INDEPENDENCE, Mo. – The tremendous run of the Missouri Mavericks in their inaugural season came to an end on Friday night. Rapid City edged the Mavericks 7-6 in overtime of Game Four of the Northern Conference Semi-Finals, completing the four-game series sweep to advance to take on the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs.
While the first period has been somewhat uneventful throughout the series, the first 20 minutes of play on this night was far from lackluster. Rapid City appeared to get the early advantage in this game, as Mavericks forward Jeff MacDermid was flagged for an elbowing penalty just over four minutes into the game. However, it was the Mavericks who would tally a goal during the Rush’s power play. Missouri forward Nick Sirota corralled a deflected puck in the neutral zone and race in for a breakaway. As good as Rush goalie Danny Battochio has been in this series, he was unable to stop the speedy Sirota, and the Mavericks would take a 1-0 lead.
Rapid City struck back, as forward Brendan Cook ripped a wrister that beat Missouri goalie Gerry Festa five-hole.
The Mavericks’ special teams struck again, as veteran forward Jeff Christian scored his first goal of the postseason, and the Mavericks took the 2-1 lead into the first intermission.
The late first period goal seemed to awaken the beast in Rapid City. The Rush came out firing on all cylinders in the second period, netting three unanswered goals. Luke Fritshaw, Derek LeBlanc, and Rich Hansen all lit the lamp for the home team to give them a two-goal lead.
The Mavericks pulled within one with another late-period goal. It was an amazing display of effort by Mavericks defenseman Mike Burgoyne as he dove to keep Battochio from clearing the puck with Missouri on the power play. Burgoyne controlled the puck on his stick and fired a shot from his knees, beating the Rush goalie for Missouri’s second special teams goal of the contest. Rapid City took their 4-3 lead into the third period.
The Rush extended their lead to 5-3 early in the final frame when Rush defenseman Gio Flamminio unleashed a slapshot from the point that beat Festa. However, just as Rapid City seemed to awaken after the Mavericks’ rally in the first period, Flamminio’s blast did just the same for the Missouri squad.
The Mavericks responded with goals from Brett Hammond, Toby LaFrance, and Sirota again to take a 6-5 third period lead. LeBlanc knotted the game up again at the 8:54 mark when he one-timed a pass past Festa to make it 6-6. That score held true through for the rest of regulation play.
Rapid City needed just 2:29 of the extra period to squash any inkling of a series comeback by the Mavericks.
Rush forward Les Reaney deflected a shot by Cook to beat Festa, and propel his team on to the Northern Conference Finals. Rapid City completed the sweep, sending the first-year Mavericks back to Missouri licking their wounds.
With the Northern Conference Finals set, the Rush will host Game One against the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs on Saturday, April 10th.
Contact the author at joe.rozycki@prohockeynews.com
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