AHL Cleveland Monsters

Monsters top Rampage 5-1 on Wednesday

Published on January 21, 2009 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Cleveland Monsters News Release


SAN ANTONIO (January 21, 2009) - Wyatt Smith's power-play goal in the third period helped San Antonio avoid the shutout, but not the loss as Lake Erie stormed the AT&T Center for a 5-1 win. San Antonio fired a franchise record 52 shots on goal, but were stopped in a bid to even their record on home ice at .500.

The Rampage rang in the New Year with a 6-2 win over Lake Erie behind David Spina's first career hat trick, but it was the Monsters who got things going early. Mark McCutcheon took the puck along the right wall, skated across the red line to the near post and centered across the crease to Bryan Marshall who beat Al Montoya low stick side for a 1-0 Lake Erie lead 6:38 into the game.

Things didn't get easier when Matt Hendricks intercepted a pass in the San Antonio defensive zone and found Philippe Dupuis at the doorstep for a backhander past Montoya with 58.7 seconds in the period to give Lake Erie a 2-0 lead after two frames.

Things got physical in the second and San Antonio had a two-on-one shorthanded opportunity denied by Monsters goalie Jason Bacashihua. Under fire through the first thirty-two and a half minutes of play, Bacashihua stoned all 30 attempts including a Chad Kolarik wrister that left Bacashihua sprawled out face-first to the ice. He would leave the game and be replaced by Tyler Weiman.

With 4:49 left in the second, Ryan Lannon's slashing call on T.J. Galiaridi gave the Monsters a chance for an insurance goal, but Montoya turned away Galiaridi's penalty shot.

Early in the third, Dupuis danced through the right circle and fired a shot off the chest of Montoya, and then Hendricks deposited the rebound into the net for his first goal in Lake Erie and a 3-0 Monsters' advantage. Later in the third, Tom Fritsche's slap shot from the left circle made it 4-0 before Smith scored his 10th of the season with 3:48 remaining in the game. Smith's goal gave him three power-play tallies in the last two games and goals in three straight.

Alexander Nikulin made a nice backhanded pass in the left circle to Smith skating trail through the slot for the one-timer that got past Weiman. Chris Mueller added an empty netter with a minute and a half remaining and Lake Erie ended the Rampage two-game home winning streak with the 5-1 win.

San Antonio's 52 shots-on-goal was a franchise record for shots in regulation. San Antonio got off 53 shots in a 3-2 overtime win April 2, 2008 versus Milwaukee.

The Rampage are in the midst of playing five games in seven days and are 2-1 during that stretch with games in Milwaukee on Friday and in Iowa on Saturday. San Antonio has won three straight on the road and is 5-2 in their last seven road contests.

The Rampage are now 18-27-0-1 on the season.

After the weekend road trip, the Rampage return home for games next Thursday and Friday before embarking on a 26-day, 13 game road trip beginning in Worcester next Saturday.

SINGLE GAME TICKETS

For Rampage single game ticket information, please call 210.444.5554 or visit www.sarampage.com.

Individual tickets range in price from $9.50 to $40 and can be purchased at all Ticketmaster Ticket Center locations, charge by phone at (210) 225-TEAM, online at ticketmaster.com or sarampage.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the AT&T Center Southeast Box Office from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and starting at 10 a.m. on weekend event days.

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American Hockey League Stories from January 21, 2009


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