Tagged: Colorado Thunder

Thunder Sweep Grizzlies in 2010 Finals, Repeat as PIHA Champions

Colorado Springs, Colo. – The Colorado Springs Thunder earned their second straight PIHA Championship tonight, sweeping the New Jersey Grizzlies in four games. The Thunder skated past the Grizzlies, 5-2 and 3-1, in Games 3 and 4 here at the Tour Arena. Thunder goaltender Dan Lamb, who gave up only six goals in four games, was named Playoff MVP.

The Thunder won handily, 5-2, in the first game of the night to take a 3-0 lead in the series. The Thunder took a 2-1 leading heading into half time on goals from Brian Yingling and Eric Bogenrief. The second half was also all Thunder, as Yingling and Bogenrief each again to take a 4-1 lead. Andrew Brodsky notched a short-handed tally to pull the Grizzlies to within two goals midway through the second half, but Yingling completed the hat trick at 8:02 against Grizzlies’ goaltender Nuno Costa to make the final score 5-2. The Thunder outshot the Grizzlies, 21-17.

The second game saw the Grizzlies take a 1-0 lead on their first shot of the game thanks to an Andrew Brodsky tally at 3:54. But the Thunder responded at 10:05 to tie the game heading into the second half. Skating on the power play, Eric Bogenrief took a pass in the high slot from Brian Yingling and Nick Gonnella, and ripped a low shot past Grizzlies’ goaltender Nuno Costa’s glove side. Thunder captain CJ Yoder then sealed the game at 3:50 of the second half. Skating short-handed, Jesse Tuttle head-manned the puck up the right wing to Yoder who cut in and sent a backhander past Costa for the game winner. With only 1:50 remaining in the second half, Brian Yingling added an insurance goal, ripping the puck top-shelf while on the power-play to make the final score 3-1 in favor of the 2010 PIHA Champion Thunder. The Thunder outshot the Grizzlies, 14-12.

“We are thrilled to win repeat championships,” said Thunder Head Coach Dave Needham. “It was truly a team effort, and the Grizzlies were great opponents. We’d like to thank all the teams in PIHA, our staff, and most importantly our fans for a great season!”

Colorado Springs Thunder Sweep Games 1 and 2 of the 2010 PIHA Finals

Colorado Springs, Colo. — The host Colorado Springs Thunder didn’t disappoint their hometown crowd as they swept the Eastern Conference Champion New Jersey Grizzlies in the first two games of the 2010 PIHA Finals, 2-0 and 4-3 (OT), tonight here at the Tour Arena.

In the first game Dan Lamb stood tall in net for the Western Conference champs, turning aside every shot he faced to lead the Thunder to a 2-0 victory. After a scoreless first half, the two teams continued to thwart each other’s chances until the Thunder finally struck with less than one minute left in the game. Brian Yingling converted on a pass from CJ Yoder and beat Grizzlies goalie Andrew Goworek at 11:09 to give the Thunder a 1-0 advantage. Yoder then added an empty-net goal at 11:31 to seal the 2-0 win. The Thunder outshot the Grizzlies 19-11.

In the second game, the teams once again were scoreless in the first half. The second half saw the Thunder take a 2-0 lead less than two minutes into the half on a power-play goal from Nick Gonnella at 1:12, and an even-strength tally from CJ Yoder at 1:38. The Grizzlies responded with a goal of their own from Andrew Brodsky only 18 seconds later to pull the Grizzlies within a goal. Thunder forward Brian Higney then lit the lamp at the four-minute mark to extend the Thunder lead to 3-1.  However, the Grizzlies took advantage of some Thunder mistakes to score two unanswered goals late in the game to send it to overtime. Philip Cocozzo struck at 6:34 on the power play and Chris Wolf registered a pretty three-on-three breakway goal at 9:34 to tie the game and send it to overtime. The Thunder, which earned a power-play opportunity with only 10 seconds remaining in regulation, didn’t waste any time sealing the game in OT. Still skating on the man advantage to open overtime, Brian Yingling received the puck down low to the left of Grizzlies netminder Andrew Goworek and sent a nifty pass across the top of the crease to a waiting CJ Yoder who buried the puck only 57 second in to give the Thunder the 4-3 win. The Grizzlies outshot the Thunder, 22-16.

