TEAM GATES DEFEATS TEAM TETRAULT FOR SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR

(RAPID CITY, SD) – Avery Peterson scored twice and added an assist, and Mason Baptista capitalized on both of his shootout attempts late to power Team Gates to an 8-7 win over Team Tetrault in the 4th Annual “Black and White Intrasquad Scrimmage” on Friday night. The game, an annual staple of training camp, pits teams drafted by the Rush coaches from the training camp roster in a head-to-head showdown. Team Gates has now won the last two “Black and White Intrasquad Scrimmages”.

The game was played with two 20-minute halves, followed by a 5-minute period of 3-on-3 hockey, and concluded with a full team shootout, with all goals counting toward the final score.

Both teams left the first half deadlocked at 3-3. Alex Rodriguez scored two of the first three goals for Team Tetrault, his first coming on a two-on-one break into the Team Gates zone. Rodriguez buried a Tyson Empey pass past net-minder Adam Carlson to put Team Tetrault up 1-0 at 6:15 of the first half (Empey and Brett Beauvais assisted). Cedric Montminy counterpunched moments later for Team Gates and tied the game at 1-1 with a “post-and-in” shot past goaltender Danny Battochio with 9:49 left in the first half (the goal was unassisted). Exactly 13 seconds later, however, Rodriguez slipped home a puck that caromed off of the back kick plate and in front of a wide open net for his second of the game, re-establishing the Team Tetrault lead at 2-1 (the goal was unassisted). Tyson Empey made it 3-1 for Team Tetrault at with 6:36 left in the first, but Team Gates fired right back with a pair of goals to even the contest. Jack Suter took an Avery Peterson pass and rifled a shot down the center lane past Battochio to bring Team Gates within striking distance with 4:30 remaining in the half. Avery Peterson closed the frame with his first of the game from the left wing faceoff circle, finishing a Shawn Boutin pass from behind the net to square things up at 3-3 heading into the intermission (Boutin and Brennan Saulnier assisted).

Each team hit pay dirt once in the second half and carried another stalemate into the 3-on-3 period. Peter Quenneville put Team Tetrault up while killing off the second Team Gates power play of the contest, tearing off on a breakaway from the red line in. Quenneville deked out Battochio and re-established his squad’s lead at 8:32 of the second half (the goal was unassisted). Peterson continued his brilliant night and tied the game back up with a buzzer beater to close the half. With just under a second left, Peterson collected a pass while splitting two defenders, and unleashed a heavy wrist shot from the right wing circle that beat Carlson before the buzzer sounded to even the game at 4-4 heading into 3-on-3 play (Saulnier had the lone assist).

Tyler Coulter provided the only goal in the 3-on-3 period to give Team Tetrault a 5-4 lead heading into the final shootout round.  With 1:05 remaining, Quenneville fed Coulter on the right wing side of the zone, and Coulter identified an open lane down the middle of the zone. He took his ice, came in on Battochio all alone, and five-holed him to push Team Tetrault to a 5-4 advantage (Quenneville had the lone assist).

The shootout round proved to be decisive, and turned the tide for Team Gates late. Shawn Boutin (top 2nd) and Jake Wahlin (top 6th) capitalized on both of their attempts, while Team Tetrault went scoreless in the first six rounds, shifting the lead to Team Gates at 6-5. Shortly after, Alex Rodriguez scored Team Tetrault’s first shootout goal in the bottom of the 7th round to bring the game level at 6-6. The shootout wouldn’t produce another goal until the 11th round, when Team Gates’ Mason Baptista and Team Tetrault’s Tyson Empey exchanged goals, forcing sudden death shootout rounds with a 7-7 score. Baptista’s number was called upon again, and he buried his shot in the top of the 13th round on Adam Carlson to force the continuation of the game on the stick of Team Tetrault’s final shooter. Tyler Coulter, unsuccessful on his first attempt, shot in the bottom of the 13th round and was denied by Danny Battochio, securing a second straight win for Team Gates by an 8-7 final score.

The Rush begin their 13th season of hockey next Friday night when they take on the Utah Grizzlies. “Home Opening Night”, presented by the Denny Menholt Auto Group, features rally towels for all fans in attendance, in addition to a pre-game tailgate party, of which details will be announced soon. Saturday’s series finale against Utah is “Rapid City Thrillers Night”, sponsored by Vast, which sees the Rush pay homage to the Continental Basketball Association’s Rapid City Thrillers of the 1980’s and 1990’s. The team will wear specialty Thrillers-themed jerseys that will be auctioned off following the game on Saturday.

Season Tickets for the 2020-21 season are available! To place a deposit, call 716-7825, or click HERE.

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