By Jen Sharpe
www.moosehockey.com
Two powerplay goals and a two-point performance from Brad Moran helped Manitoba edge San Antonio 3-2 Wednesday night, extending the club's winning streak to seven games. With 17 saves on 19 shots, rookie goalie Cory Schneider also earned his ninth straight victory.
>> Click to view photos of tonight's game.
>> Click here to see official scorer's sheet
First Period
With Al Montoya backstopping the visiting net, San Antonio started strong at the opposite end of the ice by firing three shots on Moose goalie Cory Schneider before Manitoba registered their first attempt. By the 10-minute mark, both clubs had tallied four shots leading into the first penalty of the game, a hooking minor to San Antonio's Mike Zigomanis.
51 seconds into the man-advantage, one of Manitoba's newest acquisitions, Mark Derlago, wired the puck across to defenceman Shaun Heshka at the center of the near face-off circle, who fired it behind Montoya to put the Moose up 1-0.
The club carried their one-goal lead and a 7-7 deadlock on the shot-clock through to the end of the first period.
Second Period
Three minutes into the second period, Moose defender Nolan Baumgartner took a hooking penalty and offered the Rampage their first powerplay of the game. Manitoba's penalty killers limited San Antonio to one shot, however, and the home team continued to stay up by one.
The Moose and Rampage traded powerplays through the latter half of the second, and though Manitoba couldn't tally a second powerplay goal, San Antonio found their own man-advantage marker. With Derlago serving a hooking penalty, the Rampage set up in the Moose zone and smothered Schneider. The rookie goalie stopped an initial shot but Peter Vandermeer found the rebound and slipped it into the net to tie the game at one.
The goal spoiled eight straight games of perfect penalty killing for the Moose, but the club's powerplay unit was quick to pick up the slack. In the period's dying minutes, a third Manitoba man-advantage pushed Colby Genoway and Michael Grabner up the right wing. Grabner caught a piece of Genoway's shot from the top of the face-off circle which fooled Montoya and renewed Manitoba's lead heading into the final frame.
Third Period
Early in the third, the Moose extended their lead with the first even-strength goal of the game. From the mid slot, Danny Groulx's flailing swing at the puck got the disc out to Brad Moran at the corner of the crease. Manitoba's leading scorer tucked the puck around Montoya's reaching right pad to put the Moose up 3-1.
A fight between enforcers (and former teammates) Mike Brown and Adam Keefe ushered in four combined penalties in the first half of the third. Despite the infractions, the next goal would also occur during even-strength play, with just under five minutes left on the clock.
As the Rampage closed in on Manitoba's 18 shots, Schneider denied Brendan Bell, but the puck bounced back out into play and onto Zigomanis' stick. The centerman's shot was quicker than the goalie's glove and San Antonio was back within a goal.
Though six Rampage skaters valiantly battled for the equalizer in the final two minutes, good saves and lucky bounces kept the puck out of the net and the Moose extended their winning streak to seven games with a 3-2 victory Wednesday night.
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Moose vs. Rampage Highlights - stream
| SCORING |
1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| San Antonio |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| Manitoba |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
Mar 19, 2008 - MTS Centre FIRST PERIOD:1. Manitoba, S. Heshka (5) (M. Derlago, B. Moran) 10:20 PP Penalties - M. Zigomanis San (hooking) 9:29 SECOND PERIOD:2. San Antonio, P. Vandermeer (2) (R. Caldwell, D. Spina) 15:08 PP 3. Manitoba, M. Grabner (18) (C. Genoway) 19:15 PP Penalties - N. Baumgartner Mtb (hooking) 2:57, L. Stephenson San (holding) 6:24, M. Derlago Mtb (hooking) 13:21, C. Fraser San (interference) 17:26, J. Simek Mtb (interference) 19:38 THIRD PERIOD:4. Manitoba, B. Moran (19) (D. Groulx, J. Hansen) 3:21 5. San Antonio, M. Zigomanis (5) (B. Bell, B. Thomas) 15:11 Penalties - A. Keefe San (fighting) 5:25, M. Brown Mtb (fighting) 5:25, S. Heshka Mtb (slashing) 6:15, D. Rahimi Mtb (high-sticking) 10:34
| SHOTS |
1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| San Antonio |
7 |
6 |
6 |
19 |
| Manitoba |
7 |
6 |
5 |
18 |
POWER PLAYS:San Antonio Rampage 1-5. Manitoba Moose 2-3. GOALTENDERS:San Antonio Rampage Montoya 24-14-3 Start: 1st 0:00 Min: 58:40 SV: 15 GA: 3 [L] Manitoba Moose Schneider 21-12-2 Start: 1st 0:00 Min: 59:47 SV: 17 GA: 2 [W]
Attendance:
7,866
- MTB - Brad Moran
- MTB - Mark Derlago
- SAN - Brendan Bell
- The Moose host the Rampage for a rematch Thursday night before heading back on the road for four games, starting next Tuesday night in Lake Erie.
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Updated: Mar. 19, 2008 at 10:14 PM CDT
