Eagles lead Turner Conference final 2 games to 1

LOVELAND, Colo – Game three of the Central Hockey League’s Turner Conference final between the Rapid City Rush and the Colorado Eagles was a high scoring penalty filled affair.
Both teams play a similar up-tempo, high speed physical game and there is not much to separate them skill-wise. It is no surprise that an entertaining brand of hockey is the result.
Colorado got on the board within the first minute of play as speedy winger Daymen Rycroft took a pass from Adam Cherneyko and slid it by Rush goalie Danny Battochio just 54 seconds into the game.

No sooner was that goal announced and properly celebrated by the 5,289 fans in attendance, when the Rush answered back with its own tally at 1:57 of the first period.   Former Eagle’s forward, Konrad Reeder, now a member of the Rapid City Rush scored on their first shot of the game to even the score.
 
Late in the first period Rush Captain, Les Reaney, sent a puck through the five hole for the second score on Eagles goalie Andrew Penner.
“The first puck went in and that’s never a good thing,” Penner said. “The second goal I didn’t think was a great goal – he just put it five hole and kinda caught me half way up in the save.”
The first period went in the books with Rapid City out shooting Colorado 13-12, outscoring Colorado 2-1 and receiving four penalties to Colorado’s one.
Early in the second period Eagles defenseman Kip Workman was penalized for interference but it was another Colorado defenseman, Jason Beatty, who scored an unassisted shorthanded goal to tie the game while killing the penalty.
“Yeah, I mean we were just trying to kill off a penalty there and I just tried to take the pass away cross ice and the puck just hit my stick,” Beatty said. “I just kinda seen the alley going up the left side and thought I would just rag it as far as I could but then I saw I had a little bit of light there and when I got passed the D-man I just threw the puck at the net and you know good things happen when you throw one on net.”
Beatty, who is not known as a goal scorer but has deceptive speed for a big man, knew the team needed a momentum change.
“I was fortunate that it went in and it was a big goal for us. It felt good to see that go in.” Beatty said. “We got the first goal and then we kinda let ’em back in it. So I wanted to chip in a little bit to get us back in it and get the team going in the right direction.”
A five-on-three power play goal from Kevin Ulanski with assists from Riley Nelson and Aaron Schneekloth put the Eagles back on top at 3-to-2 to end the second period.
Rapid City again out shot Colorado’s six in the middle period. The Rush had nine shots to the Eagles six. Colorado was called for three penalties to two, but the Eagles scored the only two goals of the period.
An ill advised slashing penalty against the Eagles, Cherneyko, early in the third period yielded a power play goal, scored by Brendan Hodge of the Rush, to tie the game at three each
Shortly after exiting the penalty box Chorneyko redeemed himself by scoring the go ahead goal at 3:26 of the final period.
“I put the guys in a tough situation there and they ended up scoring.” Chorneyko said. “I knew it was a lazy penalty but it was a good feeling to get that goal to put the boys ahead.”
Two quick goals, Rycrofts’s second of the game and a power play tally from Dan Sullivan, chased Rapid City’s netminder, Battochio, from the crease and former Eagles tender, Tim Boron went between the pipes at 5:53 of the final frame.
Down 6-3, the Rush rallied for another goal at 8:22 when Scott Wray found the back of the net for the fourth Rapid City goal. But with Brett Thurston in the penalty box for holding, Riley Nelson scored the second shorthanded goal for the Eagles to make the final score 7-4.
The penalty count for the third period was 6-5 in favor of Rapid City, the shots were 15 for the Rush to 14 for the Eagles and Colorado outscored the Rush 4-2.
The three stars of the game were #3 Kevin Ulanski, #2 Daymen Rycroft and a surprising #1 star was defenseman Joe Grimaldi whose playing style frustrated several Rapid City players.
“He’s that kind of guy. Joe plays an abrasive game and that’s just the way it is. I don’t think anybody’s new to that,” Coach Chris Stewart said. “Anybody who knows him knows he is going to play that way. I think every team has a player that is going to play that abrasive style.”
Game four in the best of seven series for the Turner Conference title will be Thursday, May 5th at The Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, Co.
Contact the photographer/author at terry.sanford@prohockeynews.com