GARLENT’S HAT TRICK DOWNS ALLEN; WIN STREAK AT FOUR GAMES

(RAPID CITY, SD) – Hunter Garlent triggered a shower of hats late in regulation, and helped by his linemates Mike Hedden (2ast) and Cedric Montminy (3ast), powered the Rapid City Rush toa 4-2 win over the Allen Americans on Friday night. Thew in gives the Rush four straight victories, and gives them the series win with the finale coming tomorrow night.

Both teams skated to a scoreless deadlock after 20 minutes, but then the Americans opened the scoring shy of the midway of period number two. Colby McAuley got Allen on the board on their second power play when he batted a Steven Owre rebound out of mid-air and past Rush net-minder Brad Barone to give Allen a 1-0 lead at 7:57 (Owre and Spencer Asuchak assisted). However, moments later, Avery Peterson tied the game up for the Rush. With 9:21 gone by in the second period, Peter Quenneville fired a shot from the far wall that was initially stopped by Allen goalie Jake Paterson. Peterson was in front of the net, collected the loose puck, and slammed it home to square the game at 1-1 (Quenneville and Mikael Tam assisted). Hunter Garlent then began his hot night with a SportsCenter-esque strike. With 3:53 left in the second, Garlent took a Cedric Montminy feed in stride through the neutral zone and skated into the Americans third. Garlent then chipped it to himself in the slot off of his skate, changed hands from right to left-handed, and with his new backhand rifled a shot off the back bar to put the Rush on top 2-1 (Montminy and Johnny Coughlin assisted). Garlent hit pay-dirt again exactly two and a half minutes later, capitalzing on an odd-man break started by Montminy. With 1:23 left in the second, Montminy and Mike Hedden went on a two-on-one, with Hedden deferring to the trailing Garlent, who closed out the sequence with a laser from the slot past Paterson to double the Rush lead to 3-1 (Montminy and Hedden assisted).

Allen came back within one midway through the third on a five-on-three power play. With 9:19 left in the game, Spencer Asuchak came storming out of the penalty box and parked in front of the Rush net. A loose puck on a chance from Samuel Laberge came right to his stick, and he pocketed it home to cut the deficit to 3-2 (Laberge and Phillip Beaulieu assisted). Allen pulled Paterson for the extra attacker with less than two minutes to go, but it was Garlent who potted the empty-netter on a selfless pass from Cedric Montiny to seal the win at 4-2 with his first hat trick of his career (Montminy and Hedden assisted).

Brad Barone, starting his first home game for the Rush since his debut on February 23, 2019, stopped 24 of 26, earning his third straight win as a Rush starter (3-0-0-0 with the Rush, 8-2-1-1 total).

The Rush conclude their series against the Allen Americans tomorrow night on Saturday, April 17th. Puck drop is slated for 7:05 p.m. MDT at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Ice Arena.

Tomorrow night’s game is our annual "Rush Fights Cancer Night", presented by Dakota Barricade. The Rush will wear specialty lavender jerseys, also sponsored by Dakota Barricade, recognizing all forms of cancer, and will honor those throughout the night that have either fought, are currently fighting, or have lost their fights to cancer. The jerseys will be auctioned off after the game, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Monument Health Foundation.

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