(RAPID CITY, SD) – The Rapid City Rush is pleased to announce the brief return of one of the most heated rivalries in franchise history. For two preseason games, the Rapid City Rush will square off against the ECHL’s Colorado Eagles on October 15th and 16th in a home-and-home series.

“What a great opportunity this is for our franchise and our loyal fan base and community to rekindle our rivalry with the Colorado Eagles,” said Head Coach and GM Joe Ferras. “It will be a great test for all of our players attending training camp to see where we sit as a hockey club against an elite franchise in the ECHL.”

The games will be played in Loveland, CO at the Budweiser Events Center on Wednesday night October 15th at 7:05 PM, and in Rapid City at Premiere Home Mortgage Ice in Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Ice Arena on Thursday night October 16th at 6:35 PM (all times are Mountain). The Rush will wear their specialty preseason Rushmore Thunder jerseys sponsored by Coca-Cola, with the jerseys to be auctioned off after the conclusion of the Thursday night game, and all proceeds benefiting Rushmore Thunder Youth hockey. All Rush fans that are full season ticket holders may attend the home game for free. Walkup price for all tickets is $15 per seat, and tickets go on sale on September 22nd at 10 AM.

Since joining the Central Hockey League in the 2008-09 season, the Rush and the Eagles have engaged in a fierce rivalry on the ice. All-time against the Eagles, the Rush have a 12-16-6 record, and only met in the playoffs once in the 2011 Turner Conference Finals, where the Eagles won in 7 games en route to a runner-up finish against the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs for the CHL Championship. This heated rivalry has seen many talented players over the years for both sides, including some of the top players in the CHL such as Kevin Ulanski, Riley Weselowski, Danny Battochio, Riley Nelson, and Konrad Reeder among many others

Ferras concluded: “This will be a great opportunity for our coaching staff to evaluate our players as they come into camp competing for jobs and know that they’ll be battling on a daily basis to have the privilege to wear a Rush jersey on our opening night roster.”

Other Rush News:

The Rush Historical Jersey Auction is back with another installment of jerseys, with Kevin Harvey’s and Tristin Llewellyn’s jersey on the auction block. To bid on the jerseys, visit the team’s eBay page here: http://www.ebay.com/usr/rapidcityrush?_trksid=p2047675.l2559

Join Rush Nation for only $10 per game! Call the Rush office at 716-7825 for details, and stay informed on all Rush happenings this summer through the official Rapid City Rush team website, www.RapidCityRush.com, and the Rapid City Rush mobile app, available on iTunes and Google Play.

###