Box Score

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The San Antonio Rampage extend their winning streak to five games as they upset the Peoria Rivermen, 4-1, on Sunday afternoon at the AT&T Center. The Rampage ended the Rivermen’s seven-game winning streak to move San Antonio within one point of Peoria and the top spot in the league.

The Rampage started the game strong as they tallied two power-play goals on two opportunities in the opening frame. At the 17:03 mark in the first period, Brett MacLean earned his third power-play goal of the season making it 1-0. Right wing Matt Beaudoin received the puck at the point and fired a shot that was redirected by MacLean at the top right corner of the crease and into the net past Peoria’s 6-foot-7 goalie Ben Bishop.

Beaudoin contributed his fourth assist in four games and extended his point streak to seven games which ties him with Hershey Bears’ forwards Keith Aucoin and Andrew Gordon for longest point streak in the league.

With 50 seconds remaining in the period, Stafford tallied his second goal of the season to give the Rampage a 2-0 edge. Left wing Mikkel Boedker set up Stafford at the blue line for a one-timer that made its way through traffic and into the right corner of the net. MacLean was credited with the second helper.

Rivermen defenseman Mark Cundari recorded his first professional goal with 1:11 remaining in the second period to cut the deficit in half, 2-1. Cundari interrupted a Rampage clearing attempt that allowed him to shoot the puck from the blue line and score low stick side past Montoya.

At the 12:31 mark of the third period, center Tim Stapleton scored off a rebound pushing the lead to 3-1. MacLean skated from the left faceoff circle to the slot and fired a shot that was blocked by Bishop out to the right where Stapleton was waiting to backhand the puck wide of Bishop’s glove for his third goal of the season. MacLean’s assist was his third point of the afternoon.

With a little over a minute to go in the game, the Rivermen pulled their netminder and opted for a sixth skater. Rampage leading scorer Beaudoin was able to seal the victory by scoring an empty net goal with 12 seconds remaining in the game, finalizing the score at 4-1. Viktor Tikhonov and Alex Picard registered the assists extending both of their point streaks to six games.

Rampage goaltender Al Montoya registered his second win of the season as he made 29 saves on 30 shots. Peoria’s Bishop stopped 24 of the 27 San Antonio shots he faced.

The Rampage return to the ice on Friday night as they host the Houston Aeros at 7 p.m. at the AT&T Center.