Special Teams Fuel Overtime Defeat for Rampage

February 8, 2019 - American Hockey League (AHL)
San Antonio Rampage News Release

Niko Mikkola of the San Antonio Rampage defends against the Iowa Wild's Mitch McLain
(San Antonio Rampage, Credit: Iowa Wild)

The Wild scored three power play goals and a shorthanded goal in earning their first win over the Rampage this season and their eighth victory in their last nine games at home. The Rampage earned a point with the overtime loss, moving their road record to 4-15-2 on the season.

Trevor Smith, Adam Musil, Niko Mikkola, and Sammy Blais all scored for the Rampage in the loss, while Jared Coreau stopped 26 of 31 shots against while making his 12th consecutive start for San Antonio.

The Wild went to the power play in overtime when Blais was called for hooking while stopping a JT Brown breakaway. On the ensuing power play, Louie Belpedio missed the net with a point shot and the carom off the end boards came back in front of the net. Sokolov slid the puck between Coreau's pads for his tenth goal of the season, and first in 15 games, to complete the comeback for Iowa.

The teams combined for six goals in the second period, with the Rampage claiming a pair of two-goal leads and the Wild battling back to tie the game 4-4 at the end of 40 minutes.

Musil gave the Rampage their first lead at 3:01 of the second period with a right-circle wrist shot past Iowa goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen for his sixth goal of the season and his second goal in the last two games. The goal was immediately followed by a fight between Rampage forward Mark Cooper and Iowa defenseman Hunter Warner. Cooper joined the Rampage on a professional tryout agreement on Friday morning.

The Rampage extended the lead at 3:22 when Austin Poganski fed Mikkola driving the net for his first AHL goal and a 3-1 San Antonio advantage.

Matt Read netted his first of two power play goals at 5:33 of the second period, finishing a feed in the low slot from Michael Kapla to make it 3-2.

Moments after Jordan Nolan rang the post, the Rampage forced a turnover at the Iowa line and Ryan Olsen fed Blais in front. Blais finished his own rebound for his seventh of the year at 9:31 to make it 4-2 Rampage.

Read scored on the power play again at 13:39 of the second on a high-slot deflection of a Kapla pass for his 13th goal of the year. Just 56 seconds later, Gerald Mayhew redirected a Matt Bartkowski shot past Coreau for his 16th of the year to tie the game.

The Wild opened the scoring in the first period with the fourth shorthanded goal surrendered by San Antonio this season. Mitch Reinke fell down at the point on a Rampage power play, sending Colton Beck ahead on a 3-on-1 for a left-wing wrist shot past Coreau to make it 1-0, Beck's 14th of the season.

Smith responded for the Rampage at 18:25 of the first when a Jordan Kyrou rebound bounced off his midsection and over the goal line for Smith's seventh goal of the season.

Kyrou has points in six consecutive games, with two goals and seven points in that stretch.

The Rampage are 4-0-1 against the Wild this season. Their three power play goals against matched the most they have surrendered in a game this season.

San Antonio's one point in the standings kept them within five points of the final playoff spot in the Central Division, currently held by the Rockford IceHogs.

The Rampage and Wild meet again on Saturday night at Wells Fargo Arena, with puck-drop scheduled for 6 p.m. The game is available on the Ticket 760AM and on AHLTV.

RAMPAGE STATS: Goals: Smith (7); Musil (6); Mikkola (1); Blais (7)

Jared Coreau: 26 saves on 31 shots

Power Play: 0-for-3

Penalty Kill: 2-for-5

THREE STARS: 1) Dmitry Sokolov - IA 2) Matt Read - IA 3) Michael Kapla - IA

Niko Mikkola of the San Antonio Rampage defends against the Iowa Wild's Mitch McLain (Iowa Wild)

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