Rampage Fall In Shootout to OKC

OKLAHOMA CITY (December 28, 2012) -- The San Antonio Rampage (11-17-0-4) pushed the Oklahoma City Barons (16-10-1-3) to a shootout but could only secure one point in the standings as they fell, 3-2, in a shootout Friday night in Oklahoma City.

Rampage goaltender Jacob Markstrom made a season-high 42 saves but couldn’t come out on top in the shootout, allowing two goals off four shooters.  Markstrom made several outstanding saves on the night, including several stops when the AHL’s best power-play unit had a 5-on-3 man advantage late in the third period.

Markstrom established himself early in the game and stopped all 14 shots the Barons threw on the net in the first period. The Rampage were unable to solve Barons netminder Olivier Roy and the two teams went into the first intermission scoreless.

Markstrom faced Taylor Hall, who is tied atop the AHL scoring charts, on a two-on-one early in the second period. Hall fired his shot low, but Markstrom stretched out to deny him with his left pad. The save put momentum on San Antonio’s side and the visitors cashed in first shortly thereafter.

Rampage forward Casey Wellman broke into the Oklahoma City zone with Drew Shore, and after a quick exchange of passes Wellman fired it past Barons goaltender Oliver Roy at 1:44 of the second period.

Jared Gomes extended San Antonio’s lead to 2-0 at 9:22 of the second period when he joined Jonathan Hazen on a rush up the ice. Roy stopped Hazen’s shot, but could not stop Gomes, who buried the rebound to make it 2-0 San Antonio.

Oklahoma City managed to catch Markstrom off guard with a last second goal on the power play. Markstrom made the initial saves, but the rebound found its way to Teemu Hartikainen in the confusion and he snuck it past the Rampage netminder. The goal went to review to assure that time had not run out in the second period and after a short conference it was determined to be a good goal. 

The Barons took that momentum into the third period and tied the game at 4:53 of the frame. Hall powered to the net and tucked the puck between his skates before sliding it to the crease where Mark Arcobello slipped it past Markstrom to make it, 2-2.

The score remained tied through most of the third period but a set of penalties in the final two minutes of the frame set the table for a heroic effort by the Rampage penalty killers to close out the game. With the Barons bearing down on them, San Antonio killed off the penalties to earn at least a point in the standings.

In overtime San Antonio failed to convert on a power play of their own, sending the game to a shootout. James Wright scored for the Silver & Black but Magnus Paajarvi and Eberle managed to beat Markstrom to win it for the Barons.

San Antonio held the AHL’s best power play to 1-for-6 on the night while the Rampage ended the game 0-for-5. The Barons won the shot battle, 45-34, on the night and snapped San Antonio’s three-game streak of outshooting their opponents.

San Antonio has dropped their first four games of the season against the Barons at Cox Convention Center (0-3-0-1) and are yet to secure a victory against a divisional foe (0-6-0-1) away from AT&T Center.

The Rampage will now return to the AT&T Center for their final two home games of the calendar year starting with a 7:30 p.m. faceoff with the Houston Aeros on Saturday for a KZEP Dollar Drink Night. The Herd will wrap up 2012 with and Express-News Sunday Funday tilt with the division leading Charlotte Checkers at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Individual, and season, tickets start at $10 and can be purchased at the AT&T Center Southeast Box Office, by calling a Rampage representative at 210-444-5554 or online at sarampage.com