Americans stop the Rush

ALLEN, Texas — The Allen Americans attacked early and often as they finessed their way to an impressive 5-2 win over the Rapid City Rush in front of 3,532 fans at the Allen Event Center in Allen, Texas. The Americans skated over, around and through the Rush, who were never able to develop anything close to full intensity, despite scoring a couple of goals. The win gives Allen a two games to one lead in the best of seven series.
 

Allen quickly jumped on the Rush for a power play goal two minutes into the game. With Colt King sitting in the penalty box for boarding, it took just 21 seconds for Justin Bowers to bury a centering pass from Bruce Graham. Jordie Benn, older brother of Dallas Stars rookie phenom Jamie Benn, also assisted.
 
Bowers scored his second goal of the game at the 13:38 mark while the teams skated four on four. Bowers took a pass from the left circle and beat Rush goalie Danny Battochio on the stick side. Assists went to Erik Adams and Ryan Fairbarn.
 
The Rush out shot Allen 13-9 in the period, but never put any real pressure on the American’s goaltender Chris Whitley until around the 17 minute mark, when they had a couple of good scoring opportunities, but couldn’t capitalize.
 
Despite being out shot again (14-7) in the second period, the Americans added two more goals before the Rush finally got on the board.
 
With Allen skating shorthanded, Colton Yellow Horn intercepted a pass, skated the puck down the slot, faked left, then went right and pushed the puck past Battochio.
 
“Scoring a shorthanded goal is a bonus,” Allen forward Justin Bowers said. “Our defense does a great job on the penalty kill and Yellow Horn has great hands on him and he makes moves like that all the time.”
 
Yellow Horn’s move left the defenseman, the goaltender and the fans shaking their heads.
 
“That’s one of my favorite moves,” Yellow Horn said. “Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Today I got lucky.”
 
Allen increased the lead to 4-0 when Nino Musitelli, Jarret Lukin and Yellow Horn completed a series of tic-tac-toe passes, leading to Yellow Horn’s second goal of the game.
 
Battochio was replaced by Miguel Beaudry who had to make several tough saves later in the period just to keep the Rush within four.  Rapid City finally got on the board when Brendan Cook slid a rebound from a Cody Bostock shot under the pads of Whitley.
 
Both teams played most of the third period like they wanted to get to the house. The teams skated up and down with very few whistles until there was seven minutes left in regulation. Then the excitement started, first with double minors handed out to Liam Huculak of Allen and Colt King of Rapid city. Shortly after, Scott Wray scored to move the rush within two, assisted by Les Reaney.
 
Then Allen went on the power play after a high sticking penalty. Beaudry stopped two close in shots and the two teams met in the crease to discuss the issues of the day, resulting in matching minors to Reaney and Tyler Wooddisse, and a very upset Beaudry, who had an animated discussion with the referee.
 
Still just two goals down, Rapid City pulled Beaudry with a little over a minute remaining in the game, but Yellow Horn scored an empty net hat trick goal from outside the blue line and hats poured down onto the ice.
 
The three stars of the game, as selected by the Pro Hockey News media, were all from the Allen Americans:
 
1. Colton Yellow Horn (hat trick)
2. Justin Bowers (2 goals)
3. Chris Whitley (35 saves)
Contact the co-author at maurice.fitzgerald@prohockeynews.com
Contact the co-author at mitch.cooper@prohockeynews.com
 
Contact the photographer at chip.crail@prohockeynews.com