The Rapid City Rush and Wichita Thunder were back in action on Sunday to wrap up their series in South Dakota.
First Period
Neither team made any changes between the pipes, as the Rush stuck with goaltender Matt Radomsky and the Thunder stayed with Trevor Gorsuch. After rough starts in the two previous games, Rapid City wasted no time getting on the board. Just 35 seconds into the game, Blake Bennett fired a shot from the top of the right faceoff circle. After a scramble in front of the net, the puck was pushed past Gorsuch and into the back of the net. Bennett’s goal was assisted by Ryan Wagner and Deni Goure.
From the left faceoff circle, Deni Goure sent a pass across to Blake Bennett at the bottom of the right faceoff circle, who had a wide-open net. Bennett buried the puck, giving the Rush a 2–0 lead. His second goal came at 3:42 of the period and was assisted by Goure and Wagner.
Wichita got on the board with a power-play goal. Mitchell Russell fired a shot from the right faceoff circle that Radomsky saved, but the puck sat loose in the crease. As Radomsky tried to clear it, Kobe Walker pounced on the rebound and knocked it past him. Walker’s power-play goal came at 9:01 of the period and, since Radomsky had possession after Russell’s shot, the goal was unassisted.
Rapid City restored their two-goal lead when Billy Constantinou fired a shot from the right faceoff circle that bounced off Gorsuch and into the net. Constantinou’s goal came at 14:46 and was assisted by Garrett Klotz and Chaz Smedsrud.
Rapid City held a 3–1 lead at the end of the first period after outshooting Wichita 14–9.
Second Period
Rapid City was able to get the scoring started in the second period after a 3-on-2 rush entering the zone. Jack Jeffers got a shot on net, and Parker Bowman crashed the crease, picking up the rebound to give Rapid City a 4–1 lead.
Back on the power play, the Thunder were able to pull back within two. Jay Dickman sent a cross-ice pass to Michal Stinil, who fired a shot from the right faceoff circle. Peter Bates tipped Stinil’s shot into the back of the net. Bates’ power-play goal came at 15:05 of the period and was assisted by Stinil and Dickman.
Rapid City held a 4–2 lead at the end of 40 minutes after outshooting the Thunder 13–9 in the second period.
Third Period
Rapid City was once again able to get the scoring started in the third period. David Gagnon picked the puck off a Thunder player, giving the Rush a 3-on-1 heading down the ice. Although they couldn’t convert on the odd-man rush, Chaz Smedsrud recovered the puck and carried it behind the net. From there, Smedsrud passed it out front to Gagnon, who went top shelf with a shot from the bottom of the right faceoff circle. Gagnon’s goal came 6:49 into the period and was assisted by Smedsrud and Maurizio Colella.
Rapid City outshot the Thunder 12–9 in the third period.
Final Stats
The Rush won by a final score of 5–2 after outshooting the Thunder 39–27. Rapid City went 0-for-3 on the power play and 2-for-4 on the penalty kill, while Wichita went 2-for-4 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill. Rush goaltender Matt Radomsky made 25 saves on 27 shots for a .926 save percentage, and Thunder goaltender Trevor Gorsuch made 34 saves on 39 shots for a .872 save percentage.
Three Stars of the Game
- Rush forward Blake Bennett (two goals, seven shots, +2)
- Rush defenseman Billy Constantinou (game winning goal, one assist, two shots, +3)
- Rush goaltender Matt Radomsky (25 saves on 27 shots)
The Thunder will be back in action next week against the Kansas City Mavericks. They will start their series in Kansas City on Wednesday, March 26. The two teams will then travel to Wichita, where they will play the second and third games of their series on Friday, March 28, and Saturday, March 29. Puck drop will be at 7:05 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Friday, and at 6:05 p.m. CT on Saturday. The Thunder will also host their annual Police vs. Fire game at 5:15 p.m. CT before their game against the Mavericks.
The Rush will hit the road next week to take on the Tulsa Oilers at the BOK Center. The two teams will start their series on Thursday, March 27. They will then continue the series on Saturday, March 29, and wrap it up on Sunday, March 30. Puck drop will be at 6:05 p.m. MT on Thursday and Saturday, and at 2:05 p.m. MT on Sunday.
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