Nothing like a minor league hockey game to make the sports juices bubble over. It would be a different kind of march madness on this Saturday night. I was invited to a great hockey match Saturday evening in Stockton, California, home of the University of Pacific Tigers and the Asparagus Festival. Their local minor league team, the Stockton Thunder, had more than a goalie's handful of puck's to defend against from the visiting Utah Grizzlies.
The Thunder came out aggressive in the first period and outscored the Grizzlies 2-1. In the second period it was the Grizzlies turn to scrape up the ice with aggressive play, scoring two goals to the Thunder's 1 and tying the game at 3 goals apiece.
Then came the third and final period. Who knew what we'd get from the Thunder at the drop of the puck to begin this period. With the crowded house of 9,800 fans sporting Thunder gear, thanks in part to the kids replica jersey giveaway night promotion, home ice gave a slight advantage to the Thunder.
As the period slowly slipped away the score remained frozen at 3-3. There were many deserving penalties on both sides of the ice as neither team could crunch their way toward a winning goal. Then with 16:11 in regulation showing on the clock the Thunder Struck!
It took mental endurance and a coordinated team effort to get into scoring position and execute what would be the Thunder's winning goal. The Utah-ites went immediately into wounded mode and aggressively attacked the Thunder goal with bear-like clawing throughout the remaining minutes, which seemed like hours.
The goalie for the Thunder blocked, caught, crawled and kicked missile guided pucks away from the net over and over. With the final seconds ticking away and Grizzlies on the prowl, a Thunder player stole the final threat out of the claws of a Grizzly and with a sharp swipe of his stick sent the puck careening down ice to run out the clock.
The small-town crowd of roaring kids and childlike adults were catapulted into a standing thunderous applause. The Stockton Thunder had weathered a Grizzly ice storm and come away with a 4-3 win.
I don't know about my true loyalty to the San Jose Sharks, who as of today are on a six-game losing streak dropping to second in their division. But I know the Stockton Thunder and their fans have my respect for putting on a hockey game that rolled me over physically, emotionally and vocally.
Roll Thunder Roll!
Andrew Perugini made 43 stops over the final two periods to reach the 20-win mark for the 2nd straight season.
(photo by George Steckler)
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