(WEST VALLEY CITY, Ut.) – The Rapid City Rush cut the deficit to one goal in the final minute of the third period but could not get the equalizer as they came up short against the Utah Grizzlies, 4-3, Saturday night at the Maverik Center.
Utah struck first in the opening period when Luke Martin was fed in the high slot. He fired a slap shot through traffic that snuck past a screened David Tendeck to make the score 1-0.
The Rush answered less than one minute later as Zach Court hit Stephen Baylis streaking into the center of the attacking zone. Baylis fired a wrist shot that beat Peyton Jones low on the glove-catching side, to tie the game at one.
That score would hold until late in the first when Charle-Eduard D’Astous hammered home a power play goal, pushing Utah’s lead to 2-1.
Rapid City evened the score in the second period on a power play of its own. In his first game as a member of the Rush, Brett Gravelle let loose a wrist shot from the right circle that went top-shelf, making the score 2-2.
The Grizzlies took control in the third period with a pair of goals separated by just 1:11 of game time. First, a defensive zone turnover for the Rush led to a chance for Brandon Cutler that Tendeck stopped but the rebound bounced back to Cutler who fired it under the crossbar, giving Utah the lead. Later, Gehrett Sargis fed Quinn Ryan for a one-timer in the slot that hit the back of the net and the score was 4-2.
Rapid City pulled Tendeck for an extra attacker in the final two minutes of the third and eventually cashed in with a goal as Logan Nelson hit Colton Leiter who buried one from the slot, cutting the deficit to one. But that would be all the Rush could muster as they fell to the Grizzlies, 4-3.
Baylis tallied his team-leading fifth goal, Gravelle scored in his Rapid City debut, Nelson handed out two assists and Tendeck made 35 saves on 39 shots. The Rush moved to 2-3-1 in the loss while Utah improved to 6-2-0.
Rapid City will now return home for the first of three games in four nights against the Idaho Steelheads. Puck drop on Wednesday night at The Monument Ice Arena is scheduled for 7:05 P.M.
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