Sports > Hockey > Wichita Thunder

Posted on Wed, Nov. 18, 2009

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Boron decision to come today

Thunder goaltender Tim Boron, who hasn't played since Oct. 30, may be placed on injured reserve today.

Boron, who had off-season surgery on both hips, was expected to be the team's clear-cut No. 1 goaltender. But he has struggled, going 1-2 with a 4.67 goals-against average and a .835 saves percentage.

"He's just not healthy enough to play at this time," said general manager Joel Lomurno, who has taken a more active role in roster matters since Brent Bilodeau was fired as coach last week. "He's still sore, and when he got sick at the beginning of the season, that kind of threw off his rehab. He lost weight, and he hasn't been able to get it back."

Boron last played on Oct. 30, when he gave up six goals in the Thunder's loss to Missouri. Last season, Boron was outstanding, posting a 2.59 GAA and a .926 saves percentage.

"We have to have two goalies available at a minute's notice, and right now we don't," Lomurno said. "It's definitely a concern, but it's been a concern for a few weeks now. I just wish we would have had a solution in place a couple weeks ago."

SLAPSHOTS

* Bilodeau didn't return a call seeking comment when he was fired on Thursday. A day later, he still didn't want to say much about his dismissal. "I wish the team luck," he said. Bilodeau said he plans to stay in hockey.

* Lomurno said about 15 people have shown interest in the vacancy. "Like I've said before, there's no reason to rush right now," Lomurno said. "I want to wait for the dust to settle, get some normalcy around here and see how things are going." Veteran Jason Duda is interim coach while he is on injured reserve.

* An MRI on Mike Batovanja's knee revealed what Lomurno described as a "minor" injury. In a decision that will surprise no one, Batovanja elected to try to play through the injury rather than have surgery.

* Former Thunder player Brent Sapergia went national recently. Sapergia, president, general and interim coach of the expansion Louisiana IceGators, got his 15 minutes by tossing a Gatorade bucket, medical kit and hockey sticks on the ice to protest a no-call during a game. Video of the tirade was shown on "Good Morning America." And a clip can found on YouTube titled Sapergia Goes Nuts. "No one got hurt," he told Yahoo Sports. "No one got injured. If there's a black eye, I guess it's me looking like a loon."

* Continuing to look for a combination that might lift the team out of last place, the Thunder has added defenseman Kevin Truelson and forward Jason Deleurme.

* Injured defenseman Chris Kovalcik, who had 24 major penalties last season, is expected to play on Friday.

PLUS

Heading into Tuesday's games, Jim Jorgensen was the Thunder's only defenseman with a positive plus-minus (+3).

MINUS

Marc Belanger had three power-play goals before Tuesday's game. No other player had more than one.

TAP OF THE STICK

During a game last Wednesday, veteran Jason Duda delivered a jersey to a young Thunder fan in the stands on her birthday. He later returned to sign it.

DEFINING DIGIT

481:04

Number of minutes played by rookie goalie Scott Campbell entering last night's game at Tulsa. Campbell was fifth in the CHL in minutes.

HE SAID IT

"It was fun to watch this team. Obviously, I understand we didn't win, but we certainly saw more out of the guys."

—Lomurno after the team's losses at Missouri over the weekend