The Prince Rupert Rampage scored some opportunistic goals - including a hat-trick by centre Kory Movald - to edge the Kitimat Ice Demons 6-5 in overtime at Tamitik Arena in Kitimat on November 17.
In a rather sloppily played game on both sides, which turned out to have an exciting finish, the Ice Demons took a 1-0 lead into the change room at the end of the first period, on the strength of a power play goal by Ian Coleman (assisted by Nick Markowsky and Chris Vilness.)
While only the one power play goal was scored, the Rampage sat out three minor penalties and the Demons two. Shots in the period reflected the reasonably even nature of the play; Rampage 12, Demons 11.
The Rampage however, tied the game almost literally off the face-off, with 1:50 left on Dan Jerrett's late first period tripping penalty. Kory Movald swept an onside backhand shot across the blue line towards the Kitimat goal, which was re-directed by Brock Ward and went into the Kitimat net, with eight seconds gone in the period. From then on this one turned into the Kory Movald show as he tallied his hat trick and then assist to drive the Rampage to the overtime win.
At 7:48 of the second period, Movald again showed good reaction speed as he re-combined with Brock Ward and Craig Munro, to surprise the Ice Demons with a go-ahead goal after a long period of hard pressure by the Rampage, which had the Demons running around in their own end.
The Demons then seemed to get their act in gear after the goal and pressed hard and promptly tied the game 2-2, at 12:32, on a nice tic-tac-toe passing play that gave Keano Wilson in the Rampage net no chance to stop Derek DeLisser bulging the net, with assists to Terry Whelan and Josh Slanina.
Then with just 1:47 left in the second the Rampage restored their lead with Jordan Weir putting a puck behind Brett Vilness in the Kitimat net, assisted by Jordan Aubee.
As play started from the face-off for the third period, Kitimat exerted some extra push and picked up another quick goal, this time in 50 seconds, from Derek DeLisser, to again tie the game at 3-3, and with assists to Terry Whelan and Jeff Baker.
The game went end-to-end, with both teams missing good chances, but with Wilson making some strong saves before Kory Movold, restored a 4-3 one goal lead with his second of the game rewarded him at 3:39 (assist to Marcus Atchison).
That lead was nullified by a backhand rebound score by Derek Wakita (Jordan Goncalves, Ben Rumley). The the Demons reversed the process by taking a 5-4 lead on a breakaway goal by Ben Rumley, just 80 seconds later.
All Kitimat had to do was kill three minutes but an egregiously soft defensive pass back was gobbled up by a Rampage's fore checker stick and Kory Movald's backhanded his hat-trick goal behind Brett Vilness, while Brock Ward earned an assist on the play.
Neither team could get a goal in the remaining three minutes and the game went to over time, where a quick foray by Devin Palmer gave the Rampage the extra point with a minute and 31 seconds left in the overtime.
The Demons will see this as a blown win and an extra point that they allowed to slip away, and to tighten up the West Division standings, as the Terrace River Kings took a huge 4-1 win off the Smithers Steelheads in Smithers.
The point from the OT loss edged the Demons back into second place, a point behind the Houston Luckies who could not hold off the Quesnel Kangaroos in overtime, losing 7-6, but picked up a single point to stay one ahead of the Demons with 12, with the Luckies having a game in hand.
That game in hand could make a difference as the two teams meet on Kitimat Ice next Saturday when the Ice Demons will be looking to avenge a 4-0 shutout by the Luckies in Houston on Oct. 19.
- Submitted