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Griffins Continue Run by Blasting Rampage, 5-0

January 23, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Grand Rapids Rampage News Release


Grand Rapids, Mich. - For the first time in seven January home games, the Griffins were not paid time-and-a-half on Friday, instead earning a 5-0 victory over the San Antonio Rampage at Van Andel Arena.

Grand Rapids, which extended its unbeaten streak to a season-high nine games (6-0-3-0), had gone to overtime in each of its first six home games during the new year. But a brilliant 26-save performance by Joey MacDonald and a five-goal outburst during the game's latter half, sparked by Jiri Hudler's three-point effort, ensured that an extra session would not be needed on this night.

The Griffins (26-12-7-0), who increased their unbeaten streak on home ice to seven games (4-0-3-0), will conclude their season-high six-game home stand on Saturday with a 7:30 p.m. visit by the Cleveland Barons.

The game was scoreless until deep into the second period, with a combined 34 shots being thwarted until the Griffins connected on their 14th of the night. Set up in the Rampage zone during a power play, Michel Picard skated between the circles and dished the puck to Jeff Nelson, whose one-timer from the right faceoff dot beat Travis Scott at 15:50.

Grand Rapids pushed its advantage to 2-0 only 27 seconds into the final period. Just after a Griffins power play expired, Hudler found Kory Karlander alone in the slot, and Karlander blasted a shot past the helpless Rampage netminder.

Hudler made it a three-goal lead at the 2:47 mark, taking a long cross-ice pass from Kevin Miller and firing a slapshot that nicked off Scott and fell just over the line inside the right post. The AHL All-Star capped off his prolific night minutes later by sending a pass into the right circle to Danny Groulx, who snuck a shot just under the crossbar at 5:16. That goal, the Griffins' fourth in a span of seven shots, sent Scott packing in favor of Marco Emond, who made his first AHL appearance of the season. Emond, who surrendered a goal to Matt Ellis with 20 seconds left, finished with nine saves, while Scott made 16 stops in suffering the loss for the Rampage (17-17-6-0).

The Griffins now lead the entire AHL with 26 wins, 59 points and a 0.656 winning percentage, overtaking Bridgeport (0.651) in the third category this evening.

MacDonald's shutout, his first of the season and fourth as a Griffin, moved him into a tie for fourth place on the team's career shutout list alongside current NHL netminders Jani Hurme and Martin Prusek. View this game's official box score on-line at griffinshockey.com.

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