Thunder outslugs Dragons

Friday, Jan. 10, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

SAN ANTONIO -- The last thing the Las Vegas Thunder wanted to do on the road was get into a slugfest with the San Antonio Dragons.

Nevertheless, that's what it did Thursday night.

Forced to start backup goaltender Anrei Mezin because of Parris Duffus' Wednesday call-up to the Phoenix Coyotes, the Thunder traded blows with the Dragons and overcame a hat trick by Lonnie Loach to win in a shootout, 7-6.

Each team scored two goals in the first period, three in the second and one in the third, but Las Vegas broke up the symmetry in the extra session.

Patrice Lefebvre, Martin Gendron and Kent Fearns each scored in the shootout for the Thunder. The Dragons scored only once, as third shooter Daniel Shank, a former Thunder player, beat Mezin.

During regulation, Mezin stopped 20 of 26 shots, raising his record to 4-3-0. San Antonio starter Dave Littman saved 18 of 24 shots, falling to 11-9-4.

The Thunder is now 24-15-2 for 50 points, moving it into second place in the Southwest Division. The Dragons are 26-13-4 for 56 points, easily atop the Midwest Division.

The teams alternated goals in the first period. Loach scored just 1:07 into the game, but Sergei Yerkovich responded with his second of the season barely two minutes later. San Antonio's Jason Miller netted his 16th goal at 7:40, and Las Vegas' Kevin Dahl recorded his fifth at 13:44.

In the second period, Loach, who has 13 goals this season, scored a pair for San Antonio, while Scott Hollis added another. The Thunder received goals from Ken Quinney, Martin Gendron and Darin Smith.

Brent Gretzky gave the Thunder a quick third-period lead with his third goal of the season just 1:15 in. But with 3:29 left to play, Hollis scored again to erase any chance of a regulation victory for Las Vegas.

Before the game, the Thunder signed a San Antonio player to play for it against the Dragons in his home arena.

Center Paul Jackson, 30, had played for the San Antonio Iguanas of the Central Hockey League, recording 27 goals and 27 assists for 54 points. He was signed to a three-game pact as a fill-in for Egor Bashkatov, who still is recovering from injuries to his eye and ankle.