TEAM BLACK EDGES TEAM WHITE IN RUSH INTRASQUAD GAME

(RAPID CITY, SD) – Alex Rauter notched a pair of first half goals and an assist, while Tyler Coulter and Josh Elmes picked up a pair of helpers as Team Black defeated Team White by a 5-3 score in the annual “Black and White Intrasquad Game” on Saturday night.

Despite out-shooting Team White by an 18-9 margin, Team Black left the first 25 minute half with a narrow 2-0 lead, courtesy of Alex Rauter.  With 1:41 played in the first half, Rauter rotated to the blue line, and took a pass from Josh Elmes. Rauter fired from the blue line and found daylight past goaltender Tyler Parks, and put Team Black up 1-0 (Elmes and Myles McGurty assisted).  Rauter hit pay dirt again after his first shot from the slot area was denied by Parks in close range. He buried the rebound for his second of the half, and gave Team Black a halftime lead of 2-0 (Tyler Coulter and Scott Dornbrock assisted).

Team Black kept their hot hand rolling and doubled their lead in quick fashion in the second half.  Richard Coyne struck first with 16:02 remaining after he took a neutral zone turnover down the ice and slipped a shot by net-minder Merrick Madsen, extending Team Black’s lead to 3-0 (Tyler Coulter and Brett Johnson assisted).  Exactly 14 seconds later, Jake Henderson slammed a rebound in close range past Madsen to make it a 4-0 Team Black lead (Alex Rauter and Josh Elmes assisted).  With time winding down in three-on-three hockey late in the half, Jesse Kessler finished a tic-tac-toe passing sequence with Tyler Poulsen and Liam Bilton, rifling a shot by Parks to put Team White on the board, trailing 4-1 with 2:46 to play (Bilton and Poulsen assisted).

Following the halves, a full-team shootout took place, with all goals counting to the final score.  Only three players managed to best their opposing goaltenders. Alex Rauter began the scoring entries in the top of the third round and continued his hot night to put Team Black up 5-1.  Team White went back-to-back in the bottom of the seventh and eight rounds with Alec Baer and Giovanni Fiore, bringing the squad within striking distance trailing 5-3. Team Black held on in the final four rounds, and took the win by a 5-3 final score.

The Rush will begin the 2019-20 ECHL season on the road for the first five games of the year, beginning on Friday, October 11th against the Allen Americans. Puck drop for the season-opening showdown is slated for 6:05 p.m. MST.  To celebrate, the Rush have partnered with Buffalo Wild Wings to host a watch party for the first game of the season. Come join the Rush staff, Lady Miners, and Nugget and cheer the Rush on as they begin the season! The game will be featured on the main screen with audio, and there will be prize giveaways throughout the night!

Download the Rapid City Rush App on iTunes and GooglePlay to keep up to speed on all Rush news as we approach the 2019-20 ECHL season!

Season Tickets for all 36 home games are on sale now! Call the Rush office at 716-7825 to secure your seats today!

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