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Rampage return home with victory

October 17, 2009 - American Hockey League (AHL) San Antonio Rampage

SAN ANTONIO, TX - After completing a five-game road trip last night in Houston, the Rampage returned home to the Alamo City on Saturday night with their scoring touch in hand, defeating the visiting Grand Rapids Griffins by a 7-4 score at the AT&T Center. On an evening designated "Faith Night, " with large groups from various San Antonio parishes on hand for the game and a post-game testimonial by Spurs legend Bruce Bowen, the Rampage players displayed perpetual faith in one another, warding off a late Grand Rapids charge to earn their fifth victory of the season.

San Antonio wasted little time before finding the scoreboard, scoring their first goal only 19 seconds after the opening faceoff. Rampage left wing Jeff Hoggan ignited San Antonio's first scoring play by intercepting a clearing attempt by a Griffins defender down low in the Grand Rapids zone. Recognizing the presence of traffic in front of the Grand Rapids net, Hoggan sent the puck back to defenseman Sean Zimmerman on the right point. Zimmerman immediately fired a slap shot that rebounded off Griffins goaltender Daniel Larsson, where Rampage right wing Troy Bodie was waiting to knock in San Antonio's first goal of the night.

Nearly eight minutes later, at the 9:19 mark of the first, Griffins center Kris Newbury was whistled for a hooking penalty, providing the Rampage with a power play. On the man-advantage, San Antonio gained control of the puck in the Griffins zone with San Antonio left wing Brett MacLean and Rampage center Kyle Turris connecting on multiple point-to-point passes before Turris fired a shot that hit Larsson and fell to the ice. San Antonio left wing Stefan Meyer, waiting on the right post, quickly deposited the puck in the net to increase the Rampage lead to 2-0.

Less than a minute later, the Rampage found themselves on the power play yet again. Controlling the puck in the Griffins zone, San Antonio defenseman Shaun Heshka gained control of the puck on the right point and sent a cross-ice pass over to David Schlemko. Schlemko then found MacLean down low on the left boards. MacLean faked a shot, influencing Larsson to drop to his knees on the left post, and took advantage of Larsson's gamble by deking the Griffins netminder to the right for San Antonio's third goal of the game.

Less than two minutes later, at the 13:09 mark of the first, San Antonio found the back of the net for the fourth time in the first period. After a Rampage dump in, Boedker hit a Griffins defenseman behind the net, forcing a turnover on a failed clearing attempt. Rampage defenseman Sean Sullivan intercepted the puck and found Turris back door, where the San Antonio center was waiting to beat Larsson and increase the Rampage lead to 4-0.

Ten seconds later, San Antonio center Joel Perrault intercepted a pass at Grand Rapids blue line, leading to a two-on-one with MacLean. Recognizing MacLean's increasing speed down the left side of the ice, Perrault sent a pass from the right side through the stick of the Griffins defenseman, where MacLean was waiting to rifle the puck past Larsson to give San Antonio its fifth goal in the first period.

Following MacLean's goal, Grand Rapids switched goaltenders as Detroit's 2008 first round draft pick, Thomas McCollum, relieved Larsson, who had surrendered five San Antonio first period goals.

Grand Rapids would find the scoreboard at the 16:19 mark of the first, when Griffins left wing Dick Axelsson received a pass from Grand Rapids defenseman Cory Emmerton and beat Tordjman on his backhand to close the deficit to 5-1.

However, the Rampage were not finished with their opening stanza scoring barrage, as Mikkel Boedker received a pass on the right faceoff circle from left wing Matt Beleskey, fired a slap shot high off the left post and into the net past McCollum to provide San Antonio with a 6-1 lead. Boedker's goal at the 16:37 mark of the first helped San Antonio set a franchise record for most goals in a single period. San Antonio is the first AHL team to score as many as six goals in the first period of a game since Dec. 26, 2005 (WBS scored 7 vs. HER, 8-1 win).

After a whirlwind first period, the second period would not be void of drama as Grand Rapids would net three goals to bring the Griffins back into contention.

Following a Rampage turnover in the neutral zone, Griffins center Kris Newbury carried the puck into the San Antonio zone and immediately fired a slap shot from the top of the left circle, off Tordjman's glove, to close the deficit to 6-2 at the 2:54 mark.

The Griffins would close the deficit further at the 5:00 off a faceoff when Grand Rapids center John Vigilante won a draw and dropped the puck to at the top of the left circle to Griffins defenseman Doug Janik. Janik then found Grand Rapids left wing Mike Walsh, who fired a shot off Tordjman's stick that bounced past the San Antonio netminder into the goal.

To follow the Hollywood-like script of the game to that point, the Griffins would add to their quick and dramatic comeback by scoring yet again at the 9:47 mark of the second, when Grand Rapids left wing Mattias Ritola found Jamie Tardif streaking up the ice and split two Rampage defenders with a pass to Tardif, who was waiting in the right slot to one-time the puck past Tordjman and close the deficit to 6-4. However, this was as close as the Griffins would get in the hockey game.

Despite vigilant efforts by the Griffins to threaten the Rampage lead, it would be San Antonio who earned the final period's only goal. Sean Sullivan knocked the puck away from Griffins defenseman and passed to MacLean who missed a shot, with the rebound landing behind the Griffins net, where Perrault gained control and wrapped the puck around the net, beating McCollum for his third goal of the game.

With the win, San Antonio improved to 5-1-1-0, while Grand Rapids fell to 1-3-0-0. The two clubs will face off once again in a 3 p.m. matinee tomorrow at the AT&T Center.

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American Hockey League Stories from October 17, 2009


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