Chops playoff dreams end with 1-0 shutout loss
April 5, 2009 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Iowa Chops News Release
The Iowa Chops will miss the 2009 Calder Cup Playoffs this season. Thanks to another shutout win by the San Antonio Rampage, their second straight over the Iowa Chops, the Chops loss means they are mathmatically elimated from playoff contention. The loss marked the 8th time this season the Chops have been shutout. Chops goalie JP Levasseur played his best game of the season and gave his team a chance to win with 35 saves, but a Rampage goal with 2:50 to go in the game off a Chops turnover, sealed the Chops fate.
The Chops started the 1st period with two penalty kills early on, but they powered through them. They even got some shots on net, including a fancy chance by T.J. Trevelyan. Neither team was able to notch a goal in the first, leaving the second period up for grabs.
The Chops had four power play advantages in the second stanza, the Rampage stopping all four, with help from a hot netminder in Josh Tordjman. The power play units for both teams continue to be puzzled by the crafty goalies at the other end. Neither goalie yielded to the offensive powers-that-be in the period, with Levasseur putting up 14 saves compared to Tordjman's 11.
A scoreless two periods opened up for a tense third for the Chops, who really needed the win. J.P. Levasseur played on his head the entire period, despite many scoring chances for the Rampage. The Chops had two penalties to deal with in the period, both called on Petteri Wirtanen. Wirtanen's second penalty, for interference, led to a four-on-four game on the ice. Rampage winger David Spina found a streaking Joel Perrault off a Chops turnover at center ice, and fed him the puck. This led to a breakaway for Perrault after he got past Levasseur and fired it into the net for the Rampage's first goal, the only goal scored in the game. The Chops pulled out every last stop in the dying minutes, putting up a flurry of chances with Levasseur pulled, but it wasn't meant to be, and the Chops dropped their second game in as many nights on Saturday to the Rampage.
With the Chops playoff hopes gone, they now will face-off in their final two games of the year in a home and home series against the Quad City Flames next weekend. The final Iowa Chops home game of the year will be on Saturday, April 11th at 7:05pm at the Wells Fargo Arena. For tickets and more information call 515-564-8700 or for tickets visit www.iowachopstickets.com
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