The San Antonio Rampage saw their losing streak grow to four games after falling 3-2 to the Toronto Marlies on Friday. The Silver and Black bounced back with a pair of victories over the Oklahoma City Barons to get back on the right side of the .500 mark at 7-6.
The Marlies dropped the Rampage below .500 with a 3-2 win in San Antonio. Shane O’Brien gave the Silver and Black a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal just 2:06 into the opening period. Steven Kampfer and Brett Olson drew the assists on O’Brien’s third of the season. Toronto tied the game with a power-play tally of their own 1:42 later, when Trevor Smith beat Dan Ellis. Andrew Yogan, back from ECHL Cincinnati, gave the Rampage the lead back in the second, scoring his first from Ryan Martindale at the 6:42 mark. Tom Nilsson and Connor Brown scored just 83 seconds apart early in the third period to power the Marlies to the win. Christopher Gibson made 40 saves to post the win, while Ellis finished with 23 stops for San Antonio.
San Antonio wrapped up their four-game homestand with a 3-1 win over the Barons on Sunday. Bobby Butler lit the lamp just 59 seconds into the game, from Garrett Wilson and Drew Shore, to get the Silver and Black off to a fast start. Steven Kampfer scored a second period power-play marker to make it 2-0. Wilson combined with Shane O’Brien to set up the goal. Butler notched his second of the game, and sixth of the season, into an empty net at 17:44 to extend San Antonio’s lead to 3-0. Wilson got his third helper of the night and Blake Parlett picked up the secondary assist. Ryan Hamilton ended Dan Ellis’ shutout bid with a power-play goal with just 17 ticks left on the clock. Ellis finished with 20 saves to get the win. Laurent Brossoit got tagged with loss, stopping 30 of 32 San Antonio shots.
The teams met again on Tuesday in Oklahoma City with the Rampage pulling out a 3-2 shootout victory. Steven Kampfer scored, from Bobby Butler and Garrett Wilson, 30 seconds in to stake the Rampage to a 1-0 lead. Will Acton got the equalizer at 13:01 of the first period. Connor Brickley notched his fourth goal three minutes later to restore San Antonio’s one-goal lead. Steven Hodges and Logan Shaw collected the helpers on the even-strength tally. OKC’s Luke Gadzic tied the game at two midway through the second period. After a scoreless third and overtime, Rocco Grimaldi, just back from the parent Panthers, converted in the first round of the shootout to provide the game-winner. Dan Ellis stopped all three Barons’ attempts in the skills competition and finished the game with 26 stops. Richard Bachman made 36 saves and got tagged with the loss.
The Rampage will host a pair on Friday and Saturday versus the Charlotte Checkers before OKC visits on Tuesday.
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