RUSH PLOW BEAST IN SERIES OPENER, 7-2

SLAPSHOT POSTGAME COVERAGE PRESENTED BY ASSURANT SOLUTIONS

RUSH PLOW BEAST IN SERIES OPENER, 7-2

(BRAMPTON, ON) – Nine members of the Rapid City Rush inked themselves on the scoresheet, as the visitors from the Black Hills defeated the Brampton Beast by a 7-2 score on Thursday evening at the PowerAde Center. The win gives the Rush sole possession of second place in the ECHL’s Central Division with 7 games remaining in the regular season.

For the first time in 123:38 of scoreless hockey against the Beast, the Rush ignited the goal lamp. Kale Kerbashian broke the head-to-head scoring drought at 3:38 of the first period, zipping the puck by Beast goaltender Parker Van Buskirk, giving the Rush a 1-0 lead. The Beast tied the game under eight minutes later, as Brandon Devlin scored his first professional goal in his first professional game, sending a blue-line shot past Rush netminder Danny Battochio to tie the game at 1-1 at 11:12 of the first. Exactly 1:01 later, Kerbashian added his second of the night, sniping a wrister by Van Buskirk to re-establish the Rush lead to 2-1, a lead that the visitors from the Black Hills would not relinquish.

The Rush pulled away in the second period with three goals in the span of roughly seven minutes of play. Daniel Barczuk struck first in the period for his third consecutive game, tapping in a rebound from a Michael Young shot to double the Rush lead to two goal lead at 3-1 with 6:28 gone by in the second. Moments later, on the second Rush power play of the game, Kevin Harvey added his name to the scoresheet, batting a Winston Day Chief chest-high pass by Van Buskirk, extending the Rush advantage to 4-1 at the 12:29 mark of the second. Exactly 57 seconds later, Jesse Schultz tipped a pass from Kerbashian behind Van Buskirk, giving the Rush a 5-1 lead heading into the final period. The fifth Rush goal scored ended Parker Van Buskirk’s evening for the Beast, and prompted his substitution for Ryan DeMelo, who finished the remainder of regulation.

With 2:30 gone by in the third period, Mathew Maione gave the Beast their final goal of the evening, sending a wrist shot past Battochio to revert the Rush lead to three goals at 5-2, but that wouldn’t last long. Exactly 18 seconds later, Cody Ferriero found Jesse Schultz wide open in the slot, and Schultz buried for his second tally of the evening, re-establishing the four-goal lead at 6-2 with 17:12 left in the game. Dylan Clarke would finish the scoring entries for the Rush and for the game with 15:44 left in regulation. Clarke gained the zone on a three-on-one Rush, and had his cross-ice pass bounce right back to him in a fortuitous position. Clarke ripped the rebound of his own deflected pass by DeMelo, giving the Rush what would ultimately be a 7-2 win, and sole possession of second place in the ECHL’s Central Division once again with 7 games left in the regular season.

Danny Battochio, playing in his 200th Rush game, earned his fifth straight win, the longest streak by a Rush goaltender this season (22-17-2). Kale Kerbashian (2 G, Ast) and Cody Ferriero (3 Ast) led the Rush onslaught with 3 points, while Jesse Schultz (2 G), Patrick Cullen and Michael Young (both 2 Ast) added 2 points of their own.

The Rush and the Beast rematch tomorrow night at 5:30 p.m. MST at the PowerAde Centre for game two of this three-game set.

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