The Rapid City Rush started the last leg of their homestand against the Wichita Thunder on Friday night. Rapid City started with goaltender Matt Radomsky in net while the Thunder had Trevor Gorsuch between the pipes.
First Period
After a great series against the Iowa Heartlanders last week, the Rush came out a little flat-footed for their series against the Thunder. Despite the rough start, Matt Radomsky made some crucial saves to keep the score even at zero.
At 12:35 into the period, the Thunder broke the deadlock with a shot from the blue line by Tyler Jette, which sneaked past Radomsky. Jette’s goal was assisted by Jake Wahlin and Ryan Finnegan.
Jette’s goal remained the only one in the first period, giving the Thunder a 1-0 lead going into the second. The Thunder outshot the Rush 14-13 in the first period.
Second Period
The Rush and Thunder saw a lot more offense in the second period, with the Thunder starting the scoring just 58 seconds in. Michal Stinil led a two-on-one rush up the ice and fed a cross-ice pass to Kobe Walker, who tapped it into the back of the net. Walker’s goal was assisted by Stinil and Peter Bates.
Rapid City cut Wichita’s lead in half when Billy Constantinou took a shot from the blue line and found the back of the net at 9:20 into the second period. Constantinou’s goal was assisted by Maurizio Colella and Parker Bowman.
Wichita regained their two-goal lead at 10:55 into the period. Jake Wahlin, standing net front, received a pass from Nolan Kneen and managed to get a shot off. Matt Radomsky made the initial save, but Wahlin picked up his own rebound to give the Thunder a 3-1 lead. Wahlin’s goal was assisted by Kneen and Ryan Finnegan.
Rapid City brought themselves back within one at 11:41 into the period. A turnover by the Thunder at their own blue line gave the puck to Rush forward Maurizio Colella, who found Luke Mylymok. Mylymok entered the zone on his own and shot the puck over Trevor Gorsuch’s glove side and into the back of the net.
The Thunder held a 3-2 lead at the end of the period after outshooting the Rush 14-10 in the second.
Third Period
After a big second period, the Rush continued their offensive momentum to tie the game. Just 1:36 into the third period, defenseman Mitchell Smith crashed into the zone and managed to get a shot off, finding the back of the net. Smith’s first goal with the Rush was assisted by Trevor Janicke and Chase Pauls.
The Thunder regained their lead at 5:04 into the third. Despite Radomsky making numerous saves with the Thunder firing shots from every direction, the increased traffic in front of the net screened him. Peter Bates picked up a rebound and put it past Radomsky, scoring the eventual game-winner. Bates’ goal was assisted by Kobe Walker and Artem Guryev.
The Rush outshot the Thunder 14-6 in the third period.
Final Stats
The Rush were unable to complete a comeback or push the game into overtime, falling 4-3 to the Thunder despite outshooting them 37-34. Rapid City went 0/3 on the powerplay and 2/2 on the penalty kill, while the Thunder went 0/2 on the powerplay and 3/3 on the penalty kill. Rush goaltender Matt Radomsky made 30 saves on 34 shots for a save percentage of .882, while Thunder goaltender Trevor Gorsuch made 34 saves on 37 shots for a save percentage of .919.
Three Stars of the Game
- Thunder forward Peter Bates (game winning goal, one assist, two shots)
- Rush defenseman Billy Constantinou (one goal, seven shots, -1)
- Rush defenseman Mitchell Smith (one goal, seven shots)
The Rush and Thunder will be back in action on Saturday, March 22 for Rush Fights Cancer Night, before wrapping up their series with Sensory Friendly Night on Sunday, March 23. Puck drop is at 7:05 pm MT on Saturday and 4:05 pm MT on Sunday.
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