“We’re happy we came away with the results we did tonight,” said Thunder Head Coach Dave Needham. “The Grizzlies are a strong team, and we don’t expect them to let up tomorrow night. We’re going to have to play smart at both ends of the floor tomorrow, and good things will continue to happen.”

The Thunder now have the upper hand in the best-of-seven series heading into Games 3 and 4 tomorrow night at 8:00 and 9:00 p.m. (MST) at the Tour Arena in Colorado Springs. Tickets are still available and fans across the country can also catch the action live on the Web at Justin.TV.

PIHA Announces All Weekend Championship Games Will be Live on the Web

Colorado Springs, CO. – When the New Jersey Grizzlies take on the Colorado Springs Thunder anyone in the world will be able to watch as games 1-7 will be shown LIVE on the web. Today the league announced that ALL the weekend’s games will be showcased on Justin.TV.  With the amazing capability of the camera system at beautiful Tour Arena in Colorado Springs, all minor series games will also be broadcast, with interviews and play-by-play, throughout the weekend. Be sure to follow your favorite team as they fight their way to a PIHA championship. Log onto Justin.TV and catch all the action.

The Colorado Springs Thunder are known for helping people out, especially when it comes to one of their own. The Thunder organization would like to share the story of Christopher Holmes with you, our fans. Chris, aka “Topher”, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in late December 2009. Christopher and his family have been a fixture here at Tour Arena for a number of years. Chris has played every form of inline hockey starting with rec leagues, Colorado Lightning, Middle and High School, Stallions, and Youth World Division. In 2006 Chris joined the Thunder organization as stick boy and later became locker room/bench manager through the 2009 PIHA championship year. His mom Chrissy even owned the Stallions Penalty Box for awhile in 2008 and his dad Larry has coached at several levels, including being on the Thunder bench when they clinched the Western Division Championship.

Christopher has started his fight to rid his body of this nasty disease and now must undergo chemotherapy in 21-day cycles, which includes many different forms of chemo, IVs, many different meds, shots, blood counts, and doctor checkups. Chris is also going to finish up his sophomore year at Falcon HS online, and he just can’t wait till he can get back on the floor and continue playing hockey. So if you happen to see Chris or his mom or dad, stop by and wish them well for they would appreciate that.

The Thunder will “Bic it for Chris” after Saturday night’s games 3 and 4. Players like Yingling, Yoder, Lamb, Serby, and several others within the organization will be shaving their heads for a minimum $5 donation to help a family in need.

A Rocky Fight for the Founders Cup

Colorado Springs, CO – It’s only one week away and the Colorado Springs area is already hopping with anticipation for PIHA’s 2009-2010 Finals. The surprise Eastern Conference Champion, New Jersey Grizzlies, have their flights booked while the Suffolk Sting and Pennsylvania Team Blue minor franchises are also making their plans for the Rockies in hopes of calling themselves CHAMPIONS! The weekend of February 19-21 will showcase some of the best talent in the country and “is going to be a weekend these players, families, and fans will not forget,” says PIHA Finals Event Manager, Teresa Miller. “We are excited about making the weekend an event, although everyone is excited for the hockey, we are putting together youth tournaments, exhibition games, a Friday night Happy Hour, and a tribute of hair shaving for a struggling member of the Thunder to round out some of the best hockey to ever come to Colorado.”

