FEJES NETS OT-WINNER OVER ECHLS BEST

(ALLEN, TX) – Christian Horn notched a goal and an assist in his Rapid City Rush debut, as did Michael Young on the back-end, but Hunter Fejes added his name to a trio of two-point performers with the game-Winning%20Goal 1:31 into overtime as the Rush took a 4-3 win over the Allen Americans on Saturday night.

Allen struck twice in the first to take a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. On the first Americans power play of the game, Dave Makowski unloaded a blast from the near wall by a screened Rush net-minder, Adam Morrison, to give Allen a 1-0 lead with 8:08 left in the first (Eric Roy and Chad Costello notched the assists). With 2:04 left in the period, Morrison poke-checked a puck away from his crease, but in the ensuing shuffle, it came to Gary Steffes and he was able to get control and backhand the puck by Morrison, doubling Allen’s lead to 2-0 (Spencer Asuchak and Jon Martin assisted).

The Rush fired right back in the second period, and eventually drew level with the Americans heading into the third. Just 37 seconds into the frame, Michael Young rifled a blue line shot that may have been deflected by a body past Allen goaltender, Riley Gill, bringing the Rush within striking distance down 2-1 (Christian Horn and Riley Weselowski assisted, with Horn earning his first Rush point in his debut). Zach Hall put the Americans back up by two at 9:06 of the period when a turnover was caused by tackling Dysin Mayo behind the net. The puck was worked to Hall and he fired a shot off of Morrison and in, pushing the Americans to a 3-1 lead (Chad Costello and Bryan Moore assisted). Ryan Walters then led the Rush back to their quick scoring ways, with two goals coming 15 seconds apart. After Logan Nelson hit the post with a one-timer on the second Rush power play of the game, Walters capitalized on a one-timer of his own, beating Gill on the back door to bring the Rush back within one at 3-2 with 8:15 left in the second (Michael Young notched his second point with the assist, while Logan Nelson earned his first). Christian Horn continued his stellar Rush debut, receiving a cross-ice pass from Hunter Fejes and rifling a wrist shot off the glove of Gill and in, squaring the game at 3-3 with 8:00 left in the frame (Fejes earned the lone assist).

Both teams skated to a scoreless draw in the third period, but the last frame didn’t come without any excitement. Both teams traded power plays back-and-forth, including one awarded to the Rush with 2:10 left in the game. Both teams went to overtime, square at 3-3.

The Rush earned their second overtime win of the year when Hunter Fejes capped off his two-point night with the game-winner 1:31 into overtime with a snipe over Riley Gill to win the game for the Rush, 4-3.

Adam Morrison earned his ninth win of the season, stopping 27 of 30 shots faced (9-8-4).

The Rush conclude their road trip tomorrow with a 3:05 p.m. MST puck drop at the Allen Event Center in a rematch with the Americans.

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