RUSH EDGED AT HOME, 4-3

(RAPID CITY, S.D.) – Alex Aleardi extended his point streak to eight games and Carter Robertson scored in his first game with the Rush but Rapid City fell at home to the Kansas City Mavericks 4-3 on Friday night at The Monument Ice Arena. The Rush had their three-game winning streak snapped in the loss.

Rapid City opened the scoring in the first period when Robertson was fed at the blue line. He lofted a shot that sailed through traffic and beat a screened Shane Starrett, giving the Rush a 1-0 lead.

The Mavericks tied things in the second after the Rush turned the puck over in their own zone. Ryan Harrison hit Luke Morgan loose in the slot for a one-timer that he blasted past Adam Carlson to make it 1-1.

The Rush grabbed the lead back once again in the second after Rory Kerins gained the zone and left the puck for Max Coatta. Coatta fired a shot as Kerins crashed the net. He banged home the rebound and Rapid City led, 2-1.

Kansas City again tied the game later in the second period. Tristan Mullin skated the puck over the blue line, cut toward the middle of the ice and snapped a wrist shot top shelf by Carlson to make it 2-2. The Mavericks then took the lead for the third with a power play goal as Jake Jaremko hit Cole Coskey for a one-timer that pushed the score to 3-2.

Rapid City managed to tie the game with three minutes to go in the third while skating on a power play. Brett Gravelle fed Simon Lavigne at the blue line for a snap shot. The puck darted through traffic and past Starrett, evening the score at three.

But the Mavericks managed to answer again and took the lead back just over a minute later. Jeremy McKenna streaked into the attacking zone and flicked a wrist shot through Carlson’s legs to make it 4-3.

Rapid City pulled Carlson for an extra attacker in the final two minutes but could not manage the equalizer.

Robertson, Kerins and Lavigne each scored and Aleardi recorded one assist that extended his point streak to eight games. The Rush lost for only the third time in their past eight games and fell to 7-8-0-0 while Kansas City improved to 8-4-1-0.

Rapid City and Kansas City will meet again on Saturday night. It’s Yellowstone Night and the team will wear specialty jerseys that will be auctioned off postgame. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at The Monument Ice Arena.

###