SCHULTZ TIES RUSH HISTORY IN BACK-AND-FORTH WIN AGAINST THUNDER

SLAPSHOT POSTGAME COVERAGE PRESENTED BY ASSURANT SOLUTIONS

SCHULTZ TIES RUSH HISTORY IN BACK-AND-FORTH WIN AGAINST THUNDER

(RAPID CITY, SD) – Jesse Schultz posted 5 points (G, 4 Ast), Cody Ferriero and Johan Ryd supplied the other 4 goals, and the Rapid City Rush edged the Wichita Thunder in a back-and-forth affair by a 5-4 score. The win places the Rush 6-points out of a three-way tie for second place in the Central Division standings of the ECHL’s Western Conference

Both teams exchanged the game’s first three goals in a span of 41 seconds. The Thunder began the scoring entries at the 12:43 of the first period when their lone all-star, Danick Gauthier threw a pass to the side of the net that eventually made its way to his teammate, Jared Walker. Walker ultimately flipped the puck past Rush net-minder Johnny Griggs to give the Thunder a 1-0 advantage. Exactly 21 seconds later, Rush forward Jesse Schultz took the puck on a turnover in the offensive zone, faked a shot, and then let one go up high past Tyler Bunz in the Wichita net, equalizing the game at 1-1. Rounding out the fire-wagon exchange was Wichita’s Kenton Miller, who carried the puck through the neutral zone and into the Rush third of the ice, reaching pay-dirt 20 seconds later to re-establish the Wichita advantage at 2-1. With 28.1 seconds left in the period, Rush forward Johan Ryd sent the puck past Bunz on a sharp-angle shot off of a rebound to even things up at 2-2 heading into the period.

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The Thunder regained their lead just 2:41 into the middle frame when Todd Hosmer struck from the near wall of the Rush zone to squeak ahead of the Rush with a 3-2 advantage. Johnny Griggs was relieved in the Rush net for Danny Battochio shortly after the goal, and from that point the Rush would rally behind their newly substituted net-minder. Cody Ferriero evened the game for a third time for the Rush at 7:38 of the period. Ferriero would give the Rush the lead with 3:09 left in the frame, sniping home a Jesse Schultz pass on the first Rush power play of the game for his second of the night, affording the Rush a 4-3 lead with 20 minutes to play.

The newest captain of the Thunder, Ian Lowe, tied the game for a fourth time on the only five-on-three power play goal with 13:56 left in regulation, making it a 4-4 game, but with 7:09 left the Rush would provide the final strike. Jesse Schultz, recording his fifth-point of the night on the assist, threw a turnaround shot towards the Thunder net that was deflected by Johan Ryd past Bunz to lift the Rush to a 5-4 lead, one they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game

Danny Battochio earned his 12th win of the season in his 31st appearance, stopping 12 of 14 shots thrown his way (12-15-2). With his five-point night, Jesse Schultz tied the Rush franchise points record set by long-time captain Scott Wray, broke the single-game record for points in a game, and tied the single-game record for most assists in a game (4).

Both teams square off in a rematch tomorrow night in the Rush’s 7th Annual “Pink at the Rink” game at Premier Home Mortgage Ice in Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, with puck drop scheduled for 7:05 p.m. MST.

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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.

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