COATTA, RUSH, BURY GRIZZLIES IN OT, 3-2

(RAPID CITY, S.D.) – Max Coatta scored twice including the game-winning goal, Adam Carlson made 30 saves and the Rapid City Rush beat the Utah Grizzlies in overtime 3-2 on Saturday night at The Monument Ice Arena.

The Rush struck first in the first period. Tyson Helgesen slung a wrist shot from the blue line that Max Coatta deflected from the front of the net. It bounced past the goaltender Trent Miner and Rapid City took a 1-0 lead.

Utah squared things in the second after Carter Robertson’s slap shot was blocked and Tyler Penner sent the puck out of the defensive zone to a sprinting Dylan Fitze. Fitze tracked it down alone in the Rush zone and snapped a shot past Carlson to tie the score at one.

In the third period, Rapid City grabbed the lead while working with a two-man advantage. Lucas Feuk slid a pass to Brett Gravelle on the back door and he fired past the lunging Miner, giving the Rush a one-goal lead.

Utah tied the game with less than two minutes to play after pulling Miner for an extra attacker. Aaron Thow found Tarun Fizer for a slap shot from the right side that got through Carlson to force overtime.

In overtime, Calder Brooks sprung Colton Leiter down the left wing for a wrist shot that Miner blocked. But Coatta pounced on the rebound and chipped it home for the game-winning goal.

Coatta now has five goals in his past two games, Brooks and Leiter each had two assists and Carlson stopped 30 of the 32 shots he faced. Rapid City improved to 17-17-0-0 in the win while Utah earned a point and moved to 12-18-1-0.

The Rush will now hit the road for their next three games, the first of which takes place on Friday night in Tulsa against the Oilers. Puck drop at the BOK Center is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT.

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