Overtime goal gives Rush a 1-0 series lead

RAPID CITY, S.D. – Les Reaney’s overtime goal clinched a 5-4 win for the Rapid City Rush and gave the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs their first loss this playoff season. The win gives Rapid City a 1-0 series lead in the Central Hockey League’s Northern Conference Final. The Rush and Mudbugs entered the first intermission tied 1-1, after the Rush out shot the Mudbugs 13-4 in the opening frame. Derek LeBlanc scored early for Rapid City, sending in a rebound past Bossier-Shreveport’s Ken Carroll :28 into the first. The Mudbugs’ goal came from Joe Ori on the power play. Chris St. Croix’s dump-in hit a partition in the glass and bounced right to Ori, who beat Danny Battochio high to the glove side at the 8:35 mark . Bossier-Shreveport managed to kill off two Rush power plays to cap the period and the teams went to the locker room tied at one. Rapid City opened the middle frame on the offensive, out shooting the Mudbugs 8-1 in the early minutes of play before Derek Campbell raced in on a breakaway and rifled a shot over Carroll’s glove at the 6:57 mark. It was to be the only score of the period. The Mudbugs tallied nine shots but couldn’t beat Battochio and trailed by one heading into the third. The third period showcased the offenses of the two squads as they combined to score five goals. Bossier-Shreveport’s Clay Plume and Rapid City’s Scott Wray tallied two goals each in the period. Plume’s second goal at the 13:14 mark came after an earlier power play goal by Simon Mangos and gave the Mudbugs a one goal lead. Wray’s second goal, assisted by Reaney, came 3:09 later and salvaged the game for the Rush. With no further scoring, the teams headed to overtime. Just over five minutes into the extra frame, Brendan Cook sent in a shot from the slot but was stopped by Carroll but Reaney managed to backhand the rebound into the net to give Rapid City the 5-4 win and 1-0 series lead. The Rush gave Carroll a workout as they put up 44 shots on goal in the game, while the Mudbugs managed just 24 on Danny Battochio. The teams will meet for Game Two tonight at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

Contact the author at john.hall@prohockeynews.com