The San Antonio Rampage won all three games this week to push their winning streak to five games and take the top spot in the AHL’s West Division.
San Antonio claimed the first of a weekend set with the visiting Charlotte Checkers 2-1 in overtime. Drew Shore scored his first goal of the season, from Bobby Butler and Rocco Grimaldi, to give the Silver and Black the win. The power-play goal came at 3:45 of the extra session. South Florida native Andrew Yogan put the Rampage ahead 1-0 with a first period tally. Joe Basaraba and Greg Zanon combined on the assists. Justin Shugg broke Dan Ellis‘ shutout bid with a third period power-play goal to tie the game. Ellis made 30 saves to pick up the win. Charlotte’s Drew MacIntyre turned aside 15 of the 17 shots he faced.
The Rampage took Saturday’s rematch by a 4-3 count Drew Shore opened the scoring at 3:06 of the first period from Rocco Grimaldi and Mark Mancari. The Checkers countered a few minutes later with a shorthanded goal from Greg Nemisz. The Rampage regained the lead midway through the frame on Garrett Wilson‘s power-play goal. Steven Kampfer and Bobby Butler collected the helpers on Wilson’s fifth. San Antonio’s power play clicked again with 38 seconds left in the period. Logan Shaw got the goal with the assists going to Mancari and Shore. After a scoreless second period, Butler scored from Brett Olson and Blake Parlett tp put the Rampage up 4-1. Charlotte rallied with goals from Justin Shugg and Michal Jordan, but Michael Houser would not let them tie the game. Houser finished with 27 saves to post the win, while Drew MacIntrye stopped 36 in a losing effort for Charlotte.
The Silver and Black capped the three-game homestand off with a 4-3 shootout win over Oklahoma City early on Tuesday. The Barons got on the board first when Matthew Ford scored just 2:26 into the opening period. Bobby Butler tied the game with his eighth of the season from Brett Olson and Greg Zanon midway through the frame. San Antonio took the lead late in the period on an unassisted Shane O’Brien goal. Logan Shaw notched a power-play marker late in the second period, with the assists going to Mark Mancari and Alex Petrovic, to put the Rampage up by two. Oklahoma City roared back in the third to force overtime with Ryan Hamilton and Jason Williams getting the goals. In the shootout, Shaw got the winner in the sixth round. Dan Ellis, who finished with 32 saves, stopped Ford to make Shaw’s goal stand up. Drew Shore and Garrett Wilson also scored in the skills competition for San Antonio. Barons’ keeper Richard Bachman took the loss, stopping 31 of 34 shots he faced in 67 minutes of regulation and overtime.
The Rampage have a home and home with their cross-state rival, the Texas Stars, next up on the schedule. The teams will meet tonight in Cedar Park and again on Sunday afternoon in San Antonio.
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