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Abbotsford Hosts San Antonio

By Melissa Kania |

After a day of rest, American Hockey League action returns tonight with one game on the schedule, as the Abbotsford Heat host the San Antonio Rampage in the first of back-to-back games between the teams.

This is the second time these teams have met this season; the November 24 matchup ended with the Heat claiming a 3-2 victory, scoring the tying goal with just under fifteen seconds remaining in regulation and coming out on top in the shootout.

Paul Byron and Brett Olson scored in regulation for the Heat, while James Wright and Quinton Howden tallied for San Antonio. The shootout went to 11 rounds, with two players scoring for San Antonio (Jon Rheault, James Wright). Sven Baertschi, Roman Horak and Carter Bancks scored for Abbotsford to give the Heat the victory.

The teams combined for 60 penalty minutes – including five fighting majors and two 10-minute misconducts.

A LOOK AT ABBOTSFORD…

  • 13-3-2-2 (30 pts in 20 games)
  • Won nine of 13 games in the month of November, and gained points in all but two games that month
  • Currently hold first place in the Western Conference and first place in the league; the team’s 56 goals-for is the lowest among the top eight teams in the conference. The Heat have allowed just 36 goals this season, the least allowed by an team in the AHL.
  • Center Roman Horak has 11 goals in 20 games this season, tied for fourth in the league. He has four powerplay goals, which ties him for third best in the league with 12 other skaters.
  • Rookie left winger Sven Baertschi and center Ben Street are tied for the team lead in points, with 17. Baertschi has scored six goals and 11 assists in 19 games, while Street has five goals and 12 assists in 20 games.
  • Three players on the Heat are tied for the team lead in plus-minus: Street, along with center Brett Olson and defenseman Chris Breen, are all plus-8 this season.
  • Defenseman Zach McKelvie holds the team lead in penalty minutes, with 43 in 14 games.
  • The Heat have earned at least a point in all but three games of 20 played this season.
  • The team’s last game came on Satuday against the Hamilton Bulldogs, when the Heat suffered a 3-0 loss – their first regulation loss on home ice this season.
  • After hosting San Antonio on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Heat travel east to visit Toronto on December 9 and then face the Rochester Americans on December 11.

… AND A LOOK AT SAN ANTONIO

  •  6-11-0-3 (15 points in 20 games)
  • After winning the first two games of November against Grand Rapids and Oklahoma City, the Rampage went on an eight-game losing streak before finishing off the month by winning the last pair of games against Rochester and Lake Erie.
  • Currently hold last place in the Western Conference and tied (with Albany) for last place in the league; the team’s 51 goals-for is third least in the conference, while their 63 goals-against are 10th worst in the conference. The Rampage are 2-6-0-2 in their last ten games.
  • Right winger Jon Rheault leads the team in goals (6), assists (11) and points (17) in 20 games. Center Greg Rallo is also tied for the team lead in goals in as many games.
  • Defenseman Michael Caruso leads the team in plus/minus, with a plus-5 in 13 games, and left winger Eric Selleck leads the Rampage with 79 penalty minutes in 20 games.
  • The Rampage’s last game was a 4-2 loss to the Lake Erie Monsters on December 1, after having defeated Lake Erie the previous night by a score of 6-2.
  • After visiting Abbotsford for the next two games, San Antonio hosts Oklahoma City on December 8 and 9.
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