EAGLES COME BACK IN THIRD TO WIN IT

(WINDSOR, CO) – Anthony Collins and Brett Perlini built a 2-0 lead for the Rapid City Rush, but the Colorado Eagles countered with 4 goals in the third period in the final 13 minutes to defeat the Rush 4-2 in the Budweiser Events Center on Friday night.

Both teams skated to a scoreless draw after one period, but it was eventually the Rush that struck first in the second period. With 11:33 gone by in the period, Michael Young hard-rimmed the puck to the far side of the Eagles zone and Mark Cooper barreled in to possess it. Cooper busted through checks to the near corner of the zone and found Anthony Collins in the slot. Collins finished with a wrister by Eagles goaltender Nathan Lieuwen for his second goal of the season and in as many games, giving the Rush a 1-0 lead (Cooper and Young assisted).

Despite the Rush carrying and expanding a lead in the third, it was the Eagles that stormed back for the win. Brett Perlini notched his third of the season to expand the Rush lead to 2-0 when Brenden Walker forced a turnover in neutral ice. He pushed the puck to Perlini, who finished with a wrist shot from the far faceoff circle to double the Rush lead to 2-0 with 4:03 gone by in the final period (Walker provided the lone assist). Unfortunately for the Rush, the Eagles stormed back in the last 13 minutes and overtook their rivals. With 13:00 left in the game, Shawn St-Amant notched his first goal of the season, taking a pass in the high slot and finishing by Rush net-minder Austin Lotz to halve the deficit to 2-1 (Matt Register and Matt Garbowsky assisted). Garbowsky tied the game 2:24 later when he flew through the neutral zone and by his oncoming defender, subsequently flipping the puck over Lotz to square the game at 2-2 (St-Amant assisted for his second point of the game, and Ryan Harrison picked up his first with the other). With 6:53 left in the game, Jake Marto took a pass in the high slot from Jackson Houck in the far corner, and flung a wrist shot up high by Lotz to give the Eagles their only lead of the game at 3-2, and the team wouldn’t look back (Houck and Conor O’Donnell assisted). Ryan Harrison sealed the game with an empty-netter with 43 seconds left, giving the Eagles the come-from-behind win at 4-2 (Both Garbowsky and St-Amant notched their second assists and third points of the contest).

Autsin Lotz suffered the loss in his return to the lineup, stopping 24 of 27 shots thrown towards his net (0-2-0).

Both teams rematch tomorrow night in Premier Home Mortgage Ice in Rushmore Plaza Civic Center at 7:05 p.m. The Rush will celebrate “Military Appreciation Night” on ice painted with names of members from our proud nation’s military. There will also be a 40’x80’ flag displayed at center ice, a sled hockey exhibition with veterans, a swearing in of 20 individuals to the military, and the honoring of veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan/Iraq.

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