Thunder decimates Condors in 7-4 win

STOCKTON, Calif. – The Stockton Thunder will advance to the National Conference Finals following their win over the Bakersfield Condors, marking the first time in their team’s history.   The Thunder defeated the Condors in an exciting match before 4,608 fans at the Stockton Arena with a final score of 7-4.
 
The Thunder opened the scoring early and never looked back, sending the Condors back home after winning game five in a best-of-seven series.
 
The win was the result of the entire team.   Seven different players netted goals, 14 of the 18 members of the team contributed points, with Oren Eizenman earning three assists.
 
Immediately following the initial puck drop to open the game, Chris D’Alvise netted his shot from the circle that set the stage for the night. Condor’s net minder Timo Pielmeier didn’t seem to see it coming.   The goal was D’Alvise’s sixth of the post season. Bakersfield’s Mark Voakes’ one-timer, short-handed goal past Andrew Perugini at 13:53, evened the score at one-apiece.  
 
Stockton’s Matt Marquardt, at 17:44, gave them the 2-1 lead at the first break.
 
The second period began much like the first, with an exciting goal from Garet Hunt, his second of the post season, at 2:47.   The energy expelled by Hunt as he was congratulated by his teammates and his speed skate fist-bump at the bench demonstrated the teams’ passion for the win.  
 
The fans waved gold rally towels in applause.
 
As the game returned to action, the Condors showed they weren’t going to roll-over easily and former Thunder, Stephane Goulet poked in the puck to close in on Stockton.   The goal was Goulet’s fourth of the post-season.
 
Stockton came back from intermission on a mission in the third, to finish the series at home, with early goals by Jason Pitton (his fifth in post-season), Colin Hemingway, and Steve Vanoosten, their first goals of the post-season.   The Condor’s Andrew Ianiero answered with a goal twenty seconds later, and the momentum seemed to shift slightly, giving the handful of Condor’s fans a chance to show their presence.  
 
Bryan Young, at 15:25, netted a goal to give Stockton a commanding 7-3 lead on a short-handed, nearly ice length shot on an empty net.   The Condor’s MacGregor Sharp answered back with a wrister past Perugini to try again to change the momentum. But the damage had been done and there was no slowing down the Thunder as they held on to the 7-4 lead at the final bell.
 
The teams lined up for their final congratulatory remarks with one-another, following a hard fought regular season and series.  
 
Timo Pielmeier gets the loss with 27 saves and Perugini increased his post-season record to 7-2, with 31 saves tonight.
 
The Thunder advance to the next round, facing the Idaho Steelheads.   Idaho received a bye in the first round, with their first place finish in their conference, and subsequently defeated the Utah Grizzlies in four straight games.  
 
The first two games will be in Idaho on April 30 and May 1.   The teams will return to Stockton for games 3, 4, and 5, if necessary, then return to Idaho for six and seven.
 
Stockton’s win also means that the wager will be paid up by Bakersfield’s Mayor Harvey Hall to Stockton Mayor Ann Johnston; a case of Dewar’s candies. The bet was placed on the night before game one of the series between the two mayors of the cities connected by Highway 99, about 230 miles apart.
 
Contact the writer at Shellie.Lima@prohockeynews.com
Contact the photographer at Jack.Lima@prohockeynews.com