Highlights:
AT&T Center – The San Antonio Rampage came into Sunday’s game depleted. Missing seven players due to injury or illness meant the Silver and Black would be in for a tough night against the division’s top team.
Cody Corbett scored the lone goal for the Rampage as they fell 5-1 to the Ontario Reign in front of 5,350 fans at the AT&T Center on Sunday afternoon.
Ontario scored before fans could even eat their hotdogs. Jordan Samuels-Thomas got the Reign on the scoreboard just 10 seconds into the game, making it the fast goal allowed by the Rampage in team history. The visitors added to their lead when Sean Backman’s shot went off Roman Will’s skate and into the net to make it a two goal lead and Nic Dowd made it 3-0 after 20 minutes of play.
San Antonio pulled Roman Will in favor of an ill Reto Berra to begin the second period. Ontario would score the lone goal of the period midway through the second stanza when Michael Mersch put home his 20th tally of the year, giving the Reign a 4-0 lead.
The Reign added one more goal to their lead in the final frame when Vincent LoVerde sent a rocket from the slot to make it a 5-0 lead. The Rampage finally lit the lamp thanks a late goal from Corbett for a 5-1 final.
“We dug ourselves a hole and got scored on in the first shift,” Rampage coach Dean Chynoweth said. “Second was a weak goal and we’re battling some sickness in the room as well as injuries. I thought our effort was better, our bench was better. The result is what it is.”
San Antonio finished 0-for-6 on the power play, while Ontario was 1-for-5. Berra made 21 of 23 saves in a relief effort.
The Rampage are now 24-28-8-0 (56 points, 0.467%) on the season and will return to the ice on Wednesday night when they take on the Reign again in a rematch at the AT&T Center.