AHL San Antonio Rampage

Rampage Top IceHogs 3-2 before 7,427

March 28, 2009 - American Hockey League (AHL)
San Antonio Rampage News Release


SAN ANTONIO - Joel Perrault scored the game-winning goal leading San Antonio to their third straight win downing Rockford 3-2 on Saturday night at the AT&T Center in front of 7,427 fans.

With a packed house for Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Night, the Rampage gave the home crowd something else to cheer for when David Schlemko scored just 2:16 into the game. Schlemko picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone, weaved his way into the offensive zone and blistered his sixth goal of the season high stick-side past Rockford goalie Corey Crawford.

Crawford got his sixth start in as many games versus the Rampage. He entered the game 3-2 with a 0.940 save percentage while allowing just 1.98 goals per game against San Antonio.

But the Rampage, red-hot winning four of their last five, met their average eleven minutes into the first. Coming off a power-play, the Rampage continued to control the puck in the offensive zone where David Spina went from behind the net up the left wall feeding Joel Perrault. Then Kevin Porter took the pass with space and sent a slap shot beating Crawford high glove-side for a 2-0 Rampage lead at the 10:48 mark.

Rockford, fighting to hold onto fourth place and a playoff spot in the West, got only four shots on goal in the first period, but took advantage of their first power play of the night. Danny Groulx deposited his sixth goal of the season from outside the left circle at 11:44 to close the gap to 2-1.

In the second, the IceHogs looked to knot the game at two apiece when Tim Brent led a two-on-one rush. Pascal Pelletier tipped in the game-tying goal 4:56 into the period, but dislodged the cage as the puck crossed the goal line. Referee Nygel Pelletier, however, disallowed the goal instead charging Dylan Reese with an interference penalty.

San Antonio would fend off the power play chance and extend their lead when Perrault scored in his third straight taking a feed from Spina in the neutral zone and leading his own two-on-one charge. Perrault faked the cross-ice pass to Steven Goertzen and sent a sniper-like shot high glove-side past Crawford for a 3-1 lead at the 12:37 mark.

The Rampage took that lead into the third where they are 24-2-1-2 when leading after two periods.

The Rampage looked to get a three-goal advantage when Spina got loose in the slot and powered a shot through the guard of Crawford, which slowly trickled by him toward the goal line. The puck, however, went just wide of the frame and San Antonio could not extend their lead.

Later, the IceHogs cut it back to a one-goal game with their second power-play goal of the night. Rob Klinkhammer worked the puck off the boards from behind the net to Jack Skille. Skille centered across the crease to Tyler Mosienko on the backdoor for a power-play goal at 8:35 and a 3-2 game.

The IceHogs would be unable to get the tying tally as Rampage goalie Karl Goehring closed the door stopping 22 of 24 shots to earn his third straight win. It was also the third straight win for the Rampage who won those contests on consecutive nights in three different states.

The Rampage get a few days off before their next contest when they host Iowa for a weekend doubleheader. Friday is a 99.5 KISS Rocks Dollar Drink Night with $1 draft beers and fountain drinks. Saturday is an Express News Value Night where a game ticket, hot dog, bag of chips and drink is only $15.

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American Hockey League Stories from March 28, 2009


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