RUSH WIN NINTH STRAIGHT AFTER SURVIVING CALAMITY FILLED 3RD PERIOD

(RAPID CITY, SD) – Saturday night exhibited the fifth consecutive matchup between the Arizona Sundogs and the Rapid City Rush, and the second showdown in Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. The intensity of the rivalry was in full flight tonight, as the Rush would jump out to an early commanding lead, but Arizona would not go down without a fight. At the end of the day, the Rush would hang on to win 6-5, after surviving what has been considered to be a hectic last few minutes in the third period.

Rapid City seemed to carry the momentum from last night’s 3-2 comeback win into tonight’s matchup. For the first time in four games, the Rush would not allow the opponent to strike first. Instead, the Rush scored early, and often, and commanded the flow of play the entire first period. Scoring started off 9:13 into the contest as Jesse Schultz would send home a pass from Konrad Reeder for a power play goal to give the Rush a 1-0 lead. Just over a minute and a half later, the Rush would strike yet again. Jared Brown would score a highlight-worthy goal on a pass from Eric Giosa, dancing around his defenseman and roofing the puck in the goal of Arizona net-minder Brad Fogal to give the Rush a 2-0 lead over the Sundogs with 9:21 left in the first. Winston Day Chief would find his way on the score sheet as well to make it a 3-0 game exactly 42 seconds later. Konrad Reeder would take a weak shot from a sharp angle that produced a rebound, and Day Chief would catch Fogal off-guard and slip it past the Sundogs goaltender. Arizona would not help their cause, as Sundogs forward Ian Schultz would go to the box for two separate minors on the same play, serving a total of four minutes for roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct. The Rush would capitalize seven seconds into the elongated man-advantage, as Tristin Llewellyn would notch his second of two points with a shot from the point to give Rapid City a 4-0 lead with 5:31 left in the period. That lead, and the resulting momentum carried into the locker room session and the start of the second period.

The Rush would pick up right where they left off to start the second period. Justin Sawyer would score the fifth consecutive Rush goal, and his third in four games, to give the Rush a 5-0 lead with 16:15 left in the middle frame. But Arizona would not go away quietly in this fifth consecutive matchup. Paul McIlveen would get the Sundogs on the board exactly 19 seconds later, taking advantage of an errant rebound in front of Rush goaltender Tim Boron’s net, to make the score 5-1 in the second. Moments later, Arizona would receive their first power play of the game, and capitalize on the opportunity. With six seconds left on their man advantage, Dion Campbell would send home a one-timer from Bryan Cameron and Jordan Clendenning to make it a 5-2 game with 7:35 left in the second, a score that would carry into the final act.

Things would get dicey in the third period. Eric Giosa would add to the Rush lead 51 seconds into the final period, as he would finish a play started by Matt Larke and give the Rush a 6-2 lead. The Sundogs would try to claw back though, and would eventually narrow the deficit by scoring two goals in a 19 second span. Jordan Clendenning was first, scoring his first goal of the game with 7:37 left in the third period with the Sundogs now trailing 6-3. Ryan Gaucher, playing in his first game against the Rush this season, would bury the second of the consecutive strikes to make it a 6-4 game with 7:18 left in regulation to change the complexion of the game going forward.

Then, disaster would strike. A flurry of penalties would be called in the remaining moments of the third period. Rush defenseman Ryan Palmer would be called for a five minute major for fighting, stacked with a ten minute misconduct for instigating the fight, which led to one Rush player occupying the penalty box. Then at the 15:52 mark of the third period, with the score 6-4, Rush forward Justin Faryna would be called for roughing. However, the penalty assessed was a double minor, and the clock only read two minutes. Konrad Reeder would then go to the box for two minutes as well for handling the puck, causing three Rush players to sit in the box at once. When the clock on Faryna’s penalty expired, he was let out of the box prematurely due to the confusion of how many Rush players were in the box, and scored an empty net goal with around a minute and a half to go in the game to make the score 7-4 for the Rush, and seal the win. The referees, however, realized their error, and determined that Faryna was not entitled to be on the ice due to the need to serve the final two minutes on his double-minor. The goal would be erased, and 34 seconds would be put back on the clock. Arizona would take advantage of the backtracking of the error, and it would lead to Jordan Clendenning scoring his second goal of the night with 1:20 left in regulation on a power play with the assistance of an extra attacker. Despite the adversity and confusion on the ice, Tim Boron would shut the door and the Rush would hang on to win 6-5, their ninth straight to start the season.

The resulting calamity in the final moments would take away from stellar Rush performances on the ice. Five Rush players would finish with multiple points: Konrad Reeder (3A, 3Pts), Jared Brown (G, 2A, 3Pts), and Eric Giosa, Tristin Llewellyn, and Jesse Schultz (G, A each for 2Pts). Tim Boron stopped 26 shots en route to his eighth win in as many appearances to start the season (8-0-0, 2.08 GAA, .934 SV %). Reeder would extend his point streak to five games, and Schultz would extend both his assist and point streaks to five games as well. The win gives Rapid City its ninth straight win, and gives them a 9-0-0 record (18 pts), good enough for their first solo possession of first place in the CHL. Wins by both the Rush and Mavericks Saturday night set up a showdown of the final undefeated teams in the CHL next Friday and Saturday in Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

Other Rush News:

Season tickets for the 2013-14 season are available now by calling the Rush office at 716-7825.

The Rush will take on the Missouri Mavericks this Friday and Saturday, November 15th and 16th (both games 7:05 MST), for a showdown of the final undefeated teams in the CHL.

Join Mark Binetti, “Voice of the Rush”, and Head Coach/GM Joe Ferras for “The Rush Hour with Head Coach Joe Ferras”, sponsored by Miller Lite on Monday, November 11th. Show starts at 6 PM at H2O Bar and Grill, and will be broadcast on 100.3 The FOX, the official radio home for your Rapid City Rush.