RUSH GO THE DISTANCE BEHIND BORON, BEAT CUTTHROATS IN A SHOOTOUT

(DENVER, CO) – The Denver Cutthroats and Rapid City Rush picked up from where they last left off in their rivalry on Tuesday night. The game was played like it always has been between these two foes: hard-hitting, close, and fast. The Rush, losers of three straight, looked to get back into the win column in the midst of a three-way tie for first in the CHL, while the Cutthroats attempted to string together consecutive wins against their rivals for the first time since last season. 60 minutes would not be enough to decide a victor between these teams, and for the third time this season, this matchup went to a shootout. Tim Boron led his team in a perfect shootout round, and Jared Brown gets the game-winner as the Rush defeated the Cutthroats 2-1.

For the first time since their second matchup, both teams went scoreless after one period. The Cutthroats earned the first of only three power plays of the game, broken up by the period break, and cashed in to start the second. Steve Kaunisto took a pass off of a rebound and scored with eight seconds left on his only man-advantage of the game, giving the Cutthroats a 1-0 lead 35 seconds into the second. The Rush would offensively dominate the second period though, outchancing and outshooting the Cutthroats, carrying most of the momentum into the third period. Patience would pay off for the Rush offense, as Jesse Schultz would tie the game up at 1-1 with 13:36 left in regulation, burying a no-look pass from Konrad Reeder into a wide-open net. From there, both teams went back and forth missing chances on each end of the ice. Matt Larke had a chance with tenths of a second left on the clock to end the game in regulation on a Denver turnover, but his shot missed the net by inches. Overtime was upon us at Denver Colliseum.

Both teams traded even more close chances in the extra-session, with Rapid City’s Jared Brown clanking the cross-bar moments into overtime and Denver’s Troy Schwab hitting the post halfway through. 65 minutes would not be enough to decide a winner, and the Rush would put their perfect 4-0 shootout record on the line. After Denver’s Garrett Bembridge shot wide of Tim Boron’s net, Jared Brown would score on an awkwardly bouncing puck. In an attempt to settle the puck down, Denver goalie Kent Patterson would jump at the loose puck, only to have Brown stickhandle around him and score on an open net. It would prove to be the only goal scored in the shootout, with the Cutthroats shooting wide of the net and Boron stopping the last three shooters en route to a 2-1 shootout win.

On top of a perfect shootout round, Tim Boron stopped 24 of 25 shots for his twentieth win of the season (20-7-0). With the win, the Rush not only end a three-game losing streak, but also remained perfect in the shootout, winning their fifth game to improve to 5-0 after overtime. Only three power plays were awarded in the game, with the Rush receiving two of them. Denver falls to the Rush for the seventh time this season in nine matchups, with five more left this season. The rivalry resumes Friday night in Denver Colliseum, as the Rush and Cutthroats play in game two of this three game in five night set.

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Other Rush News:

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

Don’t forget to join Mark Binetti, “Voice of the Rush”, and Head Coach/GM Joe Ferras for “The Rush Hour with Coach Ferras”, presented by Miller Lite. The show returns to the air next year on Wednesday, February 19th, and will be held at 6 PM at Boston’s Restaurant and Sports Bar. The show is broadcast on 100.3 The FOX, the official radio home of your Rapid City Rush.

Stay informed on Rush happenings through the official Rapid City Rush team website, www.RapidCityRush.com, and the Rapid City Rush mobile app, available on iTunes and Google Play.

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