RUSH LOSE TIGHT ONE TO KANSAS CITY

(RAPID CITY, S.D.) – The Rapid City Rush, proud affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames, lost to the Kansas City Mavericks at The Monument on Saturday night, 4-2. 

K.C. opened the scoring 5:01 into the game with a Jeremy McKenna wrist shot. McKenna also scored in Friday’s win for the Mavericks. 

However, Rapid City clawed back. Riley Ginnell scored his first professional goal on the powerplay with under 10 minutes to go in the first period. Ginnell now has points in three of his last five games and joins Simon Boyko as first-ECHL-goal scorers in back-to-back weeks. 

Boyko would give Rapid City a lead early in the second period off a feed from Billy Constantinou, marking Constantinou’s first point at The Monument. Boyko has now scored five goals in five games on top of his active 20-game point streak in the SPHL. 

Puck luck doomed to the Rush midway through the period though, as Patrick Curry scored off a rebound from the nearside post. Curry finished with three goals in two games against Rapid City this weekend. 

Nolan Walker’s powerplay goal late in the second period and his insurance marker in the first two minutes of the third period were enough to push the Mavericks to their 35^th overall win, and their 18^th road victory of the season. 

Former Rush goaltender Dillon Kelley logged his 16^th win of the season, putting him one off the pace of the ECHL lead in wins. Matt Radomsky turned in a 29-save performance to extend his season total to 869 stops on the season, still pacing the league.

The Rush are now 19-25-2-0 heading into Wednesday morning’s School Day Game against Idaho. Rapid City is three points out of a playoff spot with three games left in this homestand.