(WICHITA, Kan.) – Logan Nelson had a goal and an assist and Alex Aleardi scored for the third consecutive game but the Rapid City Rush were beaten by the Wichita Thunder 7-4 on Friday night at INTRUST Bank Arena.
The Rush scored first early in the first period when Keanu Yamamoto fed Zach Court from below the goal line. Court one-timed a shot past Evan Buitenhuis and Rapid City was on top, 1-0.
Wichita answered with a pair of first period goals, however, first with Quinn Preston poking home a rebound on a power play. Jake Wahlin then scored another rebound goal after Adam Carlson made an initial save but could not cover the puck, and the Thunder took a 2-1 lead.
In the second, Wichita added to that lead first when Jay Dickman redirected a slap shot for a power play goal. Then Peter Bates muscled home a rebound for another power play tally, extending the Wichita advantage to 4-1.
Rapid City got one back late in the second period with a power play goal of its own. Ryan Zuhlsdorf fed Nelson at the right circle and he snapped a wrist shot through traffic and past Buitenhuis high on the blocker side to make the score 4-2.
Wichita grabbed a pair of early goals in the third period. Michal Stinil carried the puck in on an odd-man break and found Brayden Watts on the back door for a tap-in past Daniil Chechelev that made it 5-2. The Thunder then pushed the lead to four on a Dickman rebound goal on the power play.
Rapid City answered again after a Zuhlsdorf shot was deflected in front by Rory Kerins and through Buitenhuis. Then, with the Rush on a power play, Nelson fed Aleardi for a one-timer from the left circle that he blasted home to cut the lead to 6-4.
The Thunder managed one final goal late in the third when a Rush defensive zone turnover let to a Kenny Hausinger tap-in that pushed the score to its 7-4 final.
Aleardi scored for the third consecutive game and Ilya Nikolaev extended his point streak to six games with an assist. Rapid City fell for the seventh straight outing and dropped to 13-15-0-0 while Wichita improved to 16-9-2-0 in its win.
The Rush will now return home for six consecutive games on home ice. It begins on Wednesday night against the Tulsa Oilers and puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at The Monument Ice Arena.
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