Uninspired 3-2 win over SAR puts Wolves back in 1st

An uninspired 3-2 win over the San Antonio Rampage Sunday evening let the Chicago Wolves slip back into first place. Center Cory Larose and Rampage center Alex Leavitt each scored two goals in the Wolves win. Jason Krog was held pointless for the first outing this season, ending a 26-game streak, the third longest in Wolves franchise history.

“We’ve been struggling for the last week or so, so a win like this is baby steps for us,” Wolves coach John Anderson said. The Wolves have been in a slump, losing four in a row, including two against the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights, allowing the Knights to take the lead in the West division. The team has also been on a home game slide, winning just 12 of 29 contests.

It has 11 games remaining in the Rosemont Allstate Arena, 17 games total.

Scoring started at 4.24 of the first frame when Rampage center Leavitt found the back of the goal. The Wolves took a little over three minutes to reply when Joey Crabb fed Larose on a power play to light the lamp. Later in the first frame Andy Delmore and Jordan LaVallee working the power play fed Larose in the slot for a backhander past Rampage goalie Josh Tordjman.

However, San Antonio evened the score less than 40 seconds later with Leavitt’s second goal of the night.

Things stood 2-2 through most of the second frame. Late in the period Colin Stuart made a break for the net, using a SAR blue liner to screen his shot, he shot the puck over Tordjman’s pads for the game winner at 15.21.

Michael Garnett received the win, stopping 24 SAR shots. It was the 17th win for Garnett this season. Tordjman stopped 19 shots for the loss.

The Wolves play the Houston Aeros tonight in the Allstate. The Aeros are currently five points behind the San Antonio Rampage, an unaccustomed last place for the Aeros.