Rampage Earn Wild OT Win in Milwaukee

February 27, 2020 - American Hockey League (AHL)
San Antonio Rampage News Release

MILWAUKEE, WI - Nolan Stevens buried a Joey LaLeggia feed at 3:36 of overtime to cap a wild Wednesday night at Panther Arena, as the San Antonio Rampage (22-21-12) skated to a 5-4 win over the Milwaukee Admirals (37-12-8) to earn their third straight victory and move to within a point of the final playoff spot in the Central Division.

LaLeggia and Jake Walman each posted three-point nights, while goaltender Adam Wilcox made 25 saves for his eighth win of the season.

After he had been stopped on a breakaway earlier in overtime by Admirals goaltender Troy Grosenick, LaLeggia carried the puck into the Milwaukee zone on the right wing, LaLeggia slid a pass across to Stevens driving the left post, and Stevens tapped in his ninth goal of the season for a Rampage win.

It was Stevens' second career overtime winner.

The Rampage held a 2-0 lead at the end of the first two periods. LaLeggia opened the scoring at 7:17 of the first period, wiring a one-timer from the right face-off dot off an Austin Poganski set-up. At 13:15 of the second period, Jordan Nolan redirected a Derrick Pouliot power play wrister past Grosenick for his eighth.

The power play goal for San Antonio was their fourth in the last three games and snapped a streak of 29 consecutive penalties killed by the Admirals.

In the third period, four goals were scored in a span of 1:54 to turn a 2-0 Rampage lead into a 3-3 hockey game.

Cole Schneider got the Admirals on the board at 4:59 of the third, redirecting a Jeremy Davies shot for his 16th of the year. Just 17 seconds later, Walman beat Grosenick under the glove with a wrist shot from the left wing, his eighth of the year making it 3-1 Rampage.

The Admirals struck back again at 6:02 when Frederick Gaudreau tucked in the rebound of an Eeli Tolvanen shot for his 11th goal. Just 51 seconds later, Matt Donovan drifted to the slot for a backhander past Wilcox, his fifth of the year tying the game 3-3.

Alexey Toropchenko put the Rampage back in front at 11:50 of the third period. Walman's shot from the left point was stopped, but Toropchenko popped the rebound under Grosenick's blocker for his fifth of the year and a 4-3 Rampage lead.

The goal was Toropchenko's first point against a team other than the Texas Stars.

Tolvanen tied the score 1:23 later, working a give-and-go with Gaudreau at the Rampage line and beating Wilcox from the left wing to force overtime.

Stevens' overtime winner gave the Rampage their second win of the season in the 3-on-3 overtime, and their third win this season beyond regulation. San Antonio has won three straight games for the first time since winning their first three games of the season to start 3-0-0 from Oct. 4-11.

The Rampage finished the Rodeo Road Trip 6-3-1 and now sit one point behind the Rockford IceHogs and Chicago Wolves for the final playoff spot in the division. San Antonio has three games in hand on Rockford and one on Chicago.

The Rampage return home to face the Grand Rapids Griffins at the AT&T Center on Friday, their first home game since Jan. 31. Puck-drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on FOX Sports Southwest, as well as broadcast on Ticket 760 and streamed on AHLTV.

The 2019-20 season is presented by H-E-B.

RAMPAGE STATS:

Goals: LaLeggia (6); Nolan (8); Walman (8); Toropchenko (5); Stevens (9)

Adam Wilcox: 25 saves on 29 shots

Power Play: 1-for-4

Penalty Kill: 1-for-1

THREE STARS:

1) Matt Donovan - MIL

2) Jake Walman - SA

3) Frederick Gaudreau - MIL

Jake Walman of the San Antonio Rampage (Milwaukee Admirals)

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