Highlights:
AT&T Center – The San Antonio Rampage had one more game in their season on Friday night. A season that saw highs and lows, but a chance to build on next season in the process despite missing the postseason.
The Rampage ended the 2015-16 season with a 5-2 loss to the Manitoba Moose in front of 11,,376 fans at the AT&T Center.
San Antonio lit the lamp first late in the first period when Ben Street got loose on the breakaway and put the puck past Connor Hellebuyck to give the Rampage the 1-0 lead at 18:04. The goal would stand as the only one of the opening 20 minutes.
The Silver and Black extended their lead in the middle frame with Sam Henley’s eighth goal of the season at 2:35. Manitoba answered back with two goals from Scott Kosmachuk and Jansen Harkins in 1:10 to knot the score at two goals apiece. Jimmy Lodge added a power play tally near the end of the period to give the Moose a 3-2 lead going into the third period.
The final period saw two more goals from Lodge as he completed the hat-trick and seal the 5-2 win for Manitoba.
San Antonio finishes the season with a 33-35-8-0 record (74 points, 0.487%). The Rampage were 15-20-3-0 at home and 18-15-5-0 away from the AT&T Center.
“I’m extremely disappointed with how it played out [the whole season],” Rampage Head Coach Dean Chynoweth said. “We played well when it didn’t mean anything, you want to be playing meaningful games this time of the year. That wasn’t the case.”
Prior to the game, Mikko Rantanen was awarded with Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award, sharing the honor with Providence Bruins forward Frank Vatrano.
“I’m happy overall,” Rantanen said of his rookie campaign. “I was consistent through the whole year, that’s something you want and that’s what I’m most happy about. I’m sorry to say the team didn’t make the playoffs, it’s sad. But that’s how it sometimes goes.”
The Rampage will go into the offseason with questions as to who will fill out their roster when the team returns to the ice in October. Only Mat Clark, Sam Henley, Cody Corbett, Troy Bourke, Mason Geertsen, and Spencer Martin are under contracts with the Colorado Avalanche next season.
“We want to fill [the roster] with some veteran guys,” Chynoweth said. “We want to surround our young guys with quality people and be able to take that next step as a group.”
Stick with Rampage Central throughout the offseason for news on the San Antonio Rampage and the Colorado Avalanche.
