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RAMPAGE DOUBLE UP GRIFFINS

Mar 22, 2012
GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 2 at San Antonio Rampage 4

March 22, 2012

SAN ANTONIO –
A second third-period comeback in as many games was not in the cards for the Grand Rapids Griffins, as the team saw its season-high three-game road winning streak come to an end with a 4-2 loss to the San Antonio Rampage on Thursday night at the AT&T Center.

Grand Rapids (29-25-6-4) will continue its four-game road trip with back-to-back games against Oklahoma City on Saturday at 8 p.m. EDT and Sunday at 5 p.m. EDT.

The Griffins connected at 6:28 of the opening period to make the game 1-0. Doug Janik, assigned to Grand Rapids earlier in the day, sent a shot wide that took a fortunate bounce in front of the net, and Brent Raedeke slammed it home for his ninth goal of the season.

San Antonio (34-26-3-2) evened the score at one with a lucky bounce of their own. Bill Thomas centered a pass for Michael Caruso that was just out of his reach, but it banked off the skate of a Griffins defender and back onto Caruso’s stick. The Rampage defenseman made no mistake in sliding the puck into an open net at 8:13.

A pair of second period goals gave San Antonio a 3-1 advantage. Moments after a Bryan Rufenach penalty expired, James Wright tipped a Greg Rallo shot past Tom McCollum to make it 2-1 at 4:43. Rallo struck for a goal of his own, with a slap shot from a sharp angle that beat McCollum at 13:41.

Chris Minard pulled the Griffins within one at 14:30 with his sixth goal in three games against San Antonio. Chris Conner sped down the left wing past a Rampage defender and fed Minard, who waited momentarily to draw Jacob Markstrom out of his net before depositing his 16th goal of the season.

Thomas gave the Rampage the push they needed to hang on for the win at 2:35 of the third period. Thomas collected a pass along the boards from Bracken Kearns and was able to stuff a wraparound attempt past McCollum for his 23rd goal of the season and eighth point in three games against Grand Rapids.

McCollum made 23 saves in the Griffins’ loss, while Markstrom earned the win with 31 saves.

Note: Riley Sheahan, Detroit’s first round pick (21st overall) in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, made his professional debut tonight. The 20-year-old center had 25 points (9-16—25) in 37 games with the University of Notre Dame before signing an amateur tryout with Grand Rapids on Tuesday.

Three Stars: 1. SA Rallo (game-winning goal, assist); 2. SA Thomas (goal, assist); 3. SA Repik (two assists)

Griffins Game Rewind
WOOD Radio Highlights: Raedeke Goal Rallo Goal Minard Goal
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Official Game Report