-8, with 11 goals and 23 assists.
 
Ryan Constant%2C Thunder Defensive Player of the Year (L-R) Coach Matt Thomas%2C Booster Club Member%2C Constant%2C GM Dan Chapman)

Ryan Constant%2C Thunder Defensive Player of the Year (L-R) Coach Matt Thomas%2C Booster Club Member%2C Constant%2C GM Dan Chapman)

Third-year Thunder player, left-wing Garet Hunt received Fan Favorite, for his third straight season and added an award for Unsung Hero.   Hunt had an assist while on call-up earlier in the season to the Worcester Sharks AHL in nine games and played in 60 games with the Thunder, earning a career best 13 goals and 17 assists to date, with a plus-9.   He also is the ECHL current leader in penalty minutes with 248.
 
Left-Wing Jordan Fulton received Rookie of the Year honors, after joining the Thunder mid-season appearing in 41 games with 13 goals and 13 assists.
 
In addition to the team and fan awards, Defenseman Steve Vanoosten was named the ECHL Player of the Week, ending March 27.   Vanoosten was plus-10, scoring two goals and five assists in a three game series during the week, boosting his own stats to seven goals and 24 assists and plus-12.   He is the first defenseman in Thunder history to earn the weekly award, and only the fourth in league history since 2007-08 season.
 
In addition, the Stockton fans have ended the season on another high-note, surpassing 6,000 fans average per game for the sixth straight season.   Stockton is currently in second place for fan attendance, behind the Ontario Reign.
Garet Hunt%2C Thunder Fan Favorite and Unsung Hero (L-R) Coach Matt Thomas%2C Booster Club Member%2C Hunt%2C GM Dan Chapman)

Garet Hunt%2C Thunder Fan Favorite and Unsung Hero (L-R) Coach Matt Thomas%2C Booster Club Member%2C Hunt%2C GM Dan Chapman)


 
The win Thursday night by Las Vegas over Stockton, moves them within a point behind the Thunder, trailing the West Division current leader, the Bakersfield Condors by a single point.   These three teams all have guaranteed home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs, but the division winner is still undecided.   Each team has only two games remaining, and while the Thunder and Wranglers will face one-another in both games, and the Condors will face the Utah Grizzlies in their final games, they will all be looking for wins.
 
The Condors were struggling only a few short weeks ago, but new blood and energy has created a team that is vying for the division title.   Despite losing their last two games, breaking a nine-game winning streak, they have positioned themselves at the top as of today.   You can bet the Condors will be looking for four points this weekend to secure the division title.
 
Jordan Fulton%2C Thunder Rookie of the Year (L-R) Coach Matt Thomas%2C Booster Club Member%2C Fulton%2C GM Dan Chapman)

Jordan Fulton%2C Thunder Rookie of the Year (L-R) Coach Matt Thomas%2C Booster Club Member%2C Fulton%2C GM Dan Chapman)

The Thunder and Wranglers will go head-to-head in two more games Friday and Saturday at Orleans Arena Las Vegas. If the Condors get anything less than two wins in regulation, one of these two teams will have a slight opportunity to take over first place in the their division.   You can bet the games in Las Vegas will be all-out.
 
With the West division teams so close, the play-off games for the first round are still up in the air.   Fan can bet that the final regular season weekend games, ECHL wide, will be a hot-ticket.
 
Contact the writer at Shellie.Lima@prohockeynews.com
Contact the photographer at Jack.Lima@prohockeynews.com

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