RUSH FALL TO CLOSE HOMESTAND, 3-1

(RAPID CITY, S.D.) – The Rapid City Rush, proud affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames, dropped their last game of the home stand 3-1 to the Idaho Steelheads on Saturday night. 

The Rush held Idaho scoreless through the first period, but the Steelheads broke through first when Lincoln Erne notched his third goal of the season 2:45 into the second period. 

Idaho scored their second goal less than two minutes later with Will Merchant tallying what would become the game-winning goal. 

Keanu Yamamoto answered Merchant’s goal 40 seconds later with his second goal in as many games. Yamamoto’s goal came from Logan Nelson and Tyson Helgesen. Nelson will suit up in his 500^th ECHL game on Thursday in Greenville. 

The rest of the second period was a back-and-forth affair, but with less than four minutes left in the period, Mark Rassell scored his fourth goal of the series to extend the lead to 3-1. 

Despite a valiant effort in the third period, the Rush ran into Jake Kielly who logged a season-high 40 saves and his second straight win.

The Rush are on the season’s longest losing streak at six games now, looking to snap the slide against their sister team, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, on Thursday in South Carolina. 

Rapid City did get some help as Tulsa defeated Allen, leaving the Rush at seven points shy of the fourth and final playoff spot in the Mountain Division with 23 games remaining this season.