Ice Demons take first two points from 2021 season launch, topping Rampage 7-4 in Saturday season opener

The Prince Rupert Rampage scored first and scored last on Saturday evening, but in the middle, the night belonged to the Kitimat Ice Demons, the visitors coming into the Jim and with a 7-4 decision claimed the fist two points of CIHL hockey in more than a year.

While Attendance has been reduced owing to COVID, the 525 in attendance at a SOLD OUT game made for the volume of noise of a traditional game night in Prince Rupert, but the sound did not deter the Ice Demons from their work, with the seven goals spread out over all three periods.

Jordan Weir goes into the register as the first goal scorer for the season his marker, assisted by Cole Atchison at 5:48 put the Rhinos ahead for close to the the first half of the first period.

However, the Kitimat side would take over the play for much of the next forty minutes, with two goals in the first and three in the middle frame before the Rampage found the twine again, the second goal in the final six minutes of the second period coming off the stick of Tyler Matalone assisted by Justin Brand.

The Ice Demons jumped back on the offence to open the third, with their two final markers on the board before six minutes was up.

Four minutes later Rampage Fans may have been thinking that the oft seen from the past Rhino comeback was about to launch, as Jared Meers teamed up with Kory Movold and Cole Morris for a third goal midway through the final period.

However, the Kitimat squad held their ice, while allowing one final Rampage goal to Jacob Santurbano at 18:28, before shutting down any further thoughts of a comeback, holding to their 7-4 lead to make it the final at the games end.

Kieran Sharpe was in the Rampage nets for the full sixty, facing 31 shots and making 24 saves, Nick Almeida gets the W in the nets, turning aside all but four of the 26 shots he faced on the night.

Penalties on the night were fairly close, with Kitimat facing 8 minutes in the box on four penalty calls, while the Rampage were assessed 3 minor infractions on the night for six minutes.

You can review the Box Score from Saturday's match up here.

Saturday's game featured an observance of Orange Shirt Day movement with a large volume of Orange in the Civic Centre on the evening, commemorating those who died while at Residential Schools and supporting those who survived that time of the nations history. 

As part of the lead up to the observance, the Rampage and their partners at the Port of Prince Rupert were selling shirts by donation with the funds going towards the Indian Residential Schools Survivors Society and the local Friendship House.

The home opener also provided opportunity for the Rampage to celebrate the life of their long time trainer Jules Robinson who passed away earlier this year, with the team celebrating his life as part of the season opener on Saturday night.

The Rampage next see action this coming Saturday when the Hazelton Wolverines pull into the Jim Ciccone Civic Centre, tickets are available through the Rampage Facebook page. with a reminder that there are limited attendance restrictions in place and COVID measures to be aware of for game day.

More notes on the Rampage can be reviewed from our Archive page here, as well as from our Rampage Results page.