BUNTINGS FIRST PROFESSIONAL GOAL NOT ENOUGH AGAINST ALLEN

(RAPID CITY, SD) – J.P. LaFontaine kickstarted the Allen Americans, who along with 24 saves from Joel Rumpel and goals from Dyson Stevenson, Aaron Gens, and Greger Hanson, defeated the Rapid City Rush by a 4-1 score on Friday night at Premier Home Mortgage Ice in Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

Allen got on the board first with 4:57 gone by in the opening frame, as J.P. LaFontaine finished a three-on-two rush in the Rush zone, sending the puck off of a Rush defender and by Danny Battochio to give the defending champs a 1-0 advantage (Eric Roy and Chad Costello received assists).

Allen’s power play doubled the advantage to 2-0 with Aaron Gens firing a puck off of Battochio’s blocker and off the far post and in, trickling by the Rush netminder at the 6:01 mark of the second period (Tristan King got the assist). Moments later, the Rush halved the deficit in the midst of four-on-four hockey, following coincidental minors assessed to Rapid City’s Jimmy Bonneau and Allen’s Dave Makowski. Taking a loose puck down low, Rush rookie Michael Bunting faked a cross-ice pass and instead banked the puck off of Allen goaltender Joel Rumpel, putting the Rush on the board at 2-1 with 4:27 left in the second (Spencer Pommells and Jonathan Narbonne recorded assists). The goal is the first of Bunting’s professional career.

With 11:27 left in regulation, Dyson Stevenson re-established the two-goal lead of the Americans, backhanding a loose puck in front of Battochio’s crease up top to bring the Rush deficit to 3-1 (Danny Federico and J.P. LaFontaine received assists). Greger Hanson, on a pass from Jonathan Parker sealed the win with an empty-net goal with 53.3 seconds on the clock, leading the Americans to a 4-1 win over the Rush.

Danny Battochio received the loss, stopping 23 of 26 shots faced (4-2-0).

Both teams are back in action in a rematch tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. MST at Premier Home Mortgage Ice in Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. Tomorrow night’s showdown marks the conclusion of a four-game homestand for the Rush.

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