KANSAS CITY DEFEATS RUSH ON FRIDAY NIGHT

(INDEPENDENCE, Mo.) – The Rapid City Rush, proud affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames, fell to the Kansas City Mavericks at Cable Dahmer Arena on Friday night, 8-3. 

The Rush started strong, logging the first six shots of the game, however Kansas City struck first on a goal from Cade Borchardt. Borchardt’s line owned the night as they accounted for six of the eight Maverick goals, while Borchardt himself scored three goals and added two assists. 

Patrick Curry scored beyond the halfway mark in the period to extend the lead and then Cole Coskey tallied his first of two goals on the night to make it 3-0 Mavericks at intermission. 

Exiting the break, Blake Bennett scored his first of two goals on the night. Bennett, who now has 28 goals on the season, set the Rush rookie goal-scoring record, surpassing Brett Gravelle who scored 27 in the 2021-22 season. 

The Bennett goal didn’t cut the deficit for long as 53 seconds later the Mavericks scored on back-to-back shots with Jeremy McKenna and Borchardt scoring. 

However, Brett Davis scored on a rebound from a Keanu Yamamoto shot and made it 5-2. The goal marks the first for Davis as a member of the Rush. 

Despite the deficit, Rapid City notched some impressive numbers – going 3-for-3 on the penalty kill and outshooting the Mavericks 41-24. Cale Morris stopped 38 for the Mavericks.

In the third period Borchardt completed his hat trick with Coskey and Nolan Walker joining the scoring. Bennett would also add his second of the night to complete passing Gravelle for the rookie scoring record. 

After Kalamazoo defeated Allen, the Rush remain seven points out of the playoff picture, but have an elimination number of 19 points. 

The Rush and Mavericks square off again tomorrow night at 5:05 p.m. from Cable Dahmer Arena. It will be the last meeting of the regular season between the two division rivals.