AHL San Antonio Rampage

Rampage romp Rivermen in front of record crowd

Published on March 30, 2008 under American Hockey League (AHL)
San Antonio Rampage News Release


SAN ANTONIO - The San Antonio Rampage paddled the Peoria Rivermen with a 6-0 shutout in front of an AT&T Center crowd of 9,019-the largest crowd this season.

In his second consecutive start, Al Montoya recorded his first shutout with the Rampage, making 31 saves, and Mike Zigomanis notched his second-straight three-point night. Montoya's efforts gave the Rampage their fourth whitewash of the season.

Chris Durno energized the Rampage's Military Appreciation Night crowd with a power-play goal that saw the puck ricochet off a Rivemen's skate. The Rampage have only five regulation losses (24-5-2-3) in the 34 games they have tallied the opening goal.

Then the Rampage busted Peoria's levee.

With the clock ticking down on the opening period, Matt Murley stole the puck behind Peoria's cage. He reached his stick out and poked a pass to Cam Paddock just above the left goal-line. Paddock hit David Spina in stride with a centering pass in the slot and the Arizona native knocked a wrister through with just 17.5 seconds remaining the period, his second of three points in the game. The goal was Spina's 16th of the year, a new career-high. Murley tied a career-high with his 37th assist, moving him into the franchise's Top 10 list.

Halfway through the second period, Jon DiSalvatore netted a power-play goal in his return from a six-game absence to put the Rampage up 3-0. Bill Thomas poured it on with a fabulous goal featuring a couple of nice dekes on Zigomanis' third assist of the night. Zigomanis has 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in his last 11 games, and has registered at least a point in 10 of 11. He has four multiple-point games in the last month.

Murley made it a two-point night with a short-handed goal on an empty net at the 11:18 mark of the third period. Sean Sullivan picked up the assist in his second game back since an injury.

Durno knocked through his second goal of the night with 5:03 left. Spina tallied his third point of the night with the helper and Montoya showed he could do it all, picking up an assist.

The Rampage scored two goals in every period Saturday night and put all 10 of their goals in the two-game set with Peoria on the board in the last five periods played. The Rampage lead the league with 90 third-period goals and have outscored opponents by 20 in the final 20 minutes.

Pete Vandermeer played in his 700th professional game, one night after teammate Travis Roche took part in his 400th American Hockey League contest. Durno set a career-high with his first goal and now has 22 for the season. He also leads the team with 15 multiple-point games.

The Rampage have 10 goals in the last two games, and are now a win behind Rockford for second-place in the AHL West Division with a game in hand on the IceHogs. The teams will meet Apr. 5, following a two-game set with the Milwaukee Admirals at the AT&T Center beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Milwaukee is tied with Houston for the fourth spot in the West, just a point behind the Rampage and three behind Rockford.

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American Hockey League Stories from March 30, 2008


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