Monday, December 30, 2013

Ice Demons solidify playoff chances with Saturday night win over Rampage

If the Prince Rupert Rampage plan on making a push for the playoffs, it's going to have to be by way of a New Year's resolution, Saturday night the Rampage put the wrap on December suffering a 7-4 loss to the Kitimat Ice Demons in front of 580 fans at the Tamitik Arena.

The Rampage matched the Ice Demons goal for goal in the first, as Greg Sheppard picked up the first Rampage goal of the night at 2:20 of the first period with an assist going to Justin Fontaine, that marker  would even up the tally one minute after the Ice Demons had taken the lead in the opening frame.

The 1-1 score would hold until two minutes of the second period, when Kitimat took the lead again, only to be marked at 3:14 of the second by the Rampage with a Josh Kierce goal, assisted once again by Fontaine.

The Ice Demons found their stride in the second however, picking up two more goals, taking a 4-2 lead into the third period. Laving the Rampage but twenty minutes to work on a comeback.

Prince Rupert came out fast in the final period, chipping away at the lead with  Jared Meers goal at 3:05, assisted by Justin Fontaine once again, picking up his third point on the night.

The Ice Demons took that one back at 6:34, only to see the Rampage once again storm the Kitimat end of the ice for what would be their final goal of the night at 7:49, as Jared Andreeson picked up the fourth marker for the Rampage with assists going to Greg Sheppard and Travis Helland.

The Ice Demons iced the game away with two more goals, thirty seconds apart at the thirteen minute mark. Securing the 7-4 victory and jumping further up the CIHL West standings into a first place tie with Terrace while they did.

Prince Rupert's Warren Hansen took the loss in the Rampage nets, making 38 saves on 45 shots, while the Rampage directed 28 shots at Kitimat's Brett Vilness, finding the range on four of them on the night.

For the most part the game was a fairly peaceful affair, with only six penalties called on the night, four of them assessed to the Rampage.

The summary of the night's action can be found here.

With the loss, the Rampage remain in last place in the West, two points behind the Houston Luckies in fourth, but having played two games more so far in the CIHL season.

To make a run for the playoffs, the Rampage will need to make a run on the table and hope for a little assistance to leap over the Luckies for a fourth place finish.

Towards that goal, Prince Rupert has four games left on their schedule. The Rampage make their January push starting on Friday night when they host the first of a back to back series agains the River Kings, puck drop Friday night is at 8 PM at the Jim Ciccone Civic Centre.

The Rampage take to the road on Saturday for the book end game at the Terrace Arena.

You can review our past items on the Rampage from our Scores/Results page and our CIHL News archives.

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