RAPID CITY, SD – Avery Peterson scored the second power play goal of the game for the Rapid City Rush to win it in the third period, and with the help of Adam Carlson’s 37 saves on 38 shots the Rush defeated the Greenville Swamp Rabbits by a 2-1 score on Saturday night. The game, the team’s annual “First Responders Night”, gave both Spire-owned clubs a split of their series thus far, forcing a rubber match Sunday afternoon.
Both teams skated to a scoreless deadlock in the first 20 minutes of play, with Rapid City’s Carlson stopping all 16 shots from the Swamp Rabbits, and Jacob Ingham staving off all 10 Rush shots. It was Tyler Coulter that got things started for the Rush on the very first power play of the game in the second frame. With 8:10 gone by, Coulter, from the far wall, threw the puck towards the net, which deflected off of a Greenville skater and past Ingham to give the Rush a 1-0 lead. Ian Edmondson and Peter Quenneville assisted on the goal. Moments later, however, Greenville took advantage of a rolling puck as Carlson tried to trap it in his crease. As the Rush tried to clear the puck, it rolled into the net, squaring the game at 1-1 with 7:30 left in the second. Garrett Thompson was credited with the goal and Jack Poehling and Zarch Bachman the assists.
The Rush once again received help from their red-hot power play, and it was Peterson that came through as the hero. With 5:24 left in the game, Cedric Montminy’s close range shot was denied by Ingham, but Peterson swooped in and potted the rebound to push the Rush ahead at 2-1. Montminy and Coulter pulled the assists on the game-winning tally. In the final moments, Ingham was pulled from the Greenville net for the extra skater, but Carlson and the Rush withstood the onslaught, winning 2-1 to force the rubber match tomorrow afternoon.
Carlson stopped all but one of 38 shots on his net in the win to improve his record to 6-5-1-0.
The Rush continue their eight-game homestand and conclude their “three-in-three” against Greenville Sunday afternoon. Puck drop for the rubber match is slated for 4:05 p.m. MDT at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Ice Arena.
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