Triple overtime shutout win for Thunder

 

STOCKTON, Calif. – The Stockton Thunder made history tonight, playing their longest game in franchise history. The Thunder won the game in triple overtime; 1-0 versus the Idaho Steelheads.   The game was witnessed by 3,441 rambunctious fans, at the Stockton Arena. The win helps Stockton to narrow the gap in the National Conference championship series to 2-1.
 
Throughout the regulation game, both goaltenders made tremendous saves, keeping the score zeroed out on both sides.   Richard Bachman, in his seventh straight appearance in the net for Idaho in the post season posted 23 saves in regulation.   While Stockton’s Bryan Pitton had his first post season appearance in the net tonight, posting 25 saves in regulation.
 
In the post-season, a tie means the teams continue to play twenty minute periods, with breaks (similar to regulation game time), until a team wins in sudden death.
 
Late in the second overtime, a tripping penalty sent Marty Flichel to the box.   The power play had some time left at the end of the period, and the teams skated five on four to open the third overtime.
 
Ryan Constant roared up the slot and fired a shot, through traffic, at 36 seconds into the third overtime managing to get past Bachman. The assists on the shot went to James Bates and Matt Robinson. The goal earned Constant the second star of the game.
 
Pitton gets his first post season shut out, while making a record 49 saves in a single game.   The win garnered him the first star of the game.
 
The third star of the game goes to Bachman, despite the loss, it’s only his first loss of the post season.
 
The Stockton Thunder are victorious, following over one hundred minutes of playing time tonight.
 
A day of rest tomorrow, which is well deserved by both teams, before they return to the Stockton Arena to play game four on Friday, May 7.
 
Contact the writer at Shellie.Lima@prohockeynews.com