Obviously the weekend’s main attraction will be the New Jersey Grizzlies taking on the Colorado Springs Thunder in a battle to claim PIHA’s 9th Founders Cup. The seven game series will display a boat load of talent as three of the top four leading scorers in the league, Brian Yingling (31-26-57), Robbie Fulton (20-31-51), and CJ Yoder (18-30-48), take to the Tour Arena floor in hopes of leading their respective teams to a championship. The Grizzlies come into the Finals on a huge high note after stunning a Suffolk Sting team that had only lost 1 game in regulation all year long. While the Thunder, after scampering into the playoffs, have shown that they are clicking on all cylinders after sweeps of the Fort  Collins Catz and then rival Parker Prowlers. Both teams are very well coached as Denis Jelcic leads a very physical and young

Grizzlies team while Dave Needham is on his second road to the PIHA Finals in as many years at the helm for the Thunder. All games will be held at the beautiful Tour Arena in Colorado Springs, CO. with games #1 and #2 on Friday night beginning at 8pm. Games #3 and #4 will be Saturday at 8pm, with games #5, #6, and #7 on Sunday, if necessary, beginning at 11am.

The weekend also features the minor league beasts from the East taking on the best from the West as the Suffolk Sting and Pennsylvania Team Blue make the trip to face the Loveland Catz and Lakewood Fire. These matchups are not set at this point but already look to be heated and very fun to watch. East #1 will play West #2 and West #1 will take East #2 in three game series with winners and losers facing one another in a 5 game series later in the weekend. There will be plenty of hockey for these teams and their fans.

But the weekend will not only be featuring PIHA hockey. PIHA has set up a Finals Committee and this group is setting up all kinds of events for the weekend. One of the biggest events will be a shaving of the head as some of the Thunder players have decided to “bic it for Chris”. Chris Holmes, a member of the Thunder and die hard roller hockey player for several years, has recently been diagnosed with Hodgkins Disease and is fighting cancer. With the help of the fans and the heads of the Thunder, donations will be accepted for a shot with the clippers! The weekend is going to be not only exciting for PIHA, but also for everyone in Colorado Springs!

Western Conference Comes Down to Another Battle For I-83

Colorado Springs, CO – They’ve called it the “road war” for the past three years after the Pikes Peak Prowlers relocated from Colorado Springs and became the Parker Prowlers. The Battle for I-83 has turned into one of the league’s premier rivalries and this year it has gone to another level. In 2008, the Prowlers first year at the beautiful Parker Fieldhouse, the home team won only 7 games and missed the playoffs, in ’09 Parker ended up just less than .500 and lost in the first round to the Colorado Springs Thunder but now they are a team to be reckoned with. Starting this Thursday night the Parker Prowlers will roll down I-83 and back into their old barn to face the first place Colorado Springs Thunder once again.

The Thunder come off a sweep of the Fort Collins Catz and look to be getting back in stride for the playoff push,  while the Prowlers had a huge series from PIHA veteran Jon Ingrum as he scored five goals including the game winner in overtime of the third and final game against a very talented Lakewood Fire. “He’s playing his best when we need him to. That’s all you can ask from a guy that your team counts on to win games,” says Prowler head coach John Bovee.

The Western Conference will be decided during this five game series beginning this Thursday night at the Tour Arena. Game time is 8:15pm with general admission tickets at $7.00 or a Series Pass can be purchased for $10. Games 3, 4, and 5 if necessary will be Friday night with the puck drop also at 8:15. If you can’t watch the games from a Tour Arena stadium seat then check out all the action LIVE on the web at Justin.TV.

-from thepiha.com

Thunder Extinguish Blizzard; Charity Jersey Auction a Success!

thunder2009halloweenThe Colorado Springs Thunder kept their hold on top of the PIHA Rocky Mountain Division standings as they swept the Denver Blizzard, 6-2 and 7-1 in front of a packed house at the Tour Arena on Friday night. The Thunder extended their winning streak to four games, and improved their record to 7-1-0-0, while the Blizzard fell to 0-4-0-0.

More importantly, the evening was also the Thunder’s Fifth Annual Jersey Auction, with proceeds this year benefiting the Marion House, a charity in Colorado Springs that provides a soup kitchen, community outreach, client services, and children’s services for families in need. Over the past five years, the Thunder organization has raised more than $10,000 in support of local charities.

“As an organization, we make it a priority to be involved in the community,” said Thunder Captain CJ Yoder. “We once again had a great turn-out for our jersey auction, and raised almost $3,000 for a great cause. (more…)

Thunders 5th Annual Jersey Auction, Halloween Style

Colorado Thunder HalloweenYear after year the Colorado Springs Thunder out do themselves throughout the community and within their own organization and the month of October will be no different. Someone among the organization obviously enjoys the Halloween season and has persuaded the team to do the same. This Friday the Thunder will take on the Denver Blizzard in a rematch of the Rocky Mountain Division Finals from a year ago and will be showing off Halloween black and orange uniforms for their 5th charity jersey auction. Proceeds from the silent auction, which has raised more than $10,000 over the last four events, will be donated to the Marion House in Colorado Springs.

This year the Denver Blizzard will be joining the festivities at Tour Arena and will be coming into a hostile environment after revamping a veteran hockey team that ended up second in the division and handed the Thunder their only loss during the 2008-09 regular season. The Blizzard have moved towards a younger, quicker team that will be in for a huge test on the 30th, as the Thunder look to keep the fans happy in hopes of raising big numbers for the Marion House. (more…)

Thunder Home Opener…Championship Night!

Colorado ThunderThe Colorado Springs Thunder start the long road back to PIHA’s Founders Cup Finals this Friday Night as they welcome the new and improved Parker Prowlers. The Rivalry Along 83 has been an intense one and looks to be no different this year as the Prowlers have revamped and the Thunder are welcoming a few new faces.

The Thunder organization, 2008-09 PIHA Champions, look for a packed, rambunctious Tour Arena as they unveil their championship banner among other events honoring last season. The puck drops at 8:15pm with ceremonies beginning at 8:10pm. Join the Thunder at beautiful Tour Arena or catch the festivities live on the web at www.justin.tv/piha. New this season, live on the web at 6:30pm before every home game, head coach Dave Needham will be sharing his keys to the games and recaps for prior games on Thunder Gameday, live at Justin TV.

Season tickets are available now! General admission is only $7 with kids 8 and under ALWAYS in free!

2009/2010 PIHA Season Coming Together!

It seems just a couple days ago the 2009 PIHA Colorado Thunder were named champions of PIHA. However, already the planning is underway for next season. The Thunder have announced there training camp dates. Their tryouts will be Sunday, August 16 from 11am-2pm and then again on Thursday, August 20 from 7-10pm at the Tour Arena in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

In the Thunder’s most recent news article quotes from two people “We are looking forward to this season and realize the opportunity we have in front of us. This year everyone will be gunning for us and with the changes that have been made by the league it’s going to be tougher than ever to repeat, so we want to get this organization chosen and get the guys together as quickly and often as possible,” said GM/Head Coach,  Dave Needham and Brian Yingling’s quote “We had a heck of a run last year and are looking forward to this year. With league changes like new teams and crossover regular season games both the players and the fans have got to be pumped for this year, I know I am” Both seem to he hint that PIHA has something new in store for everyone in the upcoming season. One think that seams directly mentioned is that teams from different divisions will face off in the regular season. Will we get the chance to see a rematch of the CT Blaze vs. Colorado Thunder in the upcoming regular season?

The Ft. Collins cats, one of the five original rocky mountain division teams are back and under new management for the upcoming season. They have also announced their return to PIHA and their 2009-2010 tryout schedule. The first tryout will be august 22nd at 6:00 PM and also on August 23rd at 7:00 PM, the cost of the tryouts are $60.00 dollars and they will be held at OD’s Sports Crossings in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Thunder Take Founders Cup In Six

Colorado ThunderAfter Saturday nights games where the Thunder proved unable to sweep the series in four straight, action on Sunday was explosive. In game five a comeback seemed possible with the Blaze winning 3-1. However, C.J. Yoder and the thunder came to win and it showed in game six with a final score of 7-4. This victory claimed the Thunder’s first Founders Cup win ever after there run for the cup was ended early last season.

John Pinheiro once again in this series led the blaze through the playoffs and even the Thunder found him a challenge to stop with his speed and unlimited amount of hustle. However in game six his attempts were triumphed by Yoder the Captain of the Thunder leading his team and collecting the fourth founders cup of his career. Yoder also walked away from the championship with the playoff MVP.

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