Wolverines take Overtime thriller over Rampage in Hazelton

The CIHL's top scorer provided a bit of a clinic on Saturday as to how he reached such lofty heights so far in this 2023-24 season, with Hazelton's Tanner Wort making his mark on the score sheet three times on the night.

But it was his last goal of the game that proved to be the most important one, an Overtime marker just 48 seconds into the extra frame that gave the hometown Wolverines a key 6-5 victory over the Prince Rupert Rampage making for a very tight CIHL west as the teams skate towards the Christmas break. 

The Rhino's found the going tough right from the get go at the Upper Skeena Recreation Centre, the hosts out to a two goal lead by the mid point of period one.

The Rampage finally found the twine at the back of the Wolverine net at that 10:28 mark with Judd Repole opening up the scoring for the visitors with an assist for Braden McAmmond.

Just nine seconds later Hunter Johnson had the first of his two goals for the period, that coming from a helper by Repole.

The Rampage had their Wolverines on their back skate to round out period one, with Johnson once again to the score sheet at 14:43 an assist for Tyler Matalone.

Period Two was for the most part all Wolverines as they found the range three times on the period, the Rampage answering only once, with a  Jean Luc Rendell-Fournier goal at 9:10, the assist going to Reid Lindsay. 

The middle frame a damaging one however with the Wolverines taking charge and holding 5-4 advantage going into the final frame.

A strong period of push back from the Rhinos was rewarded late in the third, when Tyler Ostrom pulled the Rampage even at 5, the assists on the game tying goal going to Reid Lindsay and Judd Repole. 

That would be the only goal of the period setting up the Overtime to come, a short lived affair of extra time with Wort sending the home crowd out the doors in good mood with his OT winner.

As has been the case in the past whenever the two teams get together, the night was a rough one, with the penalty time served building up as the game progressed.

Overall, the visiting Rampage served 14 minutes on seven penalty calls, the Wolverines snarled a bit more on the night, with 18 minutes time served on 9 penalty calls.

Kieran Sharpe took the loss in the Rhino nets, Keano Wilson claimed the Wolverine. victory.

The Full Game scoresheet can be reviewed here.

With the Overtime Loss, the Rampage picked up one point for their travels to Hazelton that provides them with a three point  lead in the CIHL West, just one point behind Williams Lake in the quest for top spot of the CIHL Standings.

Tanner Wort's big night kept him atop the Scoring leaders for the season to date, but not too far off his pace is Prince Rupert's Judd Repole, the Rampage play maker and sniper just three points off the pace of the CIHL's top dog.

Repole is one of three Rampage players in the upper tier of the CIHL scoring race as the Christmas break period gets close.

The Rampage continue with their extended road travels of December on the upcoming weekend, when they head to Kitimat for a Friday night match up with the Ice Demons.

While it's been a while since Rampage fans have had a chance to cheer the team on at the Jim, the wait is almost over, the team noting of their December 22nd match up with Kitimat which will be the launch of their annual Rampage fights Cancer program.

More on the preparations for that game can be reviewed here.

Follow the Rampage Social media stream for more notes on the team as they put the wrap on the first part of the CIHL season.

A wider overview of the CIHL season to date can be explored through our archive page.