Game Recap: Rampage edge Coast 7-6

Canadian import Owen Sobchak had a four point night as the Brisbane Rampage collected an opening night 7-6 win over the Coast at Erina IceArenA.

Sobchak, an Ontario-native who played a couple seasons of Swedish Division 2 professional hockey, was impressive all night. He scored two goals and added an assist. The Rampage’s other Canadian import, Jordan McTaggart, also chipped in with two goals.The Coast played well and actually outshot the Rampage 51-37. Forty of those shots came within the final two periods.

However, Rampage goalie Nick Novysedlak stopped 45 pucks in his debut.

Harley Anderson had a pair of points for the Rampage. While on the Coast, five different goal scorers made up six of their tallies. Dmitri Kuleshov had two goals for the Coast.

Coast goalie Thomas Munro was busy in the first period, however. The Rampage stormed out of the gate, firing 20 shots on goal but Munro stopped 18 of them.

Brisbane struck first when Jordan McTaggart popped home his first of the season on an assist by Owen Sobchak. It was the first goal of likely many of the Canadian group of imports will combine for this season.

If you’re last name was “Kuleshov” you likely had a big period for the Coast. 16-year-old Ivan Kuleshov evened the game with an unassisted goal.

Then, not long after,18-year-old Dmitri Kuleshov scored a goal to make it 2-1 for the Coast.

Derry Adler tied the game at two with just over two minutes to go in the first. But in the dying moments, Dmitri Kuleshov restored the Coast lead to make it 3-2 Rampage going into the second.

Brisbane goalie Nick Novysedlak stopped 7 of 10 in the first for the Rampage.

The second period tightened up as scoring only slightly faded away.

The Rampage tied the game when the combination of Andersons went to work. Assistant captain Josh Anderson finished off a Harley Anderson set up to tie the game at three.Sobchak picked up his second of the game on an assist from Popovies midway through the second to give Brisbane their second one-goal lead of the game.

It was short lived.

With 2:34 to go in the second, Mike Tish tied it for the Coast to send the game to the third period tied at four.

Then a frantic and chaotic final chapter of opening night unfolded.

The Coast mounted a lot of pressure in the third but had difficulty consistently squeezing the puck past Novysedlak. They had 24 shots in the third period and 51 on the day.

Jordan McTaggart scored a go-ahead goal in the first three minutes to put the Rampage up 5-4.

Jonathan Ruth equalised for the Coast at the 9:54 mark.

Two minutes later, Harley Anderson got his second point of the night when he scored a crucial goal to make it 6-5 Rampage with 7:54 to go.

With just under three minutes left in the game, The coast pulled the goalie to take advantage of a 6 on 4 power play, with a bounce off the ahi pads at the blue line, Rampage carried the length of the ice for an empty net tally to make it 7-5.

The Coast got a goal from Stuart Cole-Clark with 14 seconds to go. But it was little too late.

An entertaining game to open the season.They play again today.

Scoring Summary

FIRST PERIOD

1. 14:54 – Brisbane – Jordan McTaggart (Owen Sobchak)
2. 8:54 – Coast – Ivan Kuleshov (Unassisted)
3. 4:29 – Coast- Dmitri Kuleshov (Unassisted)
4. 2:32 – Brisbane – Derek Adler (Patrick Popovies, Owen Sobchack)
5. 0:27 – Coast – Dmitri Kuleshov (Stuart Cole-Clark)

SECOND PERIOD

6. 15:02 – Brisbane – Josh Anderson (Harley Anderson)
7. 9:18 – Brisbane – Owen Sobchak (Patrick Popovies)
8. 2:34 – Coast – Mike Tish (Emiel Goris)

THIRD PERIOD

9. 17:34 – Brisbane – Jordan McTaggart (Jacob Terc)
10. 9:30 – Coast – Jordan Ruth (Unassisted)
11. 7:24 – Brisbane – Harley Anderson (Derry Adler)
12. 0.40 – Brisbane – Owen Sobchack (Unassisted)
13. 0.17 – The Coast – Stuart Cole-Clark (Unassisted)