Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

The Paisano

Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

The Paisano

Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

The Paisano

Rookie Trocheck scores two goals, pushes Rampage past Barons

Sports(rampage)-darylsmith

With the Rampage Ice-Girls clad in Halloween costumes to greet the 5,113 fans at the AT&T Center, the San Antonio Rampage (3-5-0-0) gained a 4-2 victory over the Oklahoma City Barons (4-5-0-1) on Saturday, Oct. 26, to avenge their loss Friday night.

As part of their Halloween costume contest night, the Rampage put on an offensive display that had been absent the last few games as rookie forward Vincent Trocheck scored two goals and added an assist in the win.

“We want to move the puck. We want to get it out of the zone,” Rampage head coach Peter Horachek said after the game. “In the past games, we’re not doing what we want; we’re moving the puck too fast or erratically.”

With the Rampage up 3-2, tensions rose during the final period after a fight between Trocheck and Travis Ewanyk resulted in four penalties total on both sides for roughing. But Trocheck would have the final blow. He scored his fifth goal of the season with a minute left in the game on an empty net shot that put the Rampage up 4-2, securing the win and a series spilt for the weekend.

“I’m proud of myself for being good at all aspects of the game. I’m a center man. As a center man you have to [work] both sides of the ice,” Trocheck said. “Today my aim was to get free shots. Whenever you work as a unit like that, you make things happen.”

The first period was highlighted at the 4:39 mark when Rampage right wing Bobby Butler scored a power-play goal following a hooking call on Barons’ center Justin Maylan.

With five minutes left in the first period, the Barons right wing Matthew Ford tied the game at 1-1 on an assist from teammate Linus Omark. Omark was the main culprit in Friday night’s loss, scoring four of the Barons’ five goals, but the Rampage managed to hold him to one shot on Saturday.

“Tonight we just talked about not allowing him a lot of time and space,” Horacheck said about containing Omark.

Thanks to right wing Joey Crabb’s first goal of the season, the Rampage regained a 2-1 lead in the second period that they would not relinquish. Later, Trocheck scored on a glove-side shot to give the team a two-goal lead as they headed into the third period.

The Rampage had 34 shots and goalie Michael Houser stopped 25-of-27 Barons shots.

The AHL season continues for the Rampage on Saturday, Nov. 2, with a game against the Charlotte Checkers scheduled for 7 p.m. at the AT&T Center.